About 300 young wrestlers faced off at Dolores High School on Saturday in a two-part tournament.
Members of the Dolores Peewee Wrestling Club faced off against competitors from Dove Creek, Bloomfield, Kirtland, Montezuma Creek, Bad Cat, Monticello, Newcomb, Pitbulls, Sheepcamp and Twin Warriors. Held the same day as the Cortez Peewee Wrestling tournament, the Dolores event included two rounds, starting at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., which packed the high school gym with parents and spectators. Amid a noisy crowd full of T-shirts with slogans like “Pain is just weakness leaving the body,” worn by relatives who crowded as close to the mat as possible to cheer them on, a few peewees managed to stand above the rest.
About 48 of the wrestlers were Dolores Bears, which was more than any other single club sent, and 41 of them placed in their matches. Eileen Eichner, head of the Dolores Wrestling Club, called it “the best tournament yet.”
First place: Zaine Johnson-Ward, Tommy Gonzales, Daniel Jacket, J.J. Robson, Teagun Samora, Brooks Story, Marshal Wickstrom, River Wickstrom, Tilden Begay and Will Taylor.
Second place: Rian Frascht, Noah Hobbs, Tyshawn Begay, Hunter Ferguson, Adam Hicks, Darren Hicks, Jorden Neiwert, Emmett MacMillan, Xavier DeJesus, Tyler Ham, Jacob Stepp, Dillon Eichner, Alex Sanders, Cater Galloway, Ethen Robson, Triston Scott, Braden Schmittel, Jaiden Green, Amadeo Martinez, Airoughn VanGrandt and Christian Martinez.
Third place: Ryatt Loomis, True Loomis, Kendrick MacPherson, Cash Rogers, Kaianna Ashmore, Mattais Gonzales, Ayden Sanders and Everett Foster.
Fourth place: Zachary Taylor and Daniel Stepp.
Honorable mention:Jerek Conner, Bryson Higman, Marques Balfour, Kadon Ruiz, Bryce Thurston, Joslyn Chamberlain and Ayden Odell.