Gunnison, Colo. – Adams State closed out the season for many of its redshirts and rookies Saturday, sending 20 wrestlers to compete at the Rocky Mountain Open.
As one of just seven teams in the field, the Grizzlies took advantage of the smaller tournament setting and delivered a strong overall showing across multiple weight classes.
At 125 pounds, Zion Mares and Joel Villalon-Rodriguez represented Adams State. Mares finished third after winning two matches in round-robin competition.
Jacob Romero and Keaton Pickering competed at 133 pounds, where Romero placed second after forfeiting the championship bout.
The Grizzlies were well represented at 141 pounds with Nick Dardanes, Aaron Zamora and DJ Van Matre. Dardanes dominated the round-robin bracket, winning all four of his matches to claim the title. Zamora secured second place, earning three victories before falling to Dardanes by a 10-5 decision.
At 149 pounds, Travis Vialpondo, Noah Torres and Elijah Olguin took the mat. Vialpondo won four matches to finish fourth. After dropping his second-round match, he battled back through the consolation bracket, defeating both of his teammates along the way. Torres added a fifth-place finish, securing a fall in 2:27.
Royce Uhrig captured the 157-pound title in commanding fashion. He opened with a technical fall in 4:50, followed with 4-1 and 10-3 decision wins to reach the finals, then closed the day with a 15-0 technical fall in 7:00, holding his opponent scoreless.
At 165 pounds, Breck Williams claimed first place after recording a technical fall and a major decision before sealing the championship with a 7-2 decision.
Adams State entered three wrestlers at 174 pounds in Dallas Porter, Daniel Long and Diego Duarte. Porter and Long each won their opening matches, while Duarte dropped his first bout. Porter and Long met in the semifinals, where Long earned a 4-1 sudden-victory win in overtime. Long later finished second after falling by a 16-6 major decision in the finals. Porter rebounded on the consolation side to place third with a 22-8 major decision.
At 184 pounds, Caden Schadwinkel opened with an 11-3 major decision and ultimately placed sixth after falling by pin in 2:15 in the fifth-place match.
Heavyweight Harper Packebush rounded out the day with a seventh-place finish at 285 pounds, securing a fall in 2:34 in his final match.
The performance marked a strong close to the season for the Grizzlies' developing lineup, with multiple podium finishes highlighting the day.
