Eaton varsity wrestling recently attended the annual Mel Smith Invitational, hosted by Florence High School, to compete against several teams who could be potential competitors in the state competition. Each year the team attends this tournament, and have continued to find great success. The team attended the tournament on Jan. 12 and 13.
Of the 12 wrestlers who competed for the Reds, half of them placed in the top five for their weight class. In the 126 pound division, Louden Kindsfater placed fifth. Ethan Deal (26) placed third in the 120 pound division. Preston Smith (24) also placed third, but in the 165 pound division. In the 190 pound division, Cal Sidwell (25) placed second. Patrick Preston (24) took first place in the 144 pound division. Blake Hawkins (26) also placed first, but in the 106 pound division.
The 106 pound first place finisher, Hawkins, said, “It was a good tournament and I performed well, and I used my skill to defeat my opponents. My mindset for the rest of the season is to just beat everyone and not lose.”
Overall the team placed third in the tournament, scoring a total of 167.5 points. Each wrestler for the team can score points throughout their individual matches, by taking down their opponents. These points are then accounted for in the overall team score. Brayden Betsworth (25) scored five points. Dylan Paris (26) and Paxton Pettinger (27) both scored seven points. Quirt Carroll (24) scored 9 points. Kindsfater scored 15 points. Deal and Smith both scored 20 points. Sidwell scored 25.5 points. Preston scored 29 points, and Hawkins scored 30 points.
The success did not stop there for the Reds. Not only did Preston win the 144 pound weight class, he also won an individual achievement. Preston achieved his 100th varsity win as a Red. Preston said, “It feels good to get this big achievement, but I am looking forward to achieving my real goal, which is winning a state championship.”
With one month left until the CHSAA State Championships, Reds Wrestling will continue to use their success to propel their path to the state tournament. This week they will attend a dual today, at Severance High School. Following that, they will attend another dual on Jan. 18 at Cheyenne East High School. The Reds will then attend the Top of the Rockies tournament hosted by Centaurus High School on Jan. 19 and 20.
