Four Pondo wrestlers win at 5A state

Pomona takes team championship

BY JIM BENTON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Ponderosa had four individual state champions at the Class 5A state wrestling championships but the Mus- tangs once again came up short in the team race. e Mustangs have nished second four times in the past ve seasons.

Pomona won its fth straight team championship with a record 278.5 points on Feb. 18 at Ball Arena while Ponderosa was the runner-up with 190 points.

Ponderosa’s state champi- ons were freshman omas Verrette, who whipped Mark Cardenas of Pomona 10-1 to captured the 126-pound individual title, and junior Jacob Myers won his second consecutive state title with a pin in 35 seconds during the 132-pound title match.

Senior Brandon Cannon, who is bound for Ohio State, had two broken ngers but outlasted Jakob Romero of Pomona, 1-0, to earn a well-deserved 138-pound championship. Tyler Eise took a 16-1 technical fall decision over Castle View’s Ian Crabtree to capture the 175-pound state title.

Other Pondo wrestlers on the podium were 113-pounder Jaylen Burge and DJ Wince at 120 pounds, who were both second. Senior Peyton Harris, a 150-pound contestant, nished fourth and 190-pounder Westin Ho schneider was third.

“It seems like every year I come here, Pomona just comes out harder and harder every time,” said Myers.