Posted: Thursday, April 5, 2012 4:34 pm | Updated: 10:49 am, Mon Apr 9, 2012.

All-City Wrestling 2011-12: Wrestling deep in Aurora as 9 of 10 city schools represented

 

 

By Courtney Oakes
 The Aurora Sentinel
 

Aurora is in search of its next state wrestling champion with the graduation of Regis Jesuit’s John Crowley, but there are plenty of potential candidates around the city for the future.

It will be hard for anybody to match the accomplishments over the past three seasons of Crowley, who for the last time headlines the 2011-12 Aurora Sentinel All-City Wrestling Team, which is based on performance at the Class 5A state tournament.

Nine of Aurora’s 10 varsity teams have at least one member of the All-City team, which numbers 14 — up one from last season thanks to the addition of a new weight class this season.

By winning a third consecutive 160-pound Class 5A state championship on Feb. 18, Crowley put the finishing touches on a resume that puts him on the top of the stack among all-time Aurora prep wrestlers. He’s the first from a city school to win three state titles and he ends his career as a four-time state placer.

Crowley believes his Regis Jesuit teammate, sophomore 195-pounder Grant Neal, could win a title in the next two seasons. Neal (30-9) posted two wins at state.

Grandview has three All-City members, seniors Sean Burroughs (152) and Eddie Preciado (170) and junior Tony Mendieta (126).

 

Burroughs — who is headed to the Air Force Academy — finally placed in his third trip to state, taking 5th and finishing 41-8. No 170-pounder from Aurora made state, but the Navy-bound Preciado was the top regional placer in 6th, while Mendieta (15-7) was the city’s only state qualifier at 126.

Smoky Hill has a pair of All-City selections in seniors Kirk Owens (285) and Jon Sidhu (145). Owens became the first Buff to wrestle for a state championship in roughly 20 seasons and though he lost in the final to Mountain Range’s Jorge Rodriguez, he finished 39-5. Sidhu was 33-10.

Gateway also has two spots with juniors Sergio Marquez (31-14 at 113) and Josh Butler (29-12 at 132).

Five programs have a single All-City slot: Fifth-place 106-pounder Bruno Nicoletti (41-7) represents Cherokee Trail, while Gage Goodroad (32-9 at 120) made it for Hinkley, Gabe Conley (36-8 at 138) for Rangeview, Trevon Beauford (35-6 at 182) for Eaglecrest and 220-pounder Amer Tipura (30-8) for Overland.

Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555

2011-12 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-CITY WRESTLING TEAM

106 pounds: Bruno Nicoletti, Cherokee Trail, jr.; 113 pounds: Sergio Marquez, Gateway, jr.; 120 pounds: Gage Goodroad, Hinkley, sr.; 126 pounds: Tony Mendieta, Grandview, jr.; 132 pounds: Josh Butler, Gateway, jr.; 138 pounds: Gabe Conley, Rangeview, sr.; 145 pounds: Jon Sidhu, Smoky Hill, sr.; 152 pounds: Sean Burroughs, Grandview, sr.; 160 pounds: John Crowley, Regis Jesuit, sr. (state champ); 170 pounds: Eddie Preciado, Grandview, sr.; 182 pounds: Trevon Beauford, Eaglecrest, soph.; 195 pounds: Grant Neal, Regis Jesuit, soph.; 220 pounds: Amer Tipura, Overland, jr.; 285 pounds: Kirk Owens, Smoky Hill, sr.

HONORABLE MENTION: Noah Brandt, Aurora Central, jr. (285 pounds); Bryan Calderon, Aurora Central, sr. (132); Jessie Crowe, Hinkley, sr. (182); Amaie Gebregazbheir, Cherokee Trail, sr. (220); Mike Howshar, Eaglecrest, jr. (6th place, 285); Dan Kasberg, Smoky Hill, jr. (106); Marcus Maes, Hinkley, sr. (152); Jordan McVicker, Grandview, sr. (113); Branden Muniz, Gateway, sr. (138); Tyler Murray, Cherokee Trail, sr. (145); Kevin Nguyen, Aurora Central, sr. (106); Brandon Read, Rangeview, jr. (160); Horacio Vialpondo, Eaglecrest, sr. (160); Joey Webb, Gateway, sr. (160)