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Grapplers show their grit at Moffat County Youth Wrestling home tourney

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Andy Bockelman

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Levi Weber Memorial Youth Tournament Craig results

Age group, Weight class, Wrestler — Event record, placement Moffat County Youth Wrestling 6U 33-37, Kale Higgins — 3-0, 1st 6U 37-40, William Green — 1-2 6U 39-42, Tripp Shipley — 0-2 6U 39-42, Mckennon Ott — 0-2 6U 41-43, Broddie Madsen — 0-2 6U 41-43, Quentin Hartung — 3-0, 1st 6U 43-46, Milo McPherson — 0-2 6U 43-47, Gunner Hampton — 1-2 6U 47-50, Asher Navratil — 2-1, 2nd 6U 51-54, Cesar Jauregui — 2-2, 4th 8U 37-43, Yonatan Quezada — 2-1, 2nd 8U 54-59, Carter Duzik — 2-2, 4th 8U 54-60, Dylon Reno — 0-2 8U 57-62, Caleb Dilldine — 2-1, 2nd 8U 59-64, Hagan Musgrave — 2-2, 4th 8U 62-66, Lucas Pearcey — 2-2, 4th 8U 65-71, Noah Bohne — 0-2 8U 65-71, Jaxson Booker — 0-2 8U 75-79, Caleb Bennett — 1-3, 4th 8U 79-86, Treavon Wilson — 2-1, 2nd 8U 79-86, Brook Daniels — 0-3, 4th 10U 55-59, Blake Peed — 1-2 10U 55-59, Kaiden Higgins — 0-2 10U 59-63, Jovany Quezada — 0-2 10U 59-63, Paxton Hartung — 3-1, 3rd 10U 63-69, Haven Carr — 3-1, 3rd 10U 65-71, Eisten Gittleson — 1-2 10U 55-59, Ty Ivy — 3-1, 3rd 10U 73-79, Braxton Miller — 0-2 10U 76-80, Kaleb Cordova — 1-2 10U 81-87, Koy Weber — 2-2, 4th 10U 87-95, Kaleb Duzik — 3-0, 1st 10U 87-95, Jackson Worton — 0-2 10U 118-128, Ryan Vesley — 0-4, 5th 12U 80-84, Austin Daniels — 1-2 12U 86-91, Tyren Schaefer — 2-1, 2nd 12U 86-91, Kaleb Duzik — 2-2, 3rd 12U 92-101, Ryan Booker — 1-2 12U 128-138, Memphis Herndon — 3-0, 1st — The team placed third overall. Bad Dogs Elite Wrestling 6U 55-58, Chance Hixson — 3-0, 1st 8U 48-51, Aiden McIntyre — 1-2 8U 53-54, Andrew Wilson — 2-1, 2nd 8U 54-60, Abraham Aguilar — 3-0, 1st 8U 62-66, Kaison Martinez — 3-0, 1st 10U 77-83, Kolbee West — 2-1, 2nd 10U 81-87, Kaeden Martinez — 3-0, 1st 10U 87-95, Orion Musser — 2-1, 2nd 10U 108-113, Kolten Vasquez — 4-0, 1st 12U 74-81, Tate Green — 1-2 12U 80-84, Colt Call — 2-2, 3rd 12U 86-91, Kaeden Martinez — 3-0, 1st 12U 92-101, Zach Hedman — 2-2, 3rd 12U 102-112, Aron Aguilar — 1-1, 2nd 12U 145-157, Tanner Musser — 3-0, 1st 14U 82-96, Zach Hedman — 3-0, 1st 14U 82-96, Jevon Vigil — 2-2, 4th 14U 82-96, Colt Call — 1-1, 2nd 14U 98-110, Adriel Vigil — 3-1, 2nd 14U 121-129, Kalub West — 2-0, 1st — The team placed first overall. Independents 4U 35-38, Michael Green — 3-0, 1st 6U 39-42, Aedon Musgrave — 2-1, 2nd 8U 57-62, Stryker Witherell — 2-2, 3rd 10U 57-62, Cydny Witherell — 1-2 14U 98-110, Kael Poe — 2-2, 3rd 14U 98-110, Ryan Duzik — 4-0, 1st 14U 121-129, Kael Poe — 0-2 14U 121-129, Ryan Duzik — 2-1, 3rd

With more than 400 entrants hitting the mats Saturday, Moffat County wrestlers had no lack of competition in their lone home tournament of the spring.

The Moffat County High School gym was bustling during the Levi Weber Memorial Tournament hosted by Moffat County Youth Wrestling. MCYW, Bad Dogs Elite Wrestling and a handful of independent athletes represented Craig among contenders near and far, ranging from Steamboat Springs, Meeker, Hayden, Rifle, Oak Creek, Rangely and Baggs, Wyoming to as distant as Cortez.

It’s the second event of the season for MCYW, who kicked off their schedule the week before at Rangely’s Little Panther Invitational.

“All the kids are working hard, and they’re all doing good,” coach Mark Voloshin said. “That’s just what we want to see from them.”

Local athletes collected a long list of placements, including 15 champions. Bad Dogs won the overall tourney with nine first-place finishers: Chance Hixson, Abraham Aguilar, Kaison Martinez, Kolten Vasquez, Tanner Musser, Zach Hedman and Kalub West, as well as Kaeden Martinez, who captured dual brackets, winning both the 10 and under 81 to 87 weight class and the 12U 86-91.

Kaeden was hardly the only one pulling double duty.

While Hedman placed third in the 12U 92-101 class, he stepped up against some fierce opposition, some much older, to win the 14U 82-96 division.

The tactic came down to one word.

“Takedowns,” he said between gulps of blue Powerade, coming off the mat fresh from a 4-1 decision over Rifle’s Hunter Bercher.

Bad Dogs coach Anton Fredrickson said the group has been going since November, competing both in and out of state. Though the program opted not to host their own tournament, he said they still considered Saturday to be like their own event.

“It creates some good unity between the two teams,” he said.

MCYW placed third overall, following runner-up Kremmling, and had four champs: Kale Higgins, Quentin Hartung, Kaleb Duzik and Memphis Herndon.

Officially unattached in the youngest and oldest age groups for independents were champions Michael Green in 4U and Ryan Duzik for 14U.

Ryan took first in the 98-110 and also wrestled up in the 121-129 class, in which he was third.

“Since I double-bracketed, one of the kids was a lot heavier than me,” he said.

His singlet was a bit different than other Craig athletes, bearing neon orange and black and emblazoned with the name Pennsylvania, which he first got while competing in the Keystone State.

Ryan was also one of many on the Craig Middle School team — some members of which served as referees Saturday, along with MCHS wrestlers and other volunteers — who earned a district and regional team title before going on to state in March.

“Youth season is a great way to stay in shape for next year,” he said, noting his excitement of being a freshman at MCHS in the fall.

Craig teams had plenty more placers. Second place went to Bad Dogs’ Andrew Wilson, Kolbee West, Orion Musser, Aron Aguilar, Colt Call and Adriel Vigil, plus MCYW’s Asher Navratil, Yonatan Quezada, Caleb Dilldine, Treavon Wilson and Tyren Schaefer, and independent Aedon Musgrave.

Colt Call and Kaleb Duzik each also took third in an additional weight class, with MCYW’s Paxton Hartung, Haven Carr and Ty Ivy and independents Kael Poe and Stryker Witherell also gaining the bronze.

Bad Dog Jevon Vigil took fourth on the podium, as did MCYW’s Cesar Jauregui, Carter Duzik, Hagan Musgrave, Caleb Bennett, Brook Daniels and Koy Weber, with Ryan Vesley fifth.

Lucas Pearcey also was fourth with a 2-2 day in the 8U 62-66 class, starting with a 15-1 major decision over Rifle’s Harley Auerbach.

He also won an 8-6 sudden victory over Roaring Fork’s Tanner Alvey.

“I won because I got him in the cradle,” Pearcey said of his match.

He added his favorite part of the sport is the challenge.

“I like that it’s pretty hard to do,” he said with a smile.

Tanner Musser noted that he most liked the environment of MCYW’s tournament, exemplifying the good sportsmanship values common to wrestlers.

“I like how there’s no disrespect, nobody’s trying to tear off your headgear when you’re out there,” he said. “Everything’s nice and clean.”

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