Aurora’s wrestling power was spread out in 2012-13.
As determined by performance at the Class 5A state tournament at the Pepsi Center, seven schools landed at least one spot on the 2012-13 Aurora Sentinel All-City Wrestling Team.
From the 14 weight classes, Regis Jesuit took a city-high three spots, led by Class 5A 195-pound state champion Grant Neal.
The junior downed Fossil Ridge’s Payton Tapia 3-2 in the state championship match on Feb. 23, picking up where graduated John Crowley — the only Aurora prep wrestler ever to win three state titles — left off. Neal, also a regional champion, finished 41-3 on the season.
Regis Jesuit senior 120-pounder Josh Redman returned to state — which he made as a sophomore, but fell short last season — and won two matches at the Pepsi Center to finish with a 42-6 mark. Teammate Donovan Ronan (126) made state for the first time and went 32-16 as a sophomore.
Overland senior Amer Tipura lost a 3-1 overtime heartbreaker to Columbine’s Brian Mayberry in the 5A 220-pound title match, coming just short of winning the school’s first state title since 1996.
Tipura, whose only two losses in a 42-2 season came to Mayberry, is headed to Adams State to wrestle and play football.
Overland senior 182-pounder Javier Alonso (40-10) placed sixth in his only trip to the state tournament.
Eaglecrest senior heavyweight Mike Howshar, 36-8, earned his way onto the medal podium for the second straight season (4th this season after 6th last year) and is joined on the All-City team by teammate Adin Puris, who was 34-13 at 170 pounds.
Grandview senior Jordan Brown (41-10) made the most of his first state trip, placing fourth at 160 pounds, before he moves on to Lindenwood (Mo.) University next year.
Two freshmen made state for the Wolves and one of them, Xavier Cardenas, had the best showing of any city 113-pounder at state and finished 26-13.
Gateway freshman Deyaun Trueblood (39-11) advanced all the way to the 145-pounder semifinals before he lost for the first time at state and ended up 6th — matching the result of older brother Brent Willis a few years earlier — while senior teammate Josh Butler went 40-6 at 138 pounds.
Butler, who is headed to college in Sioux Falls, S.D., again came up short of earning a state place in his third trip to the Pepsi Center.
Cherokee Trail’s strong season saw a breakout sixth-place showing by 152-pounder Harley Korte (34-14), plus 35-8 Bruno Nicoletti’s return to state at 132 pounds.
Korte advanced to the semifinals before he lost for the first time and finished sixth, while Nicoletti — who placed at 106 pounds as a junior — couldn’t make it back after jumping up four weight classes.
Vista PEAK improved, but junior 106-pounder Junior Casillas (22-7) was its only state qualifier for a second straight season.
Casillas, who wrestled in the 3A state tournament as a sophomore, lost his first two matches at Pepsi Center and is still looking for his first state victory.
106 pounds: Junior Casillas, Vista PEAK, jr.; 113 pounds: Xavier Cardenas, Grandview, fr.; 120 pounds: Josh Redman, Regis Jesuit, sr.; 126 pounds: Donovan Ronan, Regis Jesuit, soph.; 132 pounds: Bruno Nicoletti, Cherokee Trail, sr.; 138 pounds: Josh Butler, Gateway, sr.; 145 pounds: Deyaun Trueblood, Gateway, fr.; 152 pounds: Harley Korte, Cherokee Trail, jr.; 160 pounds: Jordan Brown, Grandview, sr.; 170 pounds: Adin Puris, Eaglecrest, sr.; 182 pounds: Javier Alonso, Overland, sr.; 195 pounds: Grant Neal, Regis Jesuit, jr. (state champ); 220 pounds: Amer Tipura, Overland, sr.; 285 pounds: Mike Howshar, Eaglecrest, sr.
Honorable mention: Trevon Beauford, jr., Eaglecrest (182); Dexter Bess, jr., Smoky Hill (6th place at 220); Jaime Cardenas, jr., Grandview (132); Anthony Childs, sr., Overland (285); Jake Dugan, soph., Eaglecrest (132); Nick Elgin, fr., Regis Jesuit (220); Dan Kasberg, sr., Smoky Hill (120); Sergio Marquez, sr., Gateway (113); Jalen Reyes, sr., Cherokee Trail (160); Diego Rogel, sr., Cherokee Trail (170); Trent Rogers, sr., Cherokee Trail (182); Josh Vigil-Harrison, fr., Grandview (6th place at 285); Garrett Zimmerman, sr., Cherokee Trail (285)