The 12th annual Front Range Orthopaedics 2012 Colorado Springs Metro Wrestling Championships will be held January 20-21 at Doherty High School. Twenty-five area teams are expected to compete in the tournament, which has become a highlight of the local wrestling season.

The competition will begin on Friday, January 20th at 4:30 p.m. with session 1 and session 2 will begin Saturday at 9:00am. The Championship Finals are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening. 

Admission for adults is $10 for all day passes and $15 for an all tournament pass. Student admission prices are $5 for an all day pass or an all tournament pass. 

The twenty-five local high schools that are expected to compete in the tournament are: Air Academy, Coronado, Colorado Springs Christian, Discovery Canyon, Doherty, Falcon, Fountain/Ft. Carson, Harrison, Lewis Palmer, Liberty, Manitou Springs, Mesa Ridge, Mitchell, Palmer, Palmer Ridge, Peyton, Pine Creek, Rampart, Sand Creek, Sierra, Vista Ridge, The Classical Academy, Wasson, Widefield and Woodland Park.

The 2011 Colorado Springs Metro Wrestling Champion and 2011 5A State Champion Coronado will attempt to defend their title. Coronado has won three COS Metro Wrestling Championships (2008, 2010, 2011). Three-time tournament champion Pine Creek (2006, 2007, 2009) has finished second to Coronado for two consecutive years. The only other teams to win COS Metro titles are Widefield (2001, 2002, 2005) and Doherty (2003, 2004). 

Returning 2011 Metro Champions include last year’s Most Outstanding Underclassman, Geordan Martinez (5A-132) of Pine Creek, who won both the 2010 and 2011 tournament.  Other returning winners are Josh Schoenberger (5A-182) from Fountain Fort Carson and Chris Cos (5A-131) of Pine Creek. Schoenberger was named the tournament’s Outstanding Heavyweight at 171 last year while Cos won at 103. 

There are several returning COS Metro runners-up including, Adrian Cordova (5A-113) and Devan Cruz (5A-132), both of Coronado. Pine Creek’s Jerry McGinty (5A-138) and Derrick Ortiz (5A-145) also finished second. Last year, Cordova wrestled at 112, Cruz wrestled at 125, MiGinty competed at 130, while Ortiz was at 140. 

In this year’s tournament there are a total of 76 state ranked individual wrestlers. State ranked teams include No. 2 Discovery Canyon (4A), No. 2 Pine Creek (5A) and No. 6 Coronado (5A).

Individual medals will be given to the 1st through 8th place winners in each weight class and the top four teams will receive team awards. An Outstanding Wrestler will be named for lower and upper weights. There will also be an Outstanding Underclassman, a senior named Outstanding Student Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year and Manager of the Year.

The event finals will be webcast live on TheMat.com (www.themat.com)

2012 COLORADO SPRINGS METRO CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE

Friday, January 20th
4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. – Round of 32, Second Round, First and Second Round Consolations

Saturday, January 21st
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon - Quarter Finals & Third Round Consolations
12:00 noon to 1:20 p.m. – Fourth Round Consolations
1:20 noon to 2:50 p.m. - Semi Finals & Fifth Round Consolations
2:50 to 3:50 p.m. - Consolation Semifinals
3:50 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Third, Fifth, and Seventh Place
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Championship Finals


2011 COLORADO SPRINGS METRO WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALS

103 – Chris Cos (Pine Creek) tech. fall A.J. Robb (Widefield), 15-0, 5:50
112 – A.J. Rees (Discovery Canyon) dec. Adrian Cordova (Coronado), 5-2
119  – Geordan Martinez (Pine Creek) pin Steve Turner (Discovery Canyon), 2:53
125– Josh Martinez (Pine Creek) pin Devan Cruz (Coronado), 3:40
130 – Carter McIlhany (Coronado) dec. Jerry McGinty (Pine Creek), 3-0
135– Cody McGraw (Fountain/Ft. Carson) dec. Zake Leaf (The Classical Acadeny), 15-10
140– Nick Adams (Discovery Canyon) pin Derrik Ortiz (Pine Creek), 2:48
145 - Justin Hays (Coronado) dec. Seth Wilson (Fountain/Ft. Carson), 10-8
152 - Trevor Powers (Coronado) pin Chase Stevens (Pine Creek), 5:49
160 – Nick Burghardt (Coronado) pin Devonte Johnson (Mesa Ridge), 1:24
171– Josh Schoenberger (Fountain/Ft. Carson) dec. Ethan Olson (Coronado), 10-3
189 - Nathan Burak (Coronado) pin Rip Price (Air Academy), 1:17
215 - Jared Rieck (Coronado) pin Jess Roberson (Pine Creek), 0:55
285 – Terrell Stanley (Widefield) pin. Anthony Rugg (Palmer), 0:58

Team Scores 
1. Coronado, 314.5 
2. Pine Creek, 269.5 
3. Discovery Canyon, 199
4. Fountain/Ft. Carson, 151
5. Mesa Ridge, 130.5
6. Widefield, 110.0 
7. Doherty, 105
8. Air Academy, 104.5
9. Palmer, 104.5 
10. Vista Ridge, 101 
11. The Classical Academy, 80.5 
12. Palmer Ridge, 69
13. Woodland Park, 
14. Sand Creek,54 
15. Mitchell, 53 
16. Lewis Palmer , 50 
17. Rampart, 45
18. Sierra, 40.5 
19. (tie) Harrison, 38 
19. (tie) Peyton, 38
21. Manitou Springs 27
22 (tie). Liberty, 23
23. (tie) Wasson,23
24. Falcon,20.0 
25. Colorado Springs Christian School, 14

Outstanding Lightweight Wrestler – Nick Adams of Discovery Canyon
Outstanding Heavyweight Wrestler – Josh Schoenberger of Fountain/Ft. Carson
Outstanding Underclassman – Geordan Martinez, Pine Creek
Coach of the Year – Ron Sukle of Discovery Canyon
Assistant Coach of the Year – Sam Melendrez, Discovery Canyon
Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete – Nathan Burak, Coronado
Manager of the Year – Sean Coulahan, Pine Creek