The Ironman Tournament once again proved why it is considered one of the toughest high school wrestling events in the country. Colorado sent numerous hammers at numerous weights and at 106 pounds, Colorado had two wrestlers rise to the occasion on one of the bigger platforms that comes along during the high school season, nationally. Pomona’s Lincoln Valdez and Ponderosa’s Onofre Gonzales each put together impressive runs in a loaded bracket, finishing third and eighth, respectively.
Lincoln Valdez (Pomona) — 3rd Place
Entering the weekend as the No. 3 seed and ranked No. 11 nationally, Lincoln Valdez delivered a performance that matched his expectations and reinforced his national standing.
Valdez opened the tournament in dominant fashion, cruising to a 16–2 victory in his first match, followed by a 12–2 win in round two. In the quarterfinals, he faced a tough test against nationally ranked #33 Max Quarry of Notre Dame Green Pond, a consistently strong program that always has tough competitors. Valdez showed composure in a tight battle, edging Quarry 7–6 to reach the semifinals.
In the semis, Valdez wrestled eventual champion Connor Maddox of Westfield, Indiana, falling 17–6. Dropping into the consolation bracket, Valdez bounced back immediately with one of his most impressive wins of the tournament. He defeated Nico Odiotti (Loyola Academy) 12–8 in the consolation semifinals. Odiotti had just come off a gritty 1–0 win over No. 1 seed Ace Chittum, making Valdez’s victory even more significant.
That win set up a third-place match against Jack Anello of Blair Academy, who had earlier knocked Gonzalez off on the front side. In a tactical, low-scoring battle, Valdez controlled the action and earned a 2–1 victory to secure third place, ultimately holding true to his seed and finishing as the top Colorado placer at 106.
Onofre Gonzales (Ponderosa) — 8th Place
Seeded 9th and ranked 25th (Matscouts) (TKDWN Unranked) nationally entering the tournament , Onofre Gonzalez quietly put together one of the most impressive under-the-radar runs in the 106-pound bracket.
Gonzales opened with authority, earning a 9–0 win in his first match against Mike Bird. In the next round, he drew nationally ranked Jack Anello of Blair Academy and pushed him to the limit, dropping a narrow 7–6 decision. That result aged well, as Anello went on to defeat No. 1 seed Ace Chittum 3–0 in the following round, confirming the level at which Gonzales was competing.
On the backside, Gonzales went on a deep run. He recorded a 17–1 technical fall over Salas, followed by a hard-fought 5–2 win against Forman. Continuing his surge, Gonzales defeated Milynarczyk 15–6 to reach the consolation round of 16.
His run was halted in sudden victory by Max Quarry, with the match tied 2–2 before Quarry secured the deciding score. That sent Gonzales into the seventh-place match, where he faced none other than Ace Chittum, the tournament’s top seed. Gonzales battled tough but ultimately fell 1–0, finishing the tournament in eighth place. Great run on the backside by Gonzales
106-Pound Final Placings
1. Connor Maddox (Westfield, Indiana)
2. Cohen Reer (Edison)
3. Lincoln Valdez (Pomona, CO)
4. Jack Anello (Blair Academy)
5. Nico Odiotti (Loyola Academy)
6. Max Quarry (Notre Dame Green Pond)
7. Ace Chittum (Cleveland)
8. Onofre Gonzales (Ponderosa, CO)
Colorado Makes Its Mark
With Valdez reaching the podium taking third and Gonzales battling all the way to an eighth-place finish, Colorado wrestling was well represented in one of the deepest brackets Ironman had to offer. Valdez confirmed his place among the nation’s elite, while Gonzales once again proved he can compete with anyone in the country, regardless of seed or ranking.
Both performances serve as a strong statement for Colorado’s 106-pounders as the season continues. — Whether either wrestler stays there for in state competition is yet to be seen. This could set up another dramatic Pomona vs Ponderosa match up come the state tournament… We shall see!
Other Colorado wrestlers to note finished the tournament…. –
Angel Serrano 2-2
Jaylen Burge 2-2
Derek Barrows 2-2
Mikey Lopez 2-2
Donovan Symalla 0-2
Kalob Ybarra 2-2
Emmerson Claeys 2-2