The Chatfield girls wore crowns. Literally.
At 110 pounds, senior Janessa George stunned Loveland’s Morgan Johnson with a first-period pin to set up the coronation for the Chargers.
At 135, pounds, senior Taylor Miess pinned Discovery Canyon’s Adrianna Lopez at the 2:40 mark. That victory clinched Chatfield’s third official CHSAA state title (the fourth if you count its unsanctioned title in 2020).
Discovery Canyon, which earlier in the night appeared to have a chance to steal the 4A title away from Chatfield, finished second.
The Chatfield duo both wore sparkling tiaras on the victory platform, keepsakes from their victories at the Douglas County Tournament earlier this season.
“I’m just so happy, but I’m also sad because it’s over,” said a teary-eyed Meiss, who won her first state title. “I didn’t even qualify as a freshman, I missed it by one point. So this means so much to me.”
Meiss admitted to pre-bout butterflies.
“It was really because I wanted this so much,” she said. “I was moving constantly and just training to keep my energy right.”
Chatfield coach Sandra George, who’s continued Chatfield’s grand tradition — it’s won every girls’ state wrestling title — was as emotional as her wrestlers.
“I’m overwhelmed,” said George. “I love every one of these girls. Our two seniors, Taylor and my daughter, Janessa, both won titles. It’s so special.”
George admitted that she was nervous about Discovery Canyon, even though Chatfield beat Discovery Canyon by 12 points in an earlier meet this season.
“We knew this was going to be won by a few points and it could have gone either way,” George said. “They get their girls through and had four of them in the finals, and we had three in the finals. That made that head-to-head-match, that Taylor won, by a straight pin, huge.”
At 115 pounds, Mia Hargrove gave Discovery Canyon an early boost with a 4-0 decision over Widefield’s Amaya Hinojosa, pulling D.C. within three points of Chatfield. Hargrove had lost to Hinojosa before and had also lost to Loveland’s Lindsey Lopez in a previous match. But Hargrove beat Lopez in the semifinals Friday night before dispatching Hinojosa.
“Third time’s a charm,” Hargrove said. “And every point counts.”
Girls team scores: 1. Chatfield 133.0 2. Discovery Canyon 128.0. 3Pomona 116.0. 4. Loveland 88.0 5. Grand Junction Central 80.0
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