Ayla Hampton/Courtesy photo
Summit High School was well represented at the Colorado 4A state wrestling tournament in Denver from Thursday, Feb. 13, through Saturday, Feb. 15.
Summit sophomore Ayla Hampton managed to place within the top 10 in her weight class at the statewide meet.
Coming in as the top-seeded wrestler in the 4A girls 130-pound weight class, Hampton made quick work of her opening match on Thursday. Wrestling for Battle Mountain due to Summit not having a girls wrestling program, Hampton faced Fort Morgan High School sophomore Amarae Venegas in the opening round.
After 90 seconds of wrestling, Hampton secured the pin and successfully advanced to the semifinal on Friday morning.
In the semifinal, Hampton faced off against junior Santana Montez of Pueblo Central High School. Hampton tried to beat the talented wrestler across from her on the mat, but was pinned. The loss bounced Hampton to the consolation side of the bracket, meaning the best she could do is finish third overall.
Shortly after losing to Montez, Hampton secured a win on the consolation side of the bracket. Hampton pinned Pagosa Springs High School sophomore Kyley Matyniak in order to move further on in the bracket.
Hampton returned to Ball Arena to face junior Evelyne Cope of Gunnison High School on Saturday morning. Familiar with Cope after defeating her in the 4A Region 2 final last weekend, Hampton looked to secure another win against her regional rival in the state tournament.
Hampton successfully advanced to the next round in the consolation bracket by defeating Cope once again. However, in the next round, Hampton lost to Lamar High School senior Ella Splitter.
The loss bounced Hampton to the fifth-place match where she faced Canon City High School junior Eleanor Thorson. Hampton put up a valiant effort, but was not able to squeeze out a win.
After not placing at the state meet last year, Hampton took sixth overall.
In the 4A boys 113-pound weight class, Summit freshman James “JD” Danielson made his triumphant debut at the state wrestling tournament. In his first match under the bright lights at Ball Arena, Danielson defeated freshman Cameron Cosner of Mountain View High School to advance to the semifinal round on Friday.
In the semifinal, Danielson hung tough against Pueblo County’s Israel Trujillo, but fell to the sophomore and was pushed to the consolation bracket. Familiar with fighting through the consolation bracket after taking third at regionals last weekend, Danielson tried to secure a win against Angel Fernandez of Widefield High School.
Fernandez, a junior, got the best of Danielson, ending his run at the state tournament in the second round of the consolation bracket.
Both athletes will now enter the offseason before beginning preparations for their junior and sophomore campaigns on the wrestling mat.
