by Steven Vetter, Managing Editor
DENVER — When the 2020 Colorado State Wrestling Championships commence this Friday (Feb. 20) at Pepsi Center in Denver the I-70 Corridor will be represented by 15 student-athletes from Bennett, Strasburg and Byers.
Bennett qualified eight and Strasburg four from 3A Region 3 and Byers had three qualify from 2A Region 3. Bennett is tied with seven other teams for the third-most qualifiers in 3A; only three other schools had more — Jefferson and Alamosa with 10 each and Pagosa Springs with nine.
First-round matches start at 2 p.m. on Thursday with the following locals competing in their respective 16-man bracket:
BENNETT & STRASBURG IN 3A
• 106 pounds: Bennett sophomore John Faczak (40-7 record) will face Berthoud freshman Will Moneypenny (27-12) in the preliminaries.
• 120 pounds: Bennett freshman Carson Hawkins (28-15) will face Pagosa Springs junior Erik Wyman (41-5) in the opening round.
• 132 pounds: Strasburg freshman Zach Marrero (27-3), a 3A Region 3 weight champion, will take on Platte Valley sophomore Orrin Jackson (26-9). Bennett Freshman Isaak Copeland (25-20) will take on Berthoud senior Colton Williams (21-10).
• 138 pounds: Bennett freshman Wesley DuBois (26-15) will face off against Woodland Park junior Colton Simonis (11-4).
• 152 pounds: Bennett senior Joe Jordan (37-7) will take on Eaton freshman Ryder True (21-12).
• 170 pounds: Bennett junior Mac Copeland (40-2), a regional champion, will take on Olathe junior Wyatt Mansker (20-6). Strasburg junior Blake Coombs (15-7) faces off with Alamosa senior Hunter Smith (41-6). Both Copeland and Coombs are on the bottom side of the bracket and, if both win their first two matches, they would face each other in the semifinals.
• 182 pounds: Bennett junior Cody DuBois (35-3), the Tigers’ second regional champion, takes on Lamar junior Anthony Martinez (27-8).
• 195 pounds: Bennett senior Casey Harvey (25-9) faces Steamboat Springs senior John Stowey (37-9). Strasburg senior Trevor Smith (22-12) takes on Delta senior Gauge Lockhart (29-5).
• 220 pounds: Strasburg senior Chad Sutherland (31-10) takes on Severance sophomore Cody King (27-9).
BYERS IN 2A
• 132 pounds: Bulldog freshman Lain Yapoujian (34-6), a 2A Region 3 champion, faces Dolores Huerta junior Xavier Mendoza (29-14).
• 138 pounds: Bulldog senior Wyatt Yapoujian (37-4), another regional champion and the No. 1 seed entering state, takes on West Grand junior Rene Dominguez (12-9).
• 220 pounds: Bulldog senior Wyatt Vermeer (11-24) takes on Monte Vista junior Ethan Hotz (28-9).
Second round action on both the consolation and championship parts of the bracket start Friday morning.
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