ARVADA — It’s amazing how the wrestling mind plots and plans while the body battles.
Ponderosa’s Austin Gabel had his hands full in his 171-pound final against Coronado standout Nathan Burak. Burak, ranked No. 2 in his weight class, scored a nifty takedown with 1:45 remaining to go up 7-5 on Saturday at the annual Arvada West Invitational, putting all the pressure on Gabel.
The top-ranked Gabel answered with a quick escape, scored a takedown with 30 seconds left and held on to Burak’s ankle to prevent a last-gasp escape and preserve an 8-7 decision.
“I kind of changed it up a little bit and starting going for my high (crotch hold),” Gabel said. “I got him in that a couple times early, but didn’t quite finish. So I knew that was my move I could go to in the end.”
Gabel was one of six consecutive champions for the Mustangs, who didn’t field their full team because of injuries and placed third in the 16-team tournament. Austin Olson started the run for the Mustangs with a dramatic 7-6 decision in the 140-pound final, and Derek Good finished it by pinning Cherry Creek’s Tanner Harms in their 189-pound final.
In another battle of top-ranked wrestlers, Ponderosa’s Steven Kelly (152 pounds) dealt Coronado’s Nick Burghardt his first loss of the season when he used a great reverse to set up a pin at the 2:59 mark.
Pomona, behind champions Raymond Robledo (112 pounds), Isaiah Rosales (130) and Gage Boyd (285), won the team race. Coronado, which went 1-5 in the finals with the lone win going to 125-pounder Carter McElhany, placed second.
Grandview senior John Godin won a 13-1 major decision over Cherry Creek’s Brady Tellis in (119). Godin’s twin brother, Dan, lost in the 130 final.
