Niwot wrestlers battle at Golden Eagle Invitational

The Niwot High School wrestling team traveled to Frederick High School on Saturday, Jan. 11, for the 2025 Golden Eagle Invitational, with results highlighting veteran experience and promising young talent across all weight classes.

Junior Ryder Evans set the tone for the Cougars in the 144-pound weight class. Evans continued his impressive season by securing second place and contributing 20 valuable team points. Evans entered the tournament with a strong 13-4 record, and received a first-round bye before showcasing his dominance with two consecutive pins.

He overpowered Loveland High School's Mason Wenger in the quarterfinals, securing a fall in just 47 seconds, followed by a decisive victory over Standley Lake High School's Colton Cadell in the semifinals.

Evans' championship bid was ultimately stopped by Skyline High School's undefeated Tobias Pinson (27-0), who claimed a 13-1 major decision in the final match.

At 175 pounds, Lucas Menza demonstrated his tenacity with a gritty performance to claim fourth place and add 11 points to Niwot's team total. After receiving a first-round bye, Menza fell to Kenneth Jordan of Bennett High School in the quarterfinals but showed tremendous heart in the consolation bracket.

Menza rallied with three straight victories, including falls over Greeley Central High School's Jarrett Rodriguez and Summit High School's Fergus Molnar, before securing a nail-biting 14-13 decision over Frederick's Jathniel Gonzalez.

Though Menza ultimately fell to Windsor High School's Colt Meuchel in the third-place match, his resilience throughout the tournament was evident.

Maddox Brown (157 lbs.) demonstrated his capabilities with an impressive start to the tournament, contributing eight team points. Brown, who came in with a strong 14-5 record, secured falls over Skyline's AJ Franchini and Issac Rodriguez before being stopped in the semifinals by Windsor's Gabe Piccarreto.

Brown's tournament ended in the consolation semifinals with a hard-fought 13-8 decision loss to Loveland's Wes Bockelmann.

In the lighter weight classes, Hogan Reester (106 lbs.) faced tough competition, falling to Silver Creek's Oliver Beeson in an 18-7 major decision before being eliminated by Estes Park High School's Ashtan Coleman.

Niwot's Fransisco Ibarra Padilla (113 lbs.) added three team points, securing a pin over Windsor's Izayah Neill during consolation rounds.

The Cougars' Armondo Montano (120 lbs.) and Adam Shoning (126 lbs.) both gained valuable experience despite early exits, while Diesel Bateman (132 lbs.) showed fight in his matches before being eliminated in the consolation rounds.

Niwot's Jacob Morales (138 lbs.) contributed four team points, starting strong with a forfeit victory before facing elimination against the experienced competition.

In the Cougars' upper weights, Winston Richards (150 lbs.) and Ryne Frain (165 lbs.) both faced challenging opponents in their respective brackets, while Max Burke Bedell (215 lbs.), who received two byes, was unable to advance past the consolation rounds despite entering the tournament with a solid 10-9 record.

The Cougars' performance at the Golden Eagle Invitational provided important match experience across all weight classes as the team continues to develop and prepare for upcoming conference competitions.

With standout performers such as Evans and Menza leading the way, and younger wrestlers continuing to gain valuable mat time, Niwot's wrestling program shows promise for the remainder of the season.

Head Coach Michael DeCamillis and the team will look to build on these performances as they move forward in their schedule. Several key meets remain before the regional and state tournaments.

The Cougars will travel to Timnath Middle-High School on Wednesday, Jan. 15, for a dual (head-to-head) competition before taking on Fossil Ridge High School at home on Friday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m.

Niwot will then go to Northglenn High School for the 2025 Northglenn Norse Varsity Invite where 21 teams will match up across fourteen weight classes from 106-285 pounds.