Five Buckaroos win state medals as Monticello wrestlers take team fifth

by Anna Fredericks
Contributing Writer
After months of countless hours in practice, weekends spent at tournaments in three states, and more bus miles than they can remember, the Monticello Buckaroo wrestlers closed the book on their 2025-26 season this past weekend.
The Buckaroo matmen fought their way through the 1A State Wrestling Tournament in Richfield, where nothing comes easy and every match carries the weight of a season’s ambition.
In an eight-man bracket there are no shortcuts – only hard-fought battles with every medal earned the tough way, forged through determination, resilience, and Buckaroo pride.
In a field of 14 teams the ten-man Buckaroo squad finished in fifth, just eight points shy of the top four. At the end of the grueling day, the Buckaroos sent five team members to the podium as medal winners.
Junior John Leber led the charge for the Buckaroos, earning his place to battle under the championship spotlight at 150 pounds.
After dominating his way through the early rounds with back-to-back technical fall wins, 18-0 and 17-1, Leber fought hard through the finals, earning a second-place medal for his efforts. Leber was the only 1A wrestler to earn two technical fall wins at the tournament.
Senior Landon Shumway capped off his career with a display of pure resilience at 138 pounds. After an explosive start, pinning his first opponent in just over a minute, he suffered a setback in a hard-fought second-round loss.
Shumway stormed into the consolation bracket, securing a dominant 1:36 pin in the semifinals to punch his ticket to the podium. He finished his season in spectacular fashion, dismantling his final opponent with a 16-1 technical fall to claim third place.
Junior Arturo Gutierrez opened his tournament at 126 pounds with a quick 48-second pin. After a tough setback in the second round, he showed his championship mettle in the consolation semifinals.
Gutierrez overwhelmed his opponent with a dominant 19-3 technical fall to secure his spot on the podium. Then, in his third-place match, he proved he could win the long game.
He battled through six grueling minutes, outworking his opponent for a hard-fought 8-4 decision and earning a third-place medal. 
At 120 pounds, sophomore Diego Cortez showed poise beyond his years, opening the tournament with an exciting 6-3 decision victory.
After dropping into the consolation bracket, he caught fire in the semifinals, racking up points in a massive 24-8 technical fall victory. Cortez fought hard in the finals to earn a fourth-place medal.
Freshman Bryson Adair began his state debut at 132 pounds with a thrilling 9-8 nail-biter win. After a loss in the second round, he showed incredible heart.
Adair battled back for a second-period pin in the consolation semifinals. He then fought hard in the consolation finals, earning a well-deserved fourth-place finish.
The strength of the Buckaroos was evident even in the matches that didn’t reach the podium. Junior Zamian Lopez (285 pounds), sophomores Miles Coleman (144 pounds) and Noah Dilts (215 pounds), and freshman JJ Atwood each showed the team’s “never quit” attitude.
After tough first-round losses, all four battled back to earn dominant and exciting pins in the consolation round, coming up just one win shy of a medal.
Senior Evan Carpenter also put in a gritty performance, wrestling hard for the orange and black.
The Buckaroos will graduate only one state placer this spring, leaving a battle-tested core of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors ready to climb even higher on the podium in 2026-27.