Wrestling storylines: Windsor eyes title return, Poudre is city champ and Stars seek new PSD best
It's getting intense on the mat.
Colorado wrestling season is reaching postseason time, with the state tournament just three weeks away (Feb. 15-17) at Denver's Ball Arena.
The seven Poudre School District boys teams have their league tournaments this weekend, Windsor is ramping up for a state-title run and the PSD Stars girls' program is aiming for a program best.
Given all of that, it's another strong year for Fort Collins-area wrestlers.
Here's a look at some local wrestling storylines as we hit the season's final stretch.
(Note: all stats, records and rankings are updated through Thursday, Jan. 25.)
Windsor has depth everywhere
The Wizards are eying a return to the mountaintop this season.
They haven't won a state championship since a historic 2020 run but finished runner-up in Class 4A last year after a couple down seasons.
Those days are long gone. This Windsor team is rated No. 1 (per On the Mat's Week 8 update) with one of coach Monte Trusty's deepest rosters ever.
The Wizards are 9-0 in duals, have ranked wrestlers in all but one weight classe, won the Charlie Lake (WY) and Arnold 'Torgy' Torgerson tournaments and finished second at the Northern Colorado Christmas tournament by one point.
James Pantoja is the top-ranked wrestler at 106 pounds and has a prolific 27-3 match record, with just one loss in the 106 class.
Defending state champion Evan Perez moved up a class after his freshman breakthrough, and he's still rated No. 2 at 190 with a 28-2 record.
Cale Meuchel (No. 3 at 215), Santi Fernandez (4th at 165), Brayden Fernandez (5th at 175), Noah Garcia-Salazar (4th at 150) and Hayden Welton (No. 4 at 132) will all be major contenders in their state brackets.
That doesn't even include a standout like Zeb Merriam, who finished third at state in the 190 class a year ago but hasn't competed yet this season.
These Wizards are well-positioned to earn a fifth team championship in the last 14 seasons.
City champ Poudre features legit contenders
The Impalas are the newly-crowned city champions after taking down Rocky Mountain on Thursday night, making it a dominant sweep of all three crosstown rivals this season.
Poudre has some familiar names, with a deep, upperclassmen-led squad.
It starts with Banks Norby, On The Mat's No. 1 wrestler in the 157 class. The senior is 30-3 with three tournament titles, a 13-0 record in duals and 19 wins via pin.
After a third-place finish last season, it would frankly take a stunner to keep Norby out of the title match come February.
Poudre also has Billy Greenwood, the latest Greenwood wrestler to shine at the school.
The junior just entered the rankings at No. 5 in the 150 class, since an injury kept him out until last week. His first match of the season was impressive, as he took down Fort Collins' Jude Miller (then No. 4 at 150) via pin with one second to spare in his return.
And he beat Rocky's Jacob Daniel in a second-period pin for his follow-up.
If Greenwood makes a big impact, Poudre — already rated No. 7 as a team in Class 5A — could shoot into the top 5.
The Impalas also feature several other top contenders, led by Nico Bekkedahl (138) and Brett Lamb (165), both ranked fourth in their respective classes.
PSD girls seek program records at state
The Poudre School District girls program just keeps growing. In the fourth year as a full CHSAA-sanctioned sport, the Stars have some budding stars.
But the depth is what will serve PSD well, with program-record roster numbers this season.
Several PSD wrestlers said they want to send at least seven girls to state, which would break last year's program best of six.
Four of them are back this season. Combined with an infusion of young talent, seven is feasible.
Aubrey First is the highest-ranked at No. 4 in the 130 class, while Mariah Gonzales is sixth at 235.
Pearl Morris (125) and Ezry Bonomo (190) each made the top 15, and breakout freshman Natasha Hartman (140) has translated her jiu-jitsu background into a 19-2 record plus a No. 5 ranking.
Hartman and First may also threaten PSD's best individual state performance, which Abbigail Smith set with a third-place finish in 2022.
Several more promising Stars could make their state debut with a strong finish, including A'Miyah McGee, Grace Wheeler and Sierra Clark.
Small schools look for state firsts
Some smaller, newer local programs are looking to make a splash at state.
Wellington had its first state qualifier in Tanner Gray last season, but he didn't win a match in Denver. Ranked No. 4 at 285 pounds in Class 3A with a 10-3 record, Gray should get the Eagles on the board this year.
Cash Altschwager (138) and Owen Gabbert (106) are both ranked 12th and 13th in their respective classes and will be in the qualifying mix.
Timnath didn't qualify any wrestlers for state last year, but expect that to change in the Cubs' sophomore campaign.
Gunnar Juarez (7th at 285) and Vince Hochhalter (11th at 215) are in prime position to make their 3A bracket.
Liberty Common's Daniel Verderaime is rated 12th at 138. He'll have a great shot to be the first state qualifier from that program, which is also in its second season.
Other local wrestlers to watch:
Connor Jacquot, Fossil Ridge (5th, 190)
Kaemon Cobb, Rocky Mountain (5th, 138)
Jude Miller, Fort Collins (6th, 150)
Colter Junker, Poudre (6th, 175)
Robert Kendall, Windsor (6th, 150)
Weston Brummer, Windsor (6th, 126)
Hayden Haase, Windsor (7th, 138)
Adrian Czyszczon, Windsor (8th, 157)
Marcus Bekkedahl, Poudre (9th, 120)
Ty Reeves, Poudre (9th, 126)
Wade Suckow, Fort Collins (10th, 157)
Ryder Clarkson, Poudre (10th, 190)
Grady Agone, Windsor (10th, 285)
Beckett Cropp, Fort Collins (10th, 165)
Luke Stewart, Windsor (11th, 113)
Griffin Bower, Poudre (12th, 150)
Alex Husen, Fossil Ridge (12th, 144)
Tristan Gauvin, Fossil Ridge (13th, 215)
Ben Rios, Fort Collins (13th, 290)
Sorin Sierra, Fort Collins (15th, 144)
Izak Ramirez, Fort Collins (16th, 126)
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado wrestling: Windsor, Poudre lead Fort Collins state hopefuls
