SUNSET WRESTLING: Cimarron seniors lead state charge

After eight days of preparing for the Sunset Region wrestling tournament, and two straight days of competition, you’d think a little celebration would be in order after winning a title.

But not for Cimarron-Memorial senior Angel Laurente.

“Now I’m ready to go win state,” Laurente said after winning the 132-pound title, 7-2, over Shadow Ridge’s Jonah McKee on Saturday at Centennial.

Laurente was one of seven Spartans to wrestle for a regional title but one of only two who won his division. Two others took home third-place medals to give Cimarron nine qualifiers for next Saturday’s Division I state tournament in Primm.

“This year we had a lot of kids who actually had to work for their titles, and that makes everyone on the team better,” Laurente said. “Those kids who took second tonight, I told them, ‘It’s not over, I took second last year at regionals and I ended up winning state.’ So there’s nothing that should stop them next week.”

Cimarron’s second regional champion came in the 145-pound weight class, where senior Michael Barnson won what might have been the most exciting match of the final round. Trailing Palo Verde senior Kayden Pierson 3-2, Barnson took a single-leg shot and scored a takedown seconds before the match expired, giving him a 4-3 victory.

“I was worried about getting that takedown; he’s a very solid kid (and) I really couldn’t get in that much,” Barnson said. “I finally did and afterward felt relief that all the hard work finally paid off.”

The Spartans blew away the field with 213 points, with Shadow Ridge second with 162 and Centennial third with 161.5.

“We have quality kids; they do what we ask them to do, they’ve been very successful and we’re real proud of them,” Cimarron-Memorial co-head coach Mike Garcia said. “These are kids you’d want to be around, they’re kids you’re proud to coach, and we’re proud to have them.

“The better part of the whole deal is they’ve all contributed to the team, and they all scored points for us. They all made a contribution.”

Added Cimarron co-head coach Eugene Harris: “We’re making nothing into something, that’s the only way to put it; the kids are hungry. This group is like a fraternity, a tight-knit group of brothers … they’re closely connected.”

Four schools tied for the second-most state qualifiers, as Arbor View, Bishop Gorman, Shadow Ridge and Spring Valley each qualified six.