DENVER – After losing in the 145-pound Class 3A semifinals Friday, Bayfield High School senior wrestler Colter McMenimen shared an embrace with his father, BHS head coach Todd McMenimen, in the tunnels underneath Pepsi Center.
Colter McMenimen lost 11-4 to Berthoud’s Jimmy Fate to end his dream of a state championship in his senior season.
“It’s all I can do is work towards that third place,” said McMenimen, son of Missy and Todd McMenimen. “It’s heartbreaking to come this close.”
He’ll await his consolation match opponent Saturday.
He pinned his way into the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 3A State Championship semifinals Friday in Denver. The senior wrestler trailed 3-2 at the start of the second period but began that period on the bottom, escaped, took Valley’s Dominick Mozal down and pinned him 42 seconds into the period.
Two other Wolverines still are alive at the end of Friday’s wrestling.
Junior heavyweight Sam Westbrook ran into a juggernaut in the quarterfinals. Brush’s Joe Carwin, the bracket’s top overall seed, pinned him with 1 second left in the second period. Westbrook spent most of his time on the bottom and couldn’t hold Carwin down.
He didn’t let that affect him in the consolation second round, pinning Fort Lupton’s Adam Adame with 30 seconds left in the match.
Westbrook will meet up with Mullen’s Sam Deseriere first Saturday.
In the consolation first round, both Wolverines that lost Thursday advanced with relative ease.
Jake Sandrey overcame his jitters from Thursday and beat Denver West’s Abdikadir Muse 13-8 to reach the consolation second round.
“I wasn’t really nervous. I got the nerves out in the first one,” said Sandrey, son of Carl and Karin Rhodes.
Jesse Salazar from Sheridan ended Sandrey’s state tournament with a 13-8 decision in the consolation second round.
Ryan Nava also bounced back from a rough first-round match with a 14-9 victory over Matt Johns from the Classical Academy. He kept that roll going with a 4-1 win over Moffat County’s Issik Herod.
Nava will wrestle Kyler Bailey of Berthoud on Saturday.
“I thought we wrestled well all day (Friday),” coach McMenimen said. “At this point, we’re looking for third.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
BHS: How they fared
Jake Sandrey, Fr., 113 pounds (22-15): Beat Abdikadir Muse, Denver West, 138; Lost to Justin Salazar, Sheridan, 13-8 eliminated. Next: Eliminated.
Ryan Nava, So., 126 pounds (11-5): Beat Matt Johns, Classical Academy, 14-9; Beat Issik Herod, Moffat County, 4-1 . Next: Kyler Bailey, Berthoud (41-9)
Colter McMenimen, Sr., 145 pounds (36-3): Pinned Dominick Mozal, Valley (2:42); Lost to Jimmy Fate, Berthoud, 11-4. Next: TBD
Sam Westbrook, Jr., 285 pounds (33-8): Pinned by Joe Carwin, Brush (3:59); Pinned Andrew Adame, Fort Lupton (4:30). Next: Same Deseriere, Mullen (30-4)
