Almost halfway through their season, the Mancos Bluejays wrestlers continue to develop mental toughness, much to the chagrin of first year head coach Grant Hobbs.
Competing in Pagosa Springs at the Rocky Mountain Invitational on Jan. 11, the Bluejays continued making strides, finishing 16th in the tournament.
Leading the way for the Bluejays was 113-pound junior Rudy Archuleta, who, wrestling some of his best matches of the season, finished fourth in the large tournament.
Especially significant for Archuleta was a strong showing in a semi-final loss to semi-final showing against Monte Vista's Jose Duran, who, according to Hobbs, is one of the top 113-pound wrestlers in the state.
"(Archuleta) just battled throughout the day," said Hobbs. "I talked to him about attitude and determination. He took my words to heart."
Also performing well for Mancos was 170-pound sophomore Everett Strazza-Whalen, who finished eighth in his weight class.
Other wrestlers competing for the Bluejays included 106-pound freshman Hayden Kocourek (1-2), 138-pound freshman Bowen Strazza-Whalen (0-2), 145-pound sophomore Andrew Morgan (0-2) and 160-pound freshman Austin Howerton (0-3).
"We need to keep improving on our mental toughness," said Hobbs after the tournament. "When the going gets tough, we have to adapt. It takes years to establish that."
Even with the Bluejays' lack of experience however, Hobbs remains pleased with the team's improvements.
"Overall, we're making huge progress," said Hobbs.
With no matches scheduled for the upcoming week, Bluejays wrestlers will continue working hard in preparation for the Aztec Duals, which are scheduled for Jan. 25.