Student Athlete of the Week: Ryder Evans

Although only a sophomore, Ryder Evans has proven early on that he can compete against Colorado's top wrestlers. The 126-pound Niwot High underclassman owns an 18-5 record so far this season and his focus remains locked on qualifying for the state tournament.

With several of the area's best wrestlers coming to Evans' home gym at Niwot High School for the Gary Daum Classic on Jan. 7, he was given an opportunity to test his skills against other state hopefuls.

Evans made quick work of his first two opponents, pinning both of them in the first period and advancing to the semifinals. There, he stayed alive until late in the third period when Thompson Valley High School's Noah Soto managed a pin.

Evans was pushed to the third-place match and ultimately fell to Erie High School's Tyler Muir by a 4-3 decision. While he would have liked to place higher than fourth, Evans remained proud of his effort. Representing Niwot during a tournament that honored a longtime Cougar head coach was a motivating factor and one that brought him pride.

"It means a lot to me because it's my school," Evans said. "I tried to win, but I came close."

Niwot assistant coach Todd Johnson, who handled the bulk of coaching duties with head coach Bobby Matthews busy managing the tournament, saw more of the same grit from Evans that he has seen all season.

"Ryder has been wrestling really, really tough," Johnson said. "He's had a great season so far. (There are a) few things we still need to work on but, overall, he's someone that when you put him out there on the mat, you know he's going to go out there and wrestle hard and perform. Today, he went out there every match and wrestled tough. Even matches that were tough for him, he found a way to win."

Although Evans doesn't have many upperclassmen teammates, he has still embraced the guidance given to him from Niwot's older wrestlers, such as junior Gavin Burrage and senior Eric Falcon.

"I look up to them," Evans said. "They're older than me and they push me and I really enjoy that."

Burrage, the only other Cougar to reach the Gary Daum Classic podium after he took second at 175 pounds, has a similar admiration for Evans and believes he could even win a state title one day.

"I think senior year, he could potentially be a state champ," Burrage said. "He's only a sophomore and he has almost the same (number of) wins as me. He's one of the best on our team, just the way he's so technical. I try to learn from him sometimes because his moves are so clean, and he can do things that I wish I could."

Reaching his goals will continue to require unwavering dedication, Evans believes. "You'll get better if you just keep working harder," he said.