Cowboys have another strong showing at Western Slope Showdown

You know, it doesn't really matter who they step out on the mat with, they're going to go out there and compete.”

Michael Seijo

The Gunnison High School boys wrestling team had another strong showing at last weekend’s Western Slope Showdown tournament. Six wrestlers made it to the second day of the tournament, and all six of those boys placed in their brackets.

“It was a good kind of gauge to see where we are at this time of the year, and everyone wrestled pretty well,” said coach Michael Seijo.

Of the six boys that placed, Zach and Zayne Benson each won their brackets, Cody Vick took second place in his, Julian Patrick and Lincoln Hemmert each placed fourth in their brackets and Freddie Bernable took fifth in his bracket.

Zach Benson wrestled in the 144-pound weight class bracket for the Cowboys. After a bye in the first round, he pinned his first opponent after 1:36, defeated his second opponent by a technical fall score of 17-2 after 2:48 and won his third match by another technical fall with a score of 19-2 after 2:46 to make it to the championship match. Zach Benson pinned his final opponent after 1:50 to take first place in his bracket and earn 16 points for the Cowboys.

Zayne Benson wrestled in the 106-pound weight class for the Cowboys. He received a bye in the first round and quickly moved on to the third round after his opponent forfeited his second round match. He pinned his third round opponent after 50 seconds, but his fourth round matchup came down to the wire. After three periods the score was tied at one, but a takedown by Zayne Benson in the overtime period gave him the 4-1 win following the sudden victory period to send him to the finals. In the championship match Zayne Benson pinned his opponent after 41 seconds to take first in his bracket.

Vick, who also wrestled at 106 pounds for the Cowboys, got second place in his bracket. He won his first match by pinning his opponent after 56 seconds, his second match by a 16-0 technical fall after 4:45 and his third match by a 9-3 decision. In the championship match Vick lost by a 4-0 decision to take second place and earn 12 points for the Cowboys.

Seijo emphasized that Vick is giving up a lot of weight by wrestling at 106 pounds. Most of the kids he wrestled are bigger than him, yet he still made it to the finals, eventually losing to a boy from 5A Sand Creek High School. It was really good to see him find success despite having to give up weight, said Seijo.

Patrick and Hemmert both placed fourth in their brackets. Patrick wrestled in the 132-pound weight class. He won 3 out of his five matches, two by fall and one by a major decision. Hemmert wrestled in the 120-pound weight class. Like Patrick, Hemmert won three out of his five matches, two by fall and one by technical fall. Bernabe, who wrestled at 285 pounds for the Cowboys, took fifth after pinning his first and last opponent. Bernabe is the first real heavyweight that they’ve had on the team in the last few years, Seijo said. 

“You know, it doesn't really matter who they step out on the mat with, they're going to go out there and compete,” said Seijo after the tournament.

The Cowboys will be traveling to Utah this upcoming weekend for their last tournament before winter break. The boys will be wrestling against teams that they’ve never seen before and likely won’t see ever again. 

“[We’re] just trying to find other competition besides the ones we see in Colorado,” said Seijo. “And hopefully challenge some of our top end kids and also get some of our other kids quality wins.”