State Wrestling Finals Part 2

(For a recap of part 1, click here.)

Pueblo East's Julian Espinoza was overcome with emotion after winning his state championship bout.

"I've been working my whole life for this; my whole family has," Espinoza said. "My whole family has always wanted to win a state title. I'm the first to do it. I'm so happy. There's no emotion like this."

That’s how special it is to be a champion.

In the 5A girls 100lb weight class, Doherty’s Katey Valdez flattened her opponent like a pancake, and then we got to see it hit her in real time. Then she had the epic backflip to boot.

Vista Ridge’s Hayden Newberg won her match so quickly we didn’t get a shot of her match. She won her second straight title with a 1st round pin in 55 seconds.

When she was younger, Sierra junior Lilliana Limon was told she wasn’t good enough to be a wrestler. Yeah, how about now? Limon beat her opponent like she caught her breaking into her car; pounding her like chicken on her way to the 4A 125lb title by major decision. She celebrated by doing the Macarena.

La Junta’s Jordan gamez seemed tired of his opponent’s insolence! After folding the dude like a lawn chair, he locked him down for a 19-4 win by technical fall to take home the 3A-120lb title.

In the 4A 157, Sand Creek’s Brandon Dean took on Pueblo East’s Justus Freeman. Dean capped a dominant season with a 2nd round pin. The scorpion wins a state championship. Maybe it’s because he’s already won a national tournament, but dean’s celebration plans were more lowkey, saying he would catch up on homework.

In the 4A heavyweight bout, Mesa Ridge senior Elias Timms had to dig deep in a tough match which went to sudden death. But in the end, Timms was too strong, too tough, and too much to handle. He takes home the 4A heavyweight crown to cap his high school career.

And with that, another year of state championship wrestling is in the books.