Chatfield and Pomona wrestlers preparing to go state title hunting

ARVADA — Pomona High School was the place to be Thursday night to catch a glimpse of some of the top girls and boys wrestlers in the state.

Pomona hosted its Senior Night with a girls and boys dual against Chatfield. The Charger girls — 4-time defending state team champions — edged Pomona 45-35. The Panther girls are currently ranked No. 1 in the On the Mat team rankings, while Chatfield is No. 2.

“It is pretty important,” Chatfield sophomore Hannah Rocklin said of the No. 1 versus No. 2 dual. “We worked hard together as a team to win this.”

Rocklin clinched the team win with a pin over Pomona’s Aniela Flores in the 125-pound match. It was the second to last match of the night on the girls’ side. Chatfield dominated the lighter weights with six straight wins from 100 to 125, including a pair of forfeit victories. 

Senior Camryn Scott — 3rd place finish at 145 pounds last season — had a key pin at 140 pounds. Scott is the only Chatfield individual ranked in the top-3 in their weight class.

Rocklin — 4th place finish at 125 pounds last season as a freshman — admitted that a dual is much different than the state tournament were Chatfield’s depth has yielded the first three team titles since girls wrestling became a Colorado High School Activities Association’s sanctioned sport at the start of the 2020-21 season. The team title in 2019-20 season for Chatfield was when it was officially a pilot program. 

However, Rocklin is confident Chatfield can capture a fifth state title in less than a month at Ball Arena in Denver. 

“We are going to go take state,” Rocklin said. “Make some dreams and goals come true.”

Pomona senior Persaeus Gomez is looking to make history next month. Gomez can become a 4-time individual state champion. Something a girl wrestler in Colorado has never done.

“I know how I wrestle. Big tournament or small tournament, it doesn’t matter,” Gomez said dealing with the high expectations. “I like to keep my head in the right space. It’s just a mental thing, staying humble. Knowing that I’m good, but I’m not where I want to be yet.”

Gomez finished off the dual Thursday with a pin of Chatfield’s Lilly Maley at 130 pounds.

While Gomez has plenty of individual hardware over the past three years, a girls wrestling team title banner would look pretty nice up with the 10 boys wrestling team champions banners that hang in Pomona’s gym.

“You have to differentiate the two from each other,” Gomez said going after individual and team state titles. “When you are out on the mat it’s you against your opponent. There is nobody else. Having a great team behind me makes me want to push myself even more.”

Sophomore Timberly Martinez (135) is looking to become a 2-time state champion this season. Gomez, Martinez, along with seniors Desaz Munson (155), Sicily Frates (170) and Alejandra Alfero Salazar (235) are all ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 individual in their weight classes.

Alfero Salazar transferred from Denver East after placing 4th last year to 235. Currently, CHSAA has ruled that she won’t be eligible to compete in the postseason. 

“It is crazy to think how fast it went,” Gomez said as her stellar prep career nears its end. “As a freshman people told me it would go by so fast. I never believed them. It is bittersweet. I love this team and what we have built at Pomona.”

While Pomona’s girls squad is loaded with senior talent, the youth on the boys’ side showed up in force for the Panthers against Chatfield. Pomona has just four seniors on its squad this season.

No. 1-ranked Pomona cruised to a 56-9 team victory over No. 9 Chatfield. Luke Gomez (106) and Jesse Wolf (285) were the only two Chargers to pick up victories. 

Pomona boys will head to the Top of the Rockies 2-day tournament Friday and Saturday at Centaurus High School later this week. Chatfield hosts its own tournament Saturday.

Chatfield and Pomona girls are both off to the Douglas County Tiara Challenge on Friday and Saturday.