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Eagle Valley wrestlers claim podium finishes at Tournament of Champions

Julia Borejszo led Eagle Valley with a second-place finish at the multi-state tournament

From left: Luvlyn Ward, Lauryn Ward, Julia Borejszo and Gabby Littlepage all competed at the Tournament of Champions last weekend in Vernal, Utah.
Bob Good/Courtesy photo

The Eagle Valley boys and girls wrestling teams aren’t afraid of competition. In fact, the Devils’ postseason preparation plan requires they seek out the best.

“We’re chasing Roosevelt mostly because they’re the best school in the state and region,” said coach Bob Good. “The more looks we can get at them and try to figure them out, the better.”

No. 2-ranked Roosevelt was one of 33 teams at the Tournament of Champions last weekend in Vernal, Utah. The Devils brought four boys varsity and seven junior varsity wrestlers as well as four girls varsity athletes to the multi-state competition. Julia Borejszo led the Devils’ plethora of podium finishers with a silver medal after losing in the finals to Union’s Evie Davidson. Good said the junior 135-pounder is steadily improving and has started to seek out boys to wrestle in practice.



“It’s exciting,” he said of the entire girls team. “And there will be more coming.” Along with Borejszo, Eagle Valley also got a third from Lauryn Ward at 125 pounds and a fourth from Gabby Littlepage at 110 pounds.

Cole and Alex Good both took fourth in their respective varsity boys brackets, leading the Devils to a 12th-place finish.

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“I still have to get a little bit better, but it was still a pretty good performance for me,” said Cole Good. The senior never got a shot at Roosevelt’s Malakii Martin, who went on to win the 138-pound bracket. Good lost to Martin 4-2 earlier in the year and knows he can’t be conservative if he wants to beat him for a state title — his ultimate goal.

“I need to take more shots,” he said. “Because last time I wrestled him I didn’t take any shots, and that’s why I ended up losing.”

Wrestling with nothing to lose — especially against higher-ranked opponents — is a trait Good said he’s admired in his teammates this year.

“Our guys are getting a lot better throughout this season,” he said.

Eagle Valley’s Nathan Leeper placed fifth at 175-pounds in the Tournament of Champions last weekend in Vernal, Utah.
Bob Good/Courtesy photo

One who continues to rise, Nathan Leeper, built off his third-place finish at the Torgy Torgerson Memorial on Jan. 4 with a fifth-place finish in Utah.

“He’s been on a tear,” Bob Good said of the 175-pounder, calling the tournament the junior’s “most impressive performance to date.” In the final match against Hayden’s Joe Harris, Leeper trailed 7-0 before unleashing a nearside cradle. It turned the tide for Leeper, who pinned Harris at the 3:26 mark. The Devils fourth varsity athlete, Bode Cobb, placed seventh at 150 pounds and freshman Manuel Hernandez led the team’s junior varsity contingent with a sixth-place finish at 106 pounds.

Eagle Valley continues its march towards the 4A Region 1 tournament in Coronado in February with the Tiara Challenge in Castle Rock and the Queen of the Mountain Tournament at Battle Mountain on Saturday.

“The whole team has gotten better,” Bob Good said. “That’s sort of the philosophy of the team — to keep getting better and never say die. If you do those two things, success will come.” 


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