By Neil H. Devlin, The Denver Post

The state wrestling tournament, which wrapped up Saturday night, had its usual pageantry, color and drama.

It also had a four-time champion.

Although problems funneling in the crowd delayed the start of the Parade of Champions before the finals, Broomfield star Phil Downing made the wait worthwhile. He became the state's 17th four-time champion, and first since Ponderosa's Jacob Snider ( 2007-10).

Capping a terrific career that began at Class 4A 119 pounds as a freshman, jumped to 138 as a sophomore and moved to 145 as a junior, Downing bowed out at the Pepsi Center with a state title at 160. He ended his senior season with a 44-3 record. He was 141-10 overall in the best run ever by a Broomfield wrestler.

"It's a lot to take in right now," he said Saturday night. "I'm still in shock. I haven't taken it all in yet."

Sixteen other wrestlers repeated as state champions, including 5A Bear Creek senior P.T. Garcia, who won his third title, and Paonia junior Jesse Reed, who also won his third but has another year to work toward and garner a fourth.

Big schools provided the most repeat champions (six), including impressive showings at 182 by Ponderosa's Dylan Gabel, who overcame a broken back as a sophomore, and by Regis Jesuit's Grant Neal, a running back bound for CSU-Pueblo who brought athleticism to a weight class (220) that doesn't always have it.

Mountain Range heavyweight Jorge Rodriguez displayed plenty of resilience, topping his career with a state title to go with the one he won as a sophomore.

Downing teammate Zach Stodden, a senior, joined in the repeat fun in Class 4A by winning at 182 after taking it all at 170 a year ago.

As for 3A, Centauri had two of the four repeat champs. Senior Jason Buhr won at 152 after winning at 145 in 2013, and junior Jareb Aziz was victorious at 195 a year after winning at 182.

The state wrestling tournament, which wrapped up Saturday night, had its usual pageantry, color and drama.

It also had a four-time champion.

Although problems funneling in the crowd delayed the start of the Parade of Champions before the finals, Broomfield star Phil Downing made the wait worthwhile. He became the state's 17th four-time champion, and first since Ponderosa's Jacob Snider ( 2007-10).

Capping a terrific career that began at Class 4A 119 pounds as a freshman, jumped to 138 as a sophomore and moved to 145 as a junior, Downing bowed out at the Pepsi Center with a state title at 160. He ended his senior season with a 44-3 record. He was 141-10 overall in the best run ever by a Broomfield wrestler.

"It's a lot to take in right now," he said Saturday night. "I'm still in shock. I haven't taken it all in yet."

Sixteen other wrestlers repeated as state champions, including 5A Bear Creek senior P.T. Garcia, who won his third title, and Paonia junior Jesse Reed, who also won his third but has another year to work toward and garner a fourth.

Big schools provided the most repeat champions (six), including impressive showings at 182 by Ponderosa's Dylan Gabel, who overcame a broken back as a sophomore, and by Regis Jesuit's Grant Neal, a running back bound for CSU-Pueblo who brought athleticism to a weight class (220) that doesn't always have it.

Mountain Range heavyweight Jorge Rodriguez displayed plenty of resilience, topping his career with a state title to go with the one he won as a sophomore.

Downing teammate Zach Stodden, a senior, joined in the repeat fun in Class 4A by winning at 182 after taking it all at 170 a year ago.

As for 3A, Centauri had two of the four repeat champs. Senior Jason Buhr won at 152 after winning at 145 in 2013, and junior Jareb Aziz was victorious at 195 a year after winning at 182.

 By Neil H. Devlin, The Denver Post

It appeared to be one of the darnedest things. One competitor was taller and longer, the other shorter, stubbier. It was the only match of the three-day tournament that involved a defending state champion against a defending state champion. They've known and competed against each other for years, and the final score was 1-0.

So when Cherry Creek's Mitch Finesilver edged Coronado's Jess Hankin in Class 5A's 126-pound championship match at the state wrestling tournament Saturday night, no one was all that surprised. It could have gone either way — and the match probably embodied how difficult it is to win a state championship, let alone a couple.

"I didn't know what it was going to be," Finesilver said. "We just held each other at bay, we know each other so well."

Finesilver, who didn't place as a freshman but was a runner-up as a sophomore and last season won at 120 pounds, earned an escape in the opening seconds of the third period to account for all of the scoring.

A thrilled Bruins coach Mike Luhring said at the Pepsi Center: "When you have two state champs going at each other, points are hard to come by and it's technical. They had a good battle on their feet for 2½ periods. It's a testament to them both."

Finesilver, who will attend Duke with his twin, Zach, ended his senior season with a 47-1 record. Hankin, a junior who won at 113 pounds last year, finished 44-5.

Among the other returning state champions, Bear Creek senior P.T. Garcia nabbed his third, this one at 132 pounds. He finished 42-0. His earlier title also was at 132 and he also won at 120 in 2012. Grand Junction junior Jacob Trujillo moved up two weight classes from his 145-pound triumph a year ago and won at 160. The impressive Dylan Gable of Ponderosa scored a pin at 182. Regis Jesuit's Grant Neal, a 2013 winner at 195, won at 220. Jorge Rodriguez of Mountain Range, heavyweight champ in 2012, won again.

Pomona's Tomas Gutierrez (43-0 at 106) and Legacy's Ryan Deakin (45-0 at 113), each a sophomore, completed undefeated seasons. Pomona had a second champion: Josh Rosales at 120.

Deyaun Trueblood became just the fourth Gateway wrestler ever to capture a state title. He won at 152 pounds.

Arvada West, in winning its third team championship, was impressive throughout the meet, the Wildcats lapping the field even before the final rounds. Nine of their 11 qualifiers placed. Payton Tawater (26-5 at 145), Tony Silva-Bussey (37-5 at 170) and Devin Rothrock (25-2 at 195) were individual A-West champs.

By Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post

Broomfield's Phil Downing joined an elite group Saturday night at the Pepsi Center.

Say hello to the 17th four-time Colorado state champion.

Downing's spot was cemented when he defeated Pueblo County senior Keenan Willits with an 11-2 major decision for the Class 4A 160-pound title.

"It's one of the best feelings I ever felt in my life," Downing said. "I just went out there and did what I needed to do. ... I knew once I got the first takedown that I was going to have it, so I turned him to his back and it was all over from there."

Broomfield coach Pat DeCamillis was thrilled.

"He wrestled like a champ," DeCamillis said. "That kid was going hard, but you look at the score, it was 11-2. Phil just went and ... he finished like a champ."

Downing won state titles at 119 pounds as a freshman, 138 pounds as a sophomore and 145 pounds in his junior year. The 41-pound weight increase over his prep career is a Colorado record for champions.

"After I won the first one, I definitely knew that I have to keep training to get the other three, but here I am now and it's my fourth time," he said.

And what turned out to be an added bonus with the victory, Downing secured the team title for Broomfield. His teammate Zach Stodden also won a title, beating Pueblo East's Phillip Benavidez with a 6-1 decision in the 182-pound bracket. It was Stodden's second consecutive state title.

Three Broomfield wrestlers finished runner-up: junior Darek Huff (45-7 at 126), and seniors Jared Albo (28-11 at 152) and Austyn Harris (38-7 at heavyweight).

Downing won state titles at 119 pounds as a freshman, 138 pounds as a sophomore and 145 pounds in his junior year. The 41-pound weight increase over his prep career is a Colorado record for champions.

"After I won the first one, I definitely knew that I have to keep training to get the other three, but here I am now and it's my fourth time," he said.

And what turned out to be an added bonus with the victory, Downing secured the team title for Broomfield. His teammate Zach Stodden also won a title, beating Pueblo East's Phillip Benavidez with a 6-1 decision in the 182-pound bracket. It was Stodden's second consecutive state title.

Three Broomfield wrestlers finished runner-up: junior Darek Huff (45-7 at 126), and seniors Jared Albo (28-11 at 152) and Austyn Harris (38-7 at heavyweight).

It's the culmination of all their hard work right here," DeCamillis said. "It's very gratifying."

Although Willits didn't win at state, his twin younger brothers did.

Freshman Grant Willits opened the finals with a state title win at 106 pounds, While Hunter won at 132 pounds.

"We're talking about just keeping good positioning and just work hard," Grant Willits said.

Two other 4A finalists won their second state titles. Windsor's Kennan Lentari won at 152 pounds, and Mead senior Kyle Couch took home the 195-pound title.

 By Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post

With just seven seconds to go in his match, Paonia's Jesse Reed didn't want to fall into the same fate his teammate experienced the previous night.

"My friend, Josh Altman, got thrown in the (120-pound) semis. He was up by one point and he got thrown, so I was thinking that was not happening to me," Reed said.

Reed turtled up and secured his third consecutive state wrestling title, beating Swink's Austin Coy by a 6-4 decision for the Class 2A 126-pound title Saturday in the state tournament at the Pepsi Center.

The junior moved one step closer to becoming immortalized among the state's best wrestlers.

"It's definitely on my mind right now," Reed said, "but I have to put in extra time over the summer and I have to work harder than I did this year."

With just seven seconds to go in his match, Paonia's Jesse Reed didn't want to fall into the same fate his teammate experienced the previous night.

"My friend, Josh Altman, got thrown in the (120-pound) semis. He was up by one point and he got thrown, so I was thinking that was not happening to me," Reed said.

Reed turtled up and secured his third consecutive state wrestling title, beating Swink's Austin Coy by a 6-4 decision for the Class 2A 126-pound title Saturday in the state tournament at the Pepsi Center.

The junior moved one step closer to becoming immortalized among the state's best wrestlers.

"It's definitely on my mind right now," Reed said, "but I have to put in extra time over the summer and I have to work harder than I did this year."

By Nick Kosmider, The Denver Post

The thrill of victory and agony of defeat are on display at the state wrestling championships, where every few minutes an ecstatic victor has his hand raised inches from a heartbroken, defeated opponent.

That dichotomy visited the Prieto twins of Holy Family High School on Saturday at the Pepsi Center.

The brothers both reached the Class 3A finals, Julian at 132 pounds and Joseph at 138. But the anguish came first. Julian Prieto gave Dolores Huerta's Jared Mestas, who entered with a 38-1 record, everything he could handle. But Mestas held off a furious charge for a 6-5 victory. But Julian kept his eyes glued to the mat, and he had reason to cheer as brother Joseph won 4-0 over Valley's Omar Sotello. 

Inspirational senior at Eads finishes fourth.

Of course, competing in the state wrestling tournament is tough. But don't tell Robert Miller about tough. He will tell you. Two years ago, the Eads senior was in a terrible automobile accident. The wreck killed his foster father and five other foster or adopted children, according to KCNC-Channel 4.

Miller, now 17, suffered broken bones and ribs, a punctured lung and a torn aorta. Originally told not to wrestle again, Miller competed anyway — and he was glad he did.

He entered the Class 2A portion of the tournament with a 35-10 record. He finished 39-11 and placed fourth at heavyweight, no small feat after losing in the first round. 

Monte Vista kin Garcia and Duran prevail in Class 3A; Valley wins team title 

The sacrifice had just yielded a pair of state championships, captured minutes apart, and Diondre Garcia's stomach was clamoring for what was coming next.

"We're going to go have a huge celebration dinner," said the grinning Monte Vista senior, who claimed the 106-pound Class 3A state championship Saturday night at the Pepsi Center.

He had earned it. After winning a state championship at 113 pounds as a junior in 2013, Garcia made the unusual move of dropping down to the 106-pound weight class.

The reason was simple. Garcia wanted to give his cousin, sophomore Jose Duran, the opportunity to win a state title of his own. So early in the season, Garcia gave up his spot, one he believed would give Duran the best shot to reach the finals.

Cutting weight is as much a part of wrestling as takedowns and headgear, but dropping an entire weight class as a senior is a different matter, especially at such a low weight class. It means extra last-minute runs and countless refusals of second helpings.

"It was a tribute to team," Monte Vista coach Greg Jones said of Garcia's decision. "He did it for the team effort, not just for himself. He could have won it again at 113 this year, but he knew that was the best thing for the team."

It turned out that way Saturday.

After Garcia used a third-period reversal to win a thrilling match against Alamosa freshman Isaiah DeLaCerda, Duran completed the cousins' vision with a 10-6 victory over Sterling's Colby Duncan, who lost for only the second time this season.

"He was a great sport about it," Duran said shortly after the two shared a postmatch embrace. "I love the kid. It's just a pleasure to win on the same mat as him. I'll never be able to thank him enough."

Garcia didn't feel the need to be thanked. Seeing his cousin's arm raised in front of thousands of spectators was every bit as gratifying as having his own lifted.

"I'm speechless," Garcia said. "We've always been close, but this has brought us even closer."

While Garcia and Duran won titles early, it was Valley claiming the 3A team championship, the first in the school's history.

Also, Centauri junior Jareb Aziz (195 pounds) won his second straight state title and finished a perfect 48-0 season with an 8-3 decision over Buena Vista's Keegan Wentz.