James Gerstberger isn’t in Kansas anymore.
Thank goodness.
The senior from Palmer advanced to the Class 5A 189-pound state final Friday night at the Pepsi Center with a 6-0 decision over Bear Creek’s Marc Schiechl. Gerstberger let out a scream afterward, blowing off the memory of going 0-2 in the Kansas state tournament a year ago.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I wrestled. I can’t believe it,” said Gerstberger, who is 19-1 this season. “When I got that first takedown, I knew that I had him.”
The semifinal matches were the highlight of Friday’s schedule and produced a host of surprises and near-disasters for returning state champions and undefeated wrestlers before an announced crowd of 15,520.
The state tournament continues this morning and concludes tonight with the traditional Parade of Champions at 6:30 p.m. before the finals in each classification.
Golden senior Brooke Sauer, who caused a stir all week after becoming the first girl to qualify for the state tournament, exited early Friday after a 9-0 loss by major decision to Thompson Valley’s Sean Ender. Sauer finished her season with a 26-14 record. She went the distance in both of her 4A 103-pound matches and was outscored 23-0.
In 5A, the 112-pound final is set with two undefeated wrestlers – Monarch’s Geoff Meng and Rocky Mountain’s Kyle O’Brien.
Meng nearly didn’t make it as Centaurus’ Dominic Valenzuela caught him in a cradle and nearly pinned him. Meng kicked out and went on to win a 6-3 decision.
Ponderosa’s returning champion Marcus Nelson advanced to the 135-pound final after a salty bout with Chaparral rival Rodney Padilla. Nelson won 15-6, overcoming a poke to the eye and an elbow to the head.
There were no major surprises in 4A as each of the four returning champions made it to the finals. Two of those champions are Moffat County’s Korey Kostur and Pueblo South’s Mark Beaudry, who will meet in the 145-pound final.
In 3A, one of the grittiest victories went to undefeated Gunnison senior Skye Wells when he rallied to pin La Junta’s Riley Lowe in the third period. Wells opened a huge gash under his chin and another below his eye in the second period that had his face swollen like a boxer’s.
Wells will face Roosevelt’s Tim Frank in the final after Frank knocked off Burlington returning champion Rodrick David with a 4-3 decision.
Salida senior Jesse Snyder also knocked out a returning champion when he won an 8-3 decision over Valley’s Rueben Gutierrez to advance to the 119-pound final.
In 2A, Limon junior Kevin LeValley moved closer to his third state championship by beating Zack Meyer of John Mall in a battle of undefeated wrestlers. LeValley (41-0) will face Paonia senior Shane Smith in the 140-pound final.
The 152-pound final will feature two-time state champion Ross Brunkhardt (39-2) of Merino against Meeker junior Joe LeBlanc (34-2).
Some of Friday’s best wrestling, in terms of pure scrappiness, came in the consolation rounds. With one state loss already to their name, these wrestlers were just trying to come back and wrestle Saturday.
“I don’t want to go home yet,” said Fleming’s 119-pound junior Niles Barnett, who fought tooth-and-nail to overcome Sargent senior Nick Gonzales.
Barnett lost his first two matches at state last year, but is now one step closer to a possible trip to the podium to night.
“Saturday is huge,” he said.
