Tourneys test matmen

Saratoga Panthers went to two tournaments that lasted two days each. Both were in Colorado.

“It was every bit as hard as I heard it would be and then some,” Zach Schmidt, Saratoga head wrestling coach said.

Panthers Jaxon King (120 lbs.), Andrew Everett (126 lbs.), Tristan Gray (170 lbs.), Torin Hedley (195 lbs.) and Preston Dew (285 lbs.) went to Loveland, Colorado to attend the Old Chicago Wrestling Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday.

“I wanted to have them in an event that would feel like State and I got my wish,” Schmidt said. “It helps me identify what we can do in the future.”

Jaxon King scored 4 team points and Tristan Gray scored 4 team points at the tournament. He said the scores didn’t do justice to how well he felt his wrestlers actually did. He said he was really pleased with Dew.

“Preston really impressed me in the matches even though he didn’t win,” Schmidt said. “He showed me something.”

The other tournament Schmidt sent Panther wrestlers to was the West Grand Invitational in Kremmling, which had five Panther wrestlers complete.

Kaydon Koontz (120 lbs.), Caleb Bangs (120 lbs.), Emanuel Cielo (160 lbs.), Kaden Hedley (170 lbs.) and Jacob Flowers (220 lbs.) was the team Schmidt sent there.

Flowers placed 3rd and scored 9 team points and Bangs scored 5 team points.

Schmidt said he would like to have seen his wrestlers win more, but he was still pleased with what he witnessed.

“We wrestled well in some matches we didn’t win,” Schmidt said. “What is important win or lose, I learned more about my wrestlers.”

The next scheduled meet is the Shane Shatto Invite on Jan. 5-6 in Douglas.