{"id":89865,"date":"2026-01-18T02:47:52","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T02:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/89865\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T02:47:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T02:47:52","slug":"erie-broomfield-and-monarch-wrestling-all-had-kids-in-the-finals-at-top-of-the-rockies-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/89865\/","title":{"rendered":"Erie, Broomfield and Monarch wrestling all had kids in the finals at Top of the Rockies."},"content":{"rendered":"

LAFAYETTE \u2014 Coming into the week ahead of the Top of the Rockies wrestling tournament, Broomfield\u2019s Nick Penfold had more than proven his strength among all of the Class 5A 157-pound competitors.<\/p>\n

He ranked No. 1 in the weight class according to On the Mat, but one of the season\u2019s toughest tournaments was enough to test his mettle. In a tight finals match Saturday, he fell 4-1 to Pomona\u2019s Donovan Symalla, who was ranked No. 4.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t the first time Symalla got the better of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe moves his hands and feet very well,\u201d Penfold said. \u201cIt was just kind of hard to get to my attacks and get my underhook there. I just got to fire more, I think. I just wasn\u2019t in the right headspace going in a little bit too. I got to be willing to pull the trigger more. I lost to him on Thursday, too \u2014 much tighter match. But I just got to move my hands and feet, I feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penfold said that he entered his senior season brimming with the confidence of a full year of wrestling. He spent the few summers before recovering from shoulder surgeries, but since the state tournament ended last year, he\u2019s traveled the country competing against all kinds of wrestlers, both in freestyle and Greco-Roman.<\/p>\n

That, he says, shows he\u2019s battle-tested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m much more offensive, I guess,\u201d Penfold said. \u201cI\u2019m willing to get to my attacks. I have a lot more leg attacks this year, and my underhook\u2019s something that\u2019s been working for me. I attribute that a little bit to Greco.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, I\u2019ve just gone into every match feeling like I\u2019m kind of the man. I\u2019ve put in a lot of time over the summer and just throughout my whole life. I feel like this year, it\u2019s really showing and I feel like I \u2014 not deserve to win \u2014 but I\u2019ve put in too much work to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Monarch's<\/p>\n

Monarch’s Levi Carlucci, top, wrestles against Grandview’s Gunner Lopez during the 165-pound finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Saturday.(Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Monarch's<\/p>\n

Monarch’s Levi Carlucci wrestles against Grandview’s Gunner Lopez during the 165-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Monarch's<\/p>\n

Monarch’s Levi Carlucci wrestles against Grandview’s Gunner Lopez during the 165-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 3<\/p>\n

Monarch’s Levi Carlucci, top, wrestles against Grandview’s Gunner Lopez during the 165-pound finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Saturday.(Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a>
\nReturning to mat form<\/p>\n

In his third year with Monarch, junior Levi Carlucci has a lofty goal laid out before him thanks to his father and brother. First, his father Brian took home two wrestling state titles for Monte Vista in the 90s. In 2022, Cole Carlucci claimed the gold for the Coyotes.<\/p>\n

Now, fourth-ranked Levi has the top of the Ball Arena podium set in his sights, but after suffering a knee injury during football season, he\u2019ll have a bit of a tougher road to get there. After all, Top of the Rockies was just his third tournament back from rehab.<\/p>\n

He still managed to place runner-up at 165s, after Grandview\u2019s second-ranked Gunner Lopez beat him 4-1 in the finals. The ghost of knee injury past came back to haunt him, especially in the second period, when he couldn\u2019t get his offense going.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s hoping that he\u2019ll see Lopez again when the state tournament rolls around, and by that time, he\u2019s confident he\u2019ll be back to full form to pull off a little revenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew about Gunner for a while,\u201d Levi said. \u201cThat\u2019s who we thought I was going to wrestle in the finals here. He\u2019s scrappy everywhere, so we knew that it was going to be a one-takedown match like it was. He got me in a scramble early that I should have fought out of. He got his head up. He got it in the first period, and I just couldn\u2019t end up finishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the one (tournament) that everybody talks about. You can go out of state and stuff, but this is probably the toughest tournament in Colorado for sure. This is the one marked on our calendar. \u2026 I was just glad to be able to come back in time for this one because this is the one we mark on our calendars. This is the big one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Erie's<\/p>\n

Erie’s Tyler Muir, right, wrestles against Brush’s Austin Ley on Saturday. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Erie's<\/p>\n

Erie’s Tyler Muir wrestles against Brush’s Austin Ley during the 175-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Erie's<\/p>\n

Erie’s Tyler Muir wrestles against Brush’s Austin Ley during the 175-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Monarch's<\/p>\n

Monarch’s Levi Carlucci, top, wrestles against Grandview’s Gunner Lopez during the 165-pound finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Saturday.(Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Monarch's<\/p>\n

Monarch’s Levi Carlucci wrestles against Grandview’s Gunner Lopez during the 165-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Monarch's<\/p>\n

Monarch’s Levi Carlucci wrestles against Grandview’s Gunner Lopez during the 165-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Broomfield's<\/p>\n

Broomfield’s Nick Penfold wrestles against Pomona’s Donovan Symalla during the 157-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Broomfield's<\/p>\n

Broomfield’s Nick Penfold wrestles against Pomona’s Donovan Symalla during the 157-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

\"Broomfield's<\/p>\n

Broomfield’s Nick Penfold wrestles against Pomona’s Donovan Symalla during the 157-lb. finals of Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School on Jan. 17, 2026. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 9<\/p>\n

Erie’s Tyler Muir, right, wrestles against Brush’s Austin Ley on Saturday. (Alissa Noe\/BoCoPreps.com)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a>
\nFlipping the switch<\/p>\n

Going into the third period of his 175s finals match, Erie\u2019s Tyler Muir, ranked No. 4 in 5A, held a slight command over Brush\u2019s Austin Ley, who was No. 2 in 3A. Despite a lot of pushback from Ley, Muir was able to out-maneuver him to hold a 3-2 advantage.<\/p>\n

But as the final two minutes ticked down at Centaurus, Ley tapped into one last burst of energy. He scored seven straight points to defeat Muir 9-3, leaving Muir\u2019s mouth bloodied.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a monster on top,\u201d Muir said. \u201cI knew I didn\u2019t want to go bottom with him, and that\u2019s kind of what happened. I took a shot, I was in deep, and I just went to my hip instead of finishing it. It was a really close match. I believe if I would have finished that shot, it would have ended differently, but that\u2019s what happens. He flipped his hips, he got on top, threw in legs, and it was over from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a state champion. If I could wrestle him every weekend, I would love to because that\u2019s kind of the pressure I need. We won\u2019t see each other again just because I\u2019m in 5A, he\u2019s in 3A, but (heck) of an opponent. That\u2019s what this tournament\u2019s all about, is wrestling the best of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

By season\u2019s end, Muir hopes to be standing on the podium at Ball Arena, no matter what place he\u2019s in.<\/p>\n

View a list of Prep sports and high school teams we cover.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LAFAYETTE \u2014 Coming into the week ahead of the Top of the Rockies wrestling tournament, Broomfield\u2019s Nick Penfold…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":89849,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[6836,1675,44482,44483,7745,1676,7250,136,138,137,7806,1677,305,1678,241,182,6832,1679,30162,139,44478,726,44479],"class_list":{"0":"post-89865","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-erie","8":"tag-boulder","9":"tag-boulder-county","10":"tag-broomfield","11":"tag-broomfield-county","12":"tag-broomfield-eagles","13":"tag-colorado","14":"tag-colorado-news","15":"tag-erie","16":"tag-erie-headlines","17":"tag-erie-news","18":"tag-erie-tigers","19":"tag-front-range","20":"tag-high-school-sports","21":"tag-lafayette","22":"tag-latest-headlines","23":"tag-local-news","24":"tag-longmont","25":"tag-louisville","26":"tag-monarch-coyotes","27":"tag-news","28":"tag-preps-wrestling","29":"tag-sports","30":"tag-winter-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}