69°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Two claim titles at state meet

Seniors Jimmy Dunagan and Ryan Vanario became the first Eagles to claim individual wrestling titles since Brandon Foster’s 2013 win, ending Boulder City High School’s state championship drought.

Helping guide the Eagles to a third-place finish at the 3A state meet in Winnemucca on Saturday, Feb. 9, with an overall team score of 77, Dunagan placed first in the 195-pound division and Vanario won the 220-pound class.

“It’s a great feeling of accomplishment to break the losing streak,” Vanario said. “It’s an even greater feeling of accomplishment to know that Jimmy and I are coach (Jim) Cox’s first state champions during his time as head coach.”

Northern Nevada challenger Spring Creek cruised to the state title with 236 points, while Boulder City rival Virgin Valley placed second with 83 points.

Ending their prep careers on a high note, Dunagan defeated last year’s state champion Jeff Guthrie from Spring Creek in a grueling 3-2 decision, while Vanario dominated Northern Nevada challenger Setriano Pirrodi from Fernley in a 5-1 decision.

“It was very emotional beating the defending state champ of that weight class,” Dunagan said. “I was very happy that I got to share my last high school match with my coaches. It was the way I wanted to go out and what I had been working for throughout my high school career.”

Junior Ladd Cox (152 pounds) placed second, falling to Churchill County’s Tommy McCormick 17-4 in the final.

“Taking second in state makes me very excited about my progression because it shows me that the hard work I put in in the offseason has started to pay off,” Ladd Cox said. “This also motivates me to work harder this coming year. It will help push me harder during my workouts and practices so that I can improve more.”

Senior Mike Kaposta (285 pounds) ended his high school career with a fourth-place finish, falling to Mojave’s Ivan Parra 5-4.

Losing three of their top-four finishers will certainly be a blow to the Eagles’ state title hopes next season, but juniors Curtis Brown (126), Danny Pate (138), Ayden Fradella (145) and Cade Cowley (170), who all competed at the state meet, return for one last run.

“Third place will help motivate us because it made some of us juniors realize how close we are,” Ladd Cox said. “It will motivate us to go to more intensive camps so that we can become better wrestlers and people as a whole.”

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Volleyball team cleans up with division honors

Helping the Eagles to a school record 32 victories and their third consecutive 3A state championship, six Boulder City High School boys volleyball players were named to the 3A Mountain League team.

BCHS boys take home third straight title

In dominating fashion, Boulder City High School boys volleyball won their third consecutive 3A state championship, defeating Sunrise Mountain 3-0 on May 17.

Boys capture state swim crown; girls earn second

Taking the pool by storm, Boulder City High School boys swimming won the 3A state championship on May 20 at Carson Aquatic Facility.

Swim teams headed to state championships

Both Boulder City High School swim teams will be headed to Carson City this weekend for the 3A state meet, after top performances at regionals.

Boys volleyball splits final two regular-season matches

Boulder City High School boys volleyball split in their final week of the regular season, defeating SLAM Academy and losing to 5A Foothill.

Softball squad opens postseason with wins

Extending their winning streak to 11 games, Boulder City High School softball opened the postseason with victories over Canyon Springs and Clark.

Postseason starts on high note for baseball team

Extending their winning streak to eight games, Boulder City High School baseball cruised past Eldorado 6-0 and Virgin Valley 3-1 this week, opening up the postseason on a high note.

Volleyball team stays hot, wins 18th straight

Extending their winning streak to 18 games, Boulder City High School boys volleyball picked up 3-0 victories over Clark on April 27 and Western on May 2.

Lady Eagles end regular season with 5-4 win

Facing rival Pahrump Valley on April 28, Boulder City High School softball edged out a 5-4 victory to end the regular season on a high note.

Baseball squad tops Clark, Cheyenne

Extending their winning streak to five games, Boulder City High School baseball defeated Clark on April 28 and Cheyenne on May 2.