4/7/2011 9:48:00 AM 

  
HEATHER L. SMITH/The Aurora Sentinel Members of The Aurora Sentinel 2010-2011 All-City Wrestling Team pose on April 5 at Regis Jesuit High School. Clockwise from top right, Cherokee Trail’s Keith Johnson, Aurora Central’s William Montrey, Regis Jesuit’s John Crowley, Rangeview’s Gabe Conley, Aurora Central’s Jose Parra, Smoky Hill’s Jon Sidhu, Grandview’s Sean Burroughs, Grandview’s Josh Federico, Smoky Hill’s Kirk Owens, Cherokee Trail’s Bo Brunning, Gateway’s Dylan Avery, Gateway’s Josh Butler and Eaglecrest’s Horatio Vialpando. (Heather L. Smith/The Aurora Sentinel)

THE AURORA SENTINEL 2010-11 ALL-CITY WRESTLING TEAM

103 pounds: Josh Federico, Grandview, sr. (35-12) (fourth place)

112 pounds: William Montrey, Aurora Central, sr. (34-7) (fourth place)

119 pounds: Jose Parra, Aurora Central, sr. (27-9)

125 pounds: Josh Butler, Gateway, soph. (31-8)

130 pounds: Joaquin Reyna, Hinkley, sr. (33-12)

135 pounds: Gabe Conley, Rangeview, jr. (31-11)

140 pounds: Sean Burroughs, Grandview, jr. (34-12)

145 pounds: Jon Sidhu, Smoky Hill, jr. (33-8)

152 pounds: Horacio Vialpando, Eaglecrest, jr. (24-18)

160 pounds: John Crowley, Regis Jesuit, jr. (34-3) (state champion)

171 pounds: Dylan Avery, Gateway, sr. (35-14)

189 pounds: Keith Johnson, Cherokee Trail, sr. (42-5) (third place)

215 pounds: Bo Brunning, Cherokee Trail, jr. (24-17)

285 pounds: Kirk Owens, Smoky Hill, jr. (35-9)

HONORABLE MENTION: Jessie Crowe, Hinkley, jr.; Rodolfo Gonzalez, Hinkley, sr.: Mike Howshar, Eaglecrest, soph.; Pavlo Ivanusa, Grandview, sr.; Tyler Knigge, Smoky Hill, sr.; Joe Maletta, Cherokee Trail, sr.; Tony Mendieta, Grandview, soph.; Branden Muniz, Gateway, jr.; Grant Neal, Regis Jesuit, fr.; Morgan Newton, Hinkley, sr.; Kevin Nguyen, Aurora Central, jr.; Bruno Nicoletti, Cher. Trail, soph.; Josh Redman, Regis Jesuit, soph.; Tim Rice, Eaglecrest, sr. (35-13, 4th place, 160 pounds); Eric Ruoff, Grandview, sr.

Wrestling: Winter All-City 2010-11: Two-time winner Crowley leads Aurora's best on wrestling mats

 By Courtney Oakes
 The Aurora Sentinel

Aurora’s wrestling strength was stretched from one end of the city to the other in the 2010-11 season, but the chief power remained at Regis Jesuit.

Junior John Crowley won his second consecutive 160-pound state championship at the Class 5A state meet Feb. 19 at the Pepsi Center, leading the way for the city’s group of five placers.

Nine of Aurora’s 10 schools are represented by at least one member on The Aurora Sentinel’s 2010-11 All-City Wrestling Team, which is based on performance at the regional and state tournaments.

Though Regis Jesuit was largely a young and inexperienced as a team, the Raiders had a fantastic example in the room in Crowley, who joined B.J. Sanchez (1993, 1994) as the program’s only two-time state champions with his 3-1 victory over Coronado’s Nick Burghardt in the 5A championship match.

Coming off helping the school’s football team make the 5A state championship game, Crowley finished 34-3 overall. His losses came at the Grandview Duals to Adams City standout Donovan Maes, at a tournament in Bakersfield, Calif., and to Arvada’s Marcus Peralta, the undefeated 4A state champion, leaving him with a sparkling 66-6 overall mark in the past two seasons.

Crowley’s performance topped another at 160 pounds, as Eaglecrest senior Tim Rice took fourth in his one and only trip to the state tournament.

Five sets of teammates make up a good portion of the All-City team: Cherokee Trail’s Keith Johnson (189 pounds) and Bo Brunning (215), Grandview’s Josh Federico (103) and Sean Burroughs (140), Aurora Central’s William Montrey (112) and Jose Parra (119), Gateway’s Dylan Avery (171) and Josh Butler (125) and Smoky Hill’s Jon Sidhu (145) and Kirk Owens (285).

Johnson was Aurora’s wins leader, finishing with 42 victories and netting the next-highest place among city wrestlers by taking third at 189 pounds. He is the first two-time placer in Cherokee Trail program history. Brunning (24-17) kept the Cougars strong in the upper weights with his first state bid.

Grandview won the Centennial League team championship for the eighth time in nine seasons, and Federico and Burroughs were part of the backbone of the lineup for coach Greg Maestas.

Federico was a Top of the Rockies finalist and placed fourth at the state meet, capping a 35-12 season with his second medal. Burroughs (34-12) was Aurora’s only regional champion other than Crowley and came a win short of placing.

Montrey went 34-7 and placed fourth at 112 pounds in his second state trip for Aurora Central, while Parra had an outstanding 27-9 campaign at 119s.

Gateway’s Avery (35-14) and Butler (31-8) formed part of the nucleus of a small but quality Olys team, while state qualifier Owens (35-9) and regional placer Sidhu (31-6), who fills the 145 pound spot that did not have a state qualifier, are both juniors who should anchor the Buffs next season.

EMAC champion Hinkley and Rangeview netted one All-City spot each in 130-pound senior Joaquin Reyna (33-12, two-time state qualifier) and 135-pound junior Gabe Conley (31-11), respectively.

The city had no state qualifier at 152 pounds, but Eaglecrest junior Horacio Vialpando registered a 24-18 mark and was an Aurora-best sixth at regionals.



HEATHER L. SMITH/The Aurora Sentinel Members of The Aurora Sentinel 2010-11 All-City Wrestling Team pose April 5 at Regis Jesuit High School. Top row, left to right: Smoky Hill junior Jon Sidhu, Grandview senior Josh Federico and Aurora Central senior Jose Parra. Middle row, left to right: Eaglecrest junior Horacio Vialpando, Gateway sophomore Josh Butler, Grandview junior Sean Burroughs and Rangeview junior Gabe Conley. Bottom row, left to right: Cherokee Trail junior Bo Brunning, Cherokee Trail senior Keith Johnson, Smoky Hill junior Kirk Owens, Gateway senior Dylan Avery and Regis Jesuit junior John Crowley. Laying down: Aurora Central senior William Montrey. (Heather L. Smith/The Aurora Sentinel)