Greeley – Being first and last worked out fine for Zach Mamigonian.
Due to a late withdrawal, the Heritage graduate led off and finished up for the Red wrestling team Saturday at the annual Colorado All-State Games.
Mamigonian’s decision over Aurora Central’s Ricardo Villalobos got the Red team going, but his second decision, this time over East’s Syris Pernell, capped a rally and a 28-27 victory over the Blue squad at Butler-Hancock Gymnasium.
“It will probably be my last match, so I didn’t want to lose,” said Mamigonian, who also got a kick out of winning both matches 1-0. “It wasn’t a big win, but it was a win.”
What made the grinding victories even sweeter was that Mamigonian was “so out of shape.”
Against Pernell, Mamigonian scored an escape in the second period and was in the down position for the third. Pernell nearly got him on his back with 38 seconds remaining, but he squirted free and was able to finish.
Another showdown came at 140 pounds, where Pueblo East’s Matt Basquez used an early takedown to set up a 4-2 decision over John Hooper, a state champion from Regis.
“That’s what my game plan was because that’s my favorite position, on my feet,” Basquez said. “I knew I had to score first.”
Four-time state champion Kevin LeValley of Limon was unable to score in the first period against Pueblo East’s Justin Keys, but he began the second with a quick reversal before a near fall in the third wrapped up a 9-0 major decision.
Three-time state champion Tucker Lane of Nucla needed the third period to get East’s Chris Kiel on his back. Lane, a 241-pounder bound for Nebraska, led 6-1 before throwing Kiel down for a pin with 53 seconds remaining.
Arrupe Jesuit two-time state champion Lance Gallegos recorded the first pin of the day when he dropped Heritage’s Carlton Stephens at the 2:58 mark of their 135-pound match.
The fastest pin went to Fruita Monument’s Joe Meinhart, who needed 2:23 to subdue Jacob Guynes of Dove Creek in their 152-pound match.
RED 28, BLUE 27
125 – Zach Mamigonian, Heritage, dec. Ricardo Villalobos, Aurora Central, 1-0. 103 – Joe Martinez, Ranum, dec Ivan Mondragon, Aurora Central, 6-4. 119 – Cody Cole, Brush, maj. dec. Grant Hobbs, Dove Creek, 8-0. 130 – Roy Westbrook, Bayfield, maj. dec. Richard Apodaca, Arrupe Jesuit, 10-1. 135 – Lance Gallegos, Arrupe Jesuit, pinned Carlton Stephens, Heritage, 2:58. 140 – Matt Basquez, Pueblo East, dec. John Hooper, Regis, 4-2. 145 – Chris Holzworth, Fowler, maj. dec. Bryant Hicks, Heritage, 9-1. 145 – Kevin LeValley, Limon maj. dec. Justin Keys, Pueblo East, 9-0. 152 – Joe Meinhart, Fruita Monument, pinned Jacob Guynes, Dove Creek, 2:23. 160 – Chris McWhorter, Pueblo South, dec. Eric Stiasny, Dove Creek, 5-0. 171 – Jacob Jurney, Rocky Ford, dec. Aaron Quinlin, Brush, 3-2. 189 – Joseph O’Farrell, University, dec. Korey Kennedy, Paonia, 12-5. 215 – Tucker Lane, Nucla, pinned Chris Kiel, East, 3:37. 135 – Zach Mamigonian, Heritage, dec. Syris Pernell, East, 1-0.
