| Carbon’s junior high wrestling team holds the strate trophy high just after they won the championship. Those pictured are Kenny Wood, Wyatt Martinez, Lance Deeter, Nico Velasquez, Bryce Jackman, Tyler Procarione. Others on the team include Kelsey Vasten, David Fonnsebeck, Cody Hunt and Kayhill Hunt. |
Kids come together to give honor to county
In an amazing finish wrestlers from various schools throughout Carbon County came together in late January to bring home a trophy denoting their squad as the fourth best junior high wrestling squad in the state.
The victory proved that sometimes the underdog comes out on top. The proof was in the pudding during the State 3A Jr. High Wrestling Championships January 27-28 in Richfield.
Over 15 teams competed in the 3A team divisions from all across the state. Each team is awarded points, from 16 to two, for each wrestler that places in the top six of their individual weight classification. Although the Carbon team only sent 10 wrestlers to the meet, they had enough top finishers to garner the fourth place trophy.
Wrestlers competed with their counterparts from 1A, 2A and 3A schools for their individual awards. With over 600 wrestlers in attendance, Carbon was at an obvious disadvantage.
Helping the cause by capturing first place points were Bryce Jackman, Wyatt Martinez and Lance Deeter.
The lone Helper Junior High wrestler, Deeter brought home gold for the Carbon team with his first place finish in the 175 lb. weight division. A ninth grader, Lance was coached by his father, and his brother Nick, a wrestler for Carbon High.
Martinez, a seventh grader at Mont Harmon Junior High, came away with a decision win over his opponent as well in the 120 lb. weight classification. He had placed fourth in 2005. He was coached by assistant junior high coach Montel Jackman and assistant Carbon High coach Paul Martinez.
Jackman, a sixth grader at Creekview Elementary, defeated his opponent in the 65 lb. classification from Uintah with a 6-4 decision. This is placement one better than his second place finish in 2005. He was also coached by Jackman and Martinez.
Finishing 2nd in a tightly contended match at the 104 lb. level was Kenny Wood, also a seventh grader from Mont Harmon. Kenny lost to his opponent from Altamont in a 4-3 decision; with breakaway points coming just a second too late to put him on top in the match. Kenny also finished 2nd in 2005.
| Wyatt Martinez takes down his opponent during the meet. Martinez is not only a state champ at his weight, but also a national champ as well with a 47-1 record this year. |
Placing 4th in his first showing at the state championships was Tyler Procarione. Procarione, a fifth grader at Castle Heights Elementary, wrestled the 70 lb. division and was coached by Jackman and Martinez as well.
Placing fourth at the tournament was Mont Harmon eighth grader Nico Velasques. Nico wrestled in the 96 lb. weight. He finished eighth in 2005.
Placing fifth was Mont Harmon Jr. High seventh grader Cody Hunt. Wrestling at 73 lb.., Cody comes from East Carbon and was coached by Jeff Hunt and Jackman.
Rounding out the finishers in sixth place were KaHill Hunt from Petersen Elementary and Kelcee Vasten from Mont Harmon Jr. High. KaHill also wrestled in the 70 lb. bracket and was coached by Hunt and Jackman. Vasten wrestled at 104 lb. but due to a shoulder injury was unable to wrestle his final match. The forfeit took him out of the round but left him with the sixth place finish.
Finishing just out of medal contention was first year wrestler David Fonnesbeck who fought a tough match against the number one seed in the 155 lb. class.
Not only was the team trophy a surprise for the small squad but also a good sign of things to come for Carbon County wrestling. Wrestlers grade five through nine competing on a junior high team are allowed to attend and compete in the classification that their area high school is designated.
The team will only lose Deeter next year to the high school program and so the chance for a repeat or high finish in the 2007 tournament is a real possibility.
The January meet was won by Delta, which also had the largest squad in attendance. Other teams that took places included Uintah in second, Wasatch in third, Mount Logan in fifth and Morgan took sixth.
Other 3A schools that competed included Cedar, Hurricane, Snow Canyon, Roosevelt, Dixie, Pine View, Emery and Canyon View.
In the 1A-2A classifications South Summit took first with Millard taking second and a team called the Wolf Pack taking third.