Jan. 26, 2005: Vernal Express

Wrestlers Take Second at Top of the Rockies

Uintah’s wrestling team took second place in the Top of the Rockies tournament last week in Fayette, Colo.

The event, held north of Denver, attached 22 number one wrestlers and many number two wrestlers in the area.

“We could have taken first place in the tournament,” said Coach Greg Stensgard, “but we left four varsity wrestlers home due to injuries and illness.”

“It is hard to win a war with only part of platoon,” he said.

A 5A school in Ponderosa, Colo. beat the Utes out of first place with 195 points. Uintah came in second with 170 points.

First place champions for Uintah at the tournament were Phillip Keddy, 171 and Jarod McCurdy, 189.

“Keddy had another great tournament,” Stensgard said.

Keddy faced one of the top wrestlers in the country in his final match, but he wrestled a controlled match which he won.

At 189, McCurdy won his first tournament of the season. He rolled though his matches with five pins.

“He has won a couple of duals for us, but this his first tournament championship for the team,” Stensgard said.

Levi Mele came in third for Uintah. He was defeated in the semifinals.

“I thought he got a takedown which he didn’t get credit for,” Stensgard said.

In one of his matches, Mele banged heads with his opponent and received a gash near his eye. He was able to finish the tournament and took third. He later received six stitches to close up his gash.

“He will be ready to wrestle on Friday,” Stensgard said.

Jared Ruppe, who has been improving every match, “had a difficult weight division,” Stensgard said. The wrestler who beat him out of third place, took third at the Iron Man tourney in Ohio. The Ohio tournament attracts the best wrestlers in the nation.

Czyz Woody was upset early in the tournament, but wrestled his way back into the tournament. He had to forfeit his last match, because “Colorado rules don’t allow a wrestler to compete in more than 7 matches a day.” Woody ended up tied for third with a 6-1 record.

At 199 pounds, Dez Pett took fifth for Uintah.

Eric Sharp took 6th place.

“Sharp had a good tournament, but he ran into some very solid wrestlers,” Stensgard said.

Ryan Young got caught early in a match on a move that put his opponent up 5-0 and cost him the match.

Stensgard said the team wrestled a little sloppy the first day, which made it hard to wrestle back into the finals.

“Every team in the tournament had good individuals,” Stensgard said. “No team had poor wrestlers.”

“Our team did well in a hard fought tournament,” he said.