Buckaroos return strong from holiday

by Anna Fredericks
The Monticello Buckaroo wrestlers came back from the holiday break with strong start to the second half of the season.
Three members of the team were invited to participate in the Utah All Stars Dual, followed by a strong showing at the Pagosa Springs Tournaments over the weekend.
The Buckaroo mat men finished in fourth place at the Rocky Mountain Invitational in Pagosa Springs, CO, but battled for the top spot all day.
The finished only 8.5 points behind top placing Sheridan.  Aztec and Centauri finished second and third. 
The Buckaroos placed nine wrestlers on the day. The tournament has long been considered one of the toughest tournaments of the year, including the Utah State Tournament.
Leading the team this week are seniors Zac Musselman and Brayson Wilcox, who brought home championship medals.  
Wilcox had two wins by fall and a major decision on his way to the finals. In the championship match, Brayson had an exciting takedown in the final seconds to claim a 3-2 victory.
Musselman pinned his way through the day, winning four matches by fall. This is the second time the sophomore has won the prestigious tournament.
Parker Knudsen had wins by fall in both early rounds to earn a spot in the championship match.
In the final, he was defeated by fall by the returning champion and brought home a second place medal.
Shandon Bradford finished in third place. Bradford had two early wins by fall, but a loss sent him to the consolation finals, where he earned another win by fall to earn the third place medal.
Isaiah Sheeran finished in fourth place with a win by fall.  Matt Beh earned a sixth place medal with two wins by fall and an exciting 5-3 victory.
Spencer Squires and Paul DeAnda finished with seventh place medals. Squires had two wins by fall and a points win in his medal match.
DeAnda won three matches by fall on the day. They are followed by Nathan Moore, who earned a win by fall and finished with an eighth place medal.
Also wrestling for the Buckaroos were Thomas Anderson and Tyler Draper, who each had a win on the weekend, and Wyatt Fullmer, Steven Robinson, and Gage Wilcox.
Earlier in the week, three Buckaroo wrestlers represented the 1A team at the Utah All-Star Dual.
Zac Musselman, Shandon Bradford, and Parker Knudsen were chosen by the selection committee to participate in the annual event.
All three Buckaroos worked hard against tough competition from larger schools, including several returning state champions.
All came up short in their efforts, but gained valuable experience at the premier event.
This week the Buckaroos will wrestle at dual match against the five-time defending 5A champions from Pleasant Grove on January 14.
The Buckaroos will attend the Rocky Mountain Rumble in Provo over the weekend.