Pins key first-day surge by Spartans at Sunset Region tourney

Six consecutive pins by Cimarron-Memorial wrestlers in the quarterfinal round powered the Spartans to the lead on the first day of the Sunset Region wrestling championships on Friday at Bonanza.

The meet will resume at 10 a.m. today with consolation rounds.

The championship finals are scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.

Due to computer problems, official team scores were not available after the quarterfinal round.

Cimarron had eight wrestlers make it into the championship semifinals, followed by Bonanza with seven and Centennial with six.

Britain Longmire started the onslaught in the quarterfinal round for the Spartans, winning by pin at 119.

Following suit with quarterfinal pins were Yosnay Malvalrez (125), Travis DeGroat (130), Colby Garrison (135), Jason Schuele (140) and Brogan Ashjian (145).

“We picked up a bunch (of pins), in both the quarterfinals and the first round also,” Cimarron coach Mike Garcia said. “Those falls make a big difference. It’s two extra points every time you get them.

“The kids did well. You always want more, but it’s never easy. Overall the kids did a good job.”

Bonanza had three wins by pin in the quarterfinals by Court Oswald (145), Stewart Montenegro (160) and DeAnti Perez (189).

But the biggest win in the quarterfinals for the Bengals came at 103, where Mike Zellner upended top-seed Bronson Ashjian, 6-2.

“I was hopeful and optimistic he would win,” Bonanza coach Joe Cap said. “That was a turning point for us in the quarters. Once he won, the kids that followed just rode his wave.”

Cap said his team is coming together at the right time of the season.

“I am tremendously happy with the way the boys wrestled in the first round of the tournament,” Cap said. “We are finally seeing what we started at the beginning of the season coming through now.

“They are peaking at the right time.”

Centennial was led in the quarterfinals by Chadd Hammond (140) and Trey McGhin (160), who both posted victories by pin.