The Mustang wrestlers who qualified for the state tournament left Nucla last Wednesday to head to Denver in hopes of capturing state titles. There, senior Arthur Connelly took third place in his bracket. He’d pinned every opponent he’d faced, except in the close match he lost in overtime in the semifinals.
Senior JW Nasland took second in his bracket, losing a match to a Cedaredge guy in the finals. Nasland is the first to make it to the finals since 2019 when Wil Gabriel won a state title.
Junior Paxtin Caruso and freshman Jackson McCabe both contributed to the team score with a win each, pinning their opponents. As a team, the Mustangs took 15th place out of 55 teams with 49 points. They were the top scoring 1A team, the smallest, highest placing school.
Head Coach Rob McCabe said it’s the best the Nucla wrestlers have done since 2017, when the Mustangs combined with Norwood and took fourth in 2A with four state finalists.
“It was a fun tournament to go there and see all the fans, it was a really good crowd, it’s always exciting,” coach said Monday. “The guys wrestled really well, we were kind of disappointed in our ending, each guy lost their last match. Jackson and Paxtin, we had high hopes for them to get on the podium and thought Arthur and JW were going to win it, but we fell short of some goals … Overall, it was a really good tournament. Arthur showed what it takes to be a winner. He lost the semifinals and dominated to take third and had a smile on his face … That was fun.”
McCabe confirmed he will coach again next year.
In Norwood, four wrestlers also traveled to the state wrestling tournament, though the Mavericks didn’t get any placings. Head coach for Norwood Kyle Dinsmore said he was still proud. And, his team is young. His four were only freshmen and sophomores.
“The guys wrestled hard and gave it their all, but came up short,” Dinsmore said. “It was a good eye-opener for the guys to see what it takes to place at state. … This is just the first step in this team's promising future.”
In high school basketball, the boys varsity team — made up of Nucla and Norwood students — beat Dove Creek last Friday evening, 66-47. The JV boys also won their game, 53-26. For the girls, the Nucla-Norwood varsity team lost to Dove Creek, 32-47. But, the JV girls won 36-4.
Athletic Director Kelly Arnold said district play happens this weekend in Olathe. Regionals will happen the following weekend.
The middle school girls basketball team, a rec league through Montrose West Recreation, made up of fifth and sixth graders and coached by Misty and Stan Galley, had a winning season. The girls, who also hail from both Nucla and Norwood, went undefeated in the league.
