Niwot boys wrestling litters leaderboard at Wheat Ridge Invitational

Things are beginning to look up for the Niwot boys wrestling team.

Coming off a disappointing last-place finish at the Fort Lupton Invitational, the Cougars rebounded nicely on Dec. 7 to beat a revitalized Timnath High School program, 57-12. Niwot then fell in a dual meet against Silver Creek High School on Dec. 9 but bounced back again the following day in a strong showing at the Wheat Ridge Invitational.

Junior Gavin Burrage was named champion of the 175-pound class while both 165-pound senior Eric Falcon and 126-pound sophomore Ryder Evans placed second in their respective divisions. Other Cougars to win matches included senior Vithal Arya (165), Moises Carmona (175) and Jacobi Alton (113).

Wrestling in his fourth season at Niwot, Arya said he has been impressed by the young talent of this year's squad.

"I'm very, very caught off guard by my team this year," Arya said. "I thought the best team in my high school experience Niwot had was my freshman year. I've been proven wrong many times this season. I know the season has barely started, but we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores...I am more than impressed. These gentlemen have shown such excellence on and off the mat, like sportsmanship. Even in practices, these guys don't hesitate to push past their limits and they help me push past my limits."

While Niwot's youth makes this somewhat of a developmental season, securing a few positive results early in the year has been more than welcomed. Arya shared that in the loss to Silver Creek, his younger teammates were able to rally from large deficits to come away with unlikely pins. The wins may not come consistently yet, but there have been positive moments.

Arya added that Evans has stood out the most among Niwot's underclassmen.

"I do think he's going to make it far within this year," Arya said. "The fact that he's just a sophomore and has such a reputation, I'm more than positive that by the time he's a senior, he will make state and I won't be surprised even if he is a state champion. I'm looking forward to that day."

Despite a nearly 40-pound disadvantage, Evans hasn't hesitated to grapple with and even take down the heavier Arya during team practices.

Niwot hosts Frederick High School next in a dual meet on Dec. 14.