Tony Peña said he wanted “to wrestle with the big boys.”
The junior at Chatfield, a transfer from Conifer after winning a Class 4A Colorado championship the past season, is set for his next big step. He’ll be one of multiple 5A stalwarts in tonight’s Parade of Champions after winning a semifinals bout at 130 pounds over Arvada West’s Andrew Muniz on Friday at the Pepsi Center.
Peña, who said he switched schools to take advantage of better coaching after winning at 4A 112, used an elevator technique — he’d take down Muniz, then let him escape, then restart the process.
“I tried to open it up a little more,” Peña said, “but he’s a good wrestler and he’s strong.”
So was the field, including his opponent in tonight’s final, Kurtis Nelson of Chaparral, who advanced with a 9-5 decision. It will be the only weight class to pit returning champions.
Big school’s biggest story also continued as Ponderosa’s Jake Snider had little trouble in taking down Regis Jesuit’s Andrew Onerato 15-0. Bidding to become the state’s 16th four- time champion, Snider, unlike so many others in this season’s field, has been openly willing to discuss his progress throughout the season.
Yes, he’s relieved to finally get to the final, he said, “and I’ll be ready. It’s here.”
His semifinal tuneup was thorough.
“I just wanted to get out there, be safe and do what I do,” He said. “I want to get some rest and be ready.”
Mustangs teammate Steven Kelly, like Snider so integral to the program’s bid to make it eight consecutive team championships, also won in a breeze, 16-1 at 152. The technical falls loomed large.
“Bonus points are key,” said Kelly, who is headed to Colorado School of Mines. “I tried to get a pin there, but everybody’s really good here. . . . I just feel so great right now. It’s always so challenging here at state. We just want to step up and do it again.”
It was a clean sweep for returning champions.
At 119, Rocky Mountain’s Jeremy Schmitt, with, in order, finishes of second, fourth and third, will get to try it again. He won 10-0 and will meet Loveland’s Chance Liengang, a foe he had downed twice this season.
Matthew Gurule of Central (G.J.) won 11-4 at 112. Vicente Gallegos of Arvada West advanced at 135 with a 14-5 victory.
And at 215, one of the most impressive competitors has been Loveland’s Connor Medbery, who won in a fall at 1 minute, 52 seconds. He also pinned in the quarterfinals after opening with a 12-6 decision. Medbery is 42-0.
Elsewhere, 140 offered two close ones. Cherry Creek’s Tanner Hirstine won 7-6 over Luke Case of Brighton and Jesse Hoffschneider of Grand Junction probably had the upset of the round, 3-2 over top-seeded Michael Miller of Heritage.
Teamwise, Ponderosa all but clinched it early in Friday’s wrestlebacks. The Mustangs had 105.5 points. Coronado had 90.5 and Pomona was a distant third at 60.5.
Class 5A title matches
103 pounds — Geo Martinez, Pine Creek, Fr. (42-1) vs. Ryan Adams, Standley Lake, Sr. (45-1)
112 — Josh Martinez, Pine Creek, Jr., (44-1) vs. Matthew Gurule, Central (G.J.), Sr. (45-1)
119 — Jeremy Schmitt, Rocky Mountain, Sr. (29-1) vs. Chance Liengang, Loveland, Sr. (34-10)
125 — Carter McElhany, Coronado, Jr. (32-1) vs. Cory Mitze, Mountain Range, So. (32-6)
130 — Tony Peña, Chatfield, Jr. (43-1) vs. Kurtis Nelson, Chaparral, Sr. (43-2)
135 — Vicente Gallegos, Arvada West, Sr. (26-0) vs. Jeremy Luna, Rocky Mountain, Sr. (35-4)
140 — Jesse Hoffschneider, Grand Junction, So. (37-3) vs. Tanner Hirstine, Cherry Creek, Sr. (27-1)
145 — Jake Snider, Ponderosa, Sr. (40-1) vs. Jared Rieck, Coronado, Jr. (40-4)
152 — Steven Kelly, Ponderosa, Sr. (41-3) vs. Nick Burghardt, Coronado, Jr. (42-2)
160 — Jackson Julian, Chaparral, Sr. (43-4) vs. Jon Crowley, Regis Jesuit, So. (39-3)
171 — Austin Gabel, Ponderosa, Jr. (40-1) vs. Clay Roth, Poudre, Sr. (35-3)
189 — Derek Good, Ponderosa, Sr. (38-5) vs. Max Wessel, Boulder, Sr. (40-0)
215 — Connor Medbery, Loveland, Sr. (42-0) vs. Trey Kirk, Cherry Creek, Sr. (37-6)
Hwt — Gage Boyd, Pomona, Sr. (39-3) vs. Austin Schuefele, Centaurus, Sr. (30-4)
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
