Not that they need a reminder, but the rest of Class 4A has one more reason to look up to defending champion Windsor.
The Wizards outpointed four of Class 5A’s top-10 teams in winning the fourth annual Colfax Smackdown Wrestling Tournament at Denver East on Saturday.
“I was really impressed with Windsor’s intensity level. It’s second to none,” said Pomona coach Sam Federico, whose top-ranked 5A team finished third behind sixth-ranked 5A Mountain Range.
The Wizards crowned only two individual champions to five for Mountain Range, yet claimed the team title 98.5 points to 77.5. Pomona had 73 points and defending 5A champion and fourth-ranked Coronado, in a rebuilding year, was fourth with 67. Grand Junction Central, ranked 10th, rounded out the top five.
The two-day tournament, which included dual meets Friday, included one defending state champion and four second-place finishers from 5A, and a 4A runner-up.
“We came here because of the level of competition (East coach Randy Gallegos) attracts,” said Windsor coach Monte Trusty. “You’ve got to love competing against likes of Coronado, Mountain Range, Pomona and Grand Junction Central. It helps get our guys ready for state.”
Showing its strength in the upper weights, Windsor received victories from 160-pounder Vinny Gonzales, who pinned Isaiah Reyez of Grand Junction Central at 2:43, and from Jacob Winter, who beat GJC freshman Tyler Zook 12-5 at 195 pounds. Jonathan Lewis (106), Troy Carroll (152) and Cosme Martinez (182) finished second for the Wizards.
The featured weight class was 113 pounds, where Coronado junior Adrian Cordova, the defending 112 champion, knocked off two state runners-up. Cordova beat Windsor’s Joel Solomon, ranked No. 1 in 4A, 10-5 in the semifinals and Pomona’s Josh Rosales, ranked No. 2 in 5A and second in state at 103 last year, 7-1.
“It shows that my hard work has been paying off,” said Cordova, who avenged a loss to Solomon in a third-place match at the Old Chicago Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament last month in Greeley.
