By Zach Higgins and Bruce Warren

Brad Dayhuff ended his wrestling career as close to the top as you can get without being there. One of the finest three sport athletes to come through Niwot, Dayhuff reached the finals of the state 4A wrestling tournament in the 160 pound class. That’s a little less weight than he carried in football, where he quarterbacked the Cougars his senior year after a standout junior season as a safety. As soon as wrestling was over, Dayhuff put on his spikes to play third base and pitch as Niwot attempts to earn a third consecutive state baseball title. 

In the first round at state, Dayhuff pinned Jesse Dean of Grand Junction Central. His victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals were much closer, however, with one-point decisions in each round. His win in the semi-finals assured him of no worse than a second place medal, besting his older brother Rodney, a third place medalist in 1992

In the finals, Dayhuff ran into Cole Allison of Montezuma-Cortez, a year-round wrestler who entered the meet with a perfect record, and ended it the same way at 40-0. At least Dayhuff put a scare into him by gaining a near pin only to end up out of bounds. When the dust settled, Dayhuff was on the short end of a 12-0 decision.

Coach Gary Daum, a 25 year veteran coach at Niwot, sent five wrestlers to the state tournament. Daum could also claim some credit for Skyline wrestler Phil Rentz, who wrestled at Niwot last year before moving into the Skyline attendance area. Rentz took 3rd in the 125 pound class. 

The only other time Niwot has sent as many as five wrestlers to state was in 1992. All performed admirably, though Dayhuff was the only one to place. As a team Niwot finished in a tie for 24th place with 15 points.

Most of the wrestlers report that state is a very different tournament experience. The crowd can be very intimidating. Wrestlers might lose to someone unexpectedly or win in an upset.

Jay Sinner went to state at 119. He lost his first match in a 7-5 decision, won his second and lost his third. Mitch Nissen at 152 lost his first, won his second with a pin, but also lost his third. Tyson Prike at 189 lost his first two matches but was hampered by injuries. Nathan Lucas at 215 lost his first, won his second in a major decision, 12-0, but also lost his third match.

The Niwot wrestling season was a very successful one in some ways and disappointing in others. Niwot won the first dual meet but did not win another until the last dual of the season. Although the Cougars did not win any tournaments, they did place 2nd and 3rd in several. 

From 103 to 130 pounds the team was solid. Ryan Leisy at 103 had a very successful season. Senior Jay Sinner started the season at 112 and went up to 119. He had a very impressive season and was one of the senior captains. Shane Ewing at 125 won a lot of important matches. 

The middle weights were hampered by injuries throughout the season. Ryan Trunck was doing well at 135 pounds but was seriously injured half way through the year. He was able to come back at the end of the season. Jon O’Hare did well at 145 but still is young. He is expected to be a contender for state next year. At 152 was senior captain Mitch Nissen, who has been a strong competitor for a couple of years. Both Jay Sinner and Nissen missed state in 1999 by only a couple of points on wrestle-backs. This year they dominated their opponents. 

At 160 was senior captain Brad Dayhuff, one of Niwot’s most consistent wrestlers. He was never pinned in his entire high school career. A newcomer to the team, Tanner Hill, came out half way through the season and was quite impressive at 171 for a first year wrestler. He had great balance and strength and won a number of important matches for the Cougars this year. 

At 189 was the most exciting wrestler to watch. Tyson Prike could be down by 12 points and almost flat on his back, then turn his opponent over and stick him. Prike was the most dangerous and comfortable when he was on his back. At 215 was the ox of the team. Nate Lucas came to the Niwot wrestling team last year and wrestled behind state qualifier Steve Edstrom. This year he made a name for himself, winning several tournaments.  Coming in at 275 was Zach Higgins. Higgins only weighed 197 pounds most of the year, but overcame the size disadvantage to post a couple of victories. Due to an administrative error, Higgins was ineligible the first half of the season, but came back to help the Cougars in the second half.

"Wrestling is a great sport and I hope people keep supporting the Niwot High wrestling team in the years to come," said Higgins. "It was a joy to wrestle under Daum’s guidance for four years." Daum will lose all five state qualifiers to graduation plus several other senior squad members, Coach Daum was assisted by newcomer Jeremy Drake, a popular addition to the staff. Wrestlers to watch next year include Ryan Leisy, Shane Ewing and Jon O’Hare. Other wrestlers that contributed to the team’s success were Beau Langston, Kevin Langston, Chris Farwell, Jon Farwell, Shawn Brady, Ryan Forbes, Keith Munson, Dan Tedrow and Chris Magyar. Look for them to step up and continue the strong wrestling tradition at Niwot next season.