Local stars displayed at Air Force vs. No. 22 Stanford at Discovery Canyon High in Colorado Springs, Feb. 6
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by Marcus Rodriguez, Air Force Athletics, and other sources
Photo of Josh Martinez, courtesy of Air Force Athletics
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. – It is not often that a wrestler attends college in his home town, but that is the case for a number of the athletes who compete at the U.S. Air Force Academy, which is located in the Colorado Springs community in Colorado.
The Air Force wrestling team will host No. 22 Stanford in dual action on Saturday, Feb. 6, at Discovery Canyon Campus High School in Colorado Springs at 1:00 p.m., a chance to celebrate the wrestlers from the community who have chosen to wrestle at Air Force.
The dual at Discovery Canyon offers native Colorado Springs wrestlers the opportunity to compete in front of a hometown crowd. Falcon wrestlers Josh Martinez, Jerry McGinty, Steve Turner, Chris Cos and Rip Price all graduated from Colorado Springs high schools.
The bout was originally set for the Academy’s Clune Arena, but was moved to Discovery Canyon due to a scheduling conflict with the Air Force men’s basketball game against Boise State.
Martinez and McGinty won the 2012 Colorado state championship at nearby Pine Creek. Cos also graduated from Pine Creek in 2015 while Turner wrestled at Discovery Canyon and Price wrestled at Air Academy.
Martinez has an 18-6 record this year at 133 pounds, and has been nationally ranked during his career. McGinty is 10-7 at 149 pounds. Cos has a 5-4 record at 165, but also leads the Falcons with four pins this season. Turner is 1-4 at 141 pounds.
It has been a pattern in recent years that top Colorado Springs wrestlers have chosen to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy. For example, a senior last year who was a regular in the starting lineup was Carter McElhany of Coronado High School. Another major contributor to the program who graduated after the 2014 season was Devin Hightower from nearby Widefield High School. Other local wrestlers have also been on past Air Force teams.
The team has three Colorado state natives will also be in attendance with the team in Air Force’s Drew Romero from La Junta and Sam Kreimier from Fort Collins. Stanford’s Garet Khron is from Arvada.
Stanford (9-2, 2-1 Pac12) is coming off of big wins over West Virginia and Arizona, led by four nationally-ranked wrestlers in No. 2 Joey McKenna (141), No. 17 Connor Schram (125), No. 18 Jim Wilson (165) and No. 20 Nathan Butler (HWT). The Air Force-Stanford dual meet marks the ninth meeting between the institutions since the series began in 1990. The series is tied at four apiece and both teams have their sights on retaking the series lead.
The battle between the two prestigious institutions makes for a unique opportunity for Falcon wrestling and the Air Force Academy to give back to the community. Not only will local spectators have the chance to see two NCAA Division I teams go head-to-head; they can also be a part of Air Force’s plan to give back to the community it calls home.
The event is free to the public, but donations, including non-perishable food, will be given to the Colorado Springs chapter Care and Share Foundation.
Next week, the Falcon wrestling seniors, will compete in their final dual meet action in Clune Arena on Thursday, Feb. 11. The Falcons will host a pair of duals on the evening; first against Big 12 Conference opponent Utah Valley at 6:30 p.m., followed by New Mexico Highlands at 8:00 p.m.
Air Force vs. No. 22 Stanford
Saturday, Feb. 6, 1:00 p.m.
Discovery Canyon Campus High School
1810 North Gate Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
(719) 234-1800
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. – It is not often that a wrestler attends college in his home town, but that is the case for a number of the athletes who compete at the U.S. Air Force Academy, which is located in the Colorado Springs community in Colorado.
The Air Force wrestling team will host No. 22 Stanford in dual action on Saturday, Feb. 6, at Discovery Canyon Campus High School in Colorado Springs at 1:00 p.m., a chance to celebrate the wrestlers from the community who have chosen to wrestle at Air Force.
The dual at Discovery Canyon offers native Colorado Springs wrestlers the opportunity to compete in front of a hometown crowd. Falcon wrestlers Josh Martinez, Jerry McGinty, Steve Turner, Chris Cos and Rip Price all graduated from Colorado Springs high schools.
The bout was originally set for the Academy’s Clune Arena, but was moved to Discovery Canyon due to a scheduling conflict with the Air Force men’s basketball game against Boise State.
Martinez and McGinty won the 2012 Colorado state championship at nearby Pine Creek. Cos also graduated from Pine Creek in 2015 while Turner wrestled at Discovery Canyon and Price wrestled at Air Academy.
Martinez has an 18-6 record this year at 133 pounds, and has been nationally ranked during his career. McGinty is 10-7 at 149 pounds. Cos has a 5-4 record at 165, but also leads the Falcons with four pins this season. Turner is 1-4 at 141 pounds.
It has been a pattern in recent years that top Colorado Springs wrestlers have chosen to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy. For example, a senior last year who was a regular in the starting lineup was Carter McElhany of Coronado High School. Another major contributor to the program who graduated after the 2014 season was Devin Hightower from nearby Widefield High School. Other local wrestlers have also been on past Air Force teams.
The team has three Colorado state natives will also be in attendance with the team in Air Force’s Drew Romero from La Junta and Sam Kreimier from Fort Collins. Stanford’s Garet Khron is from Arvada.
Stanford (9-2, 2-1 Pac12) is coming off of big wins over West Virginia and Arizona, led by four nationally-ranked wrestlers in No. 2 Joey McKenna (141), No. 17 Connor Schram (125), No. 18 Jim Wilson (165) and No. 20 Nathan Butler (HWT). The Air Force-Stanford dual meet marks the ninth meeting between the institutions since the series began in 1990. The series is tied at four apiece and both teams have their sights on retaking the series lead.
The battle between the two prestigious institutions makes for a unique opportunity for Falcon wrestling and the Air Force Academy to give back to the community. Not only will local spectators have the chance to see two NCAA Division I teams go head-to-head; they can also be a part of Air Force’s plan to give back to the community it calls home.
The event is free to the public, but donations, including non-perishable food, will be given to the Colorado Springs chapter Care and Share Foundation.
Next week, the Falcon wrestling seniors, will compete in their final dual meet action in Clune Arena on Thursday, Feb. 11. The Falcons will host a pair of duals on the evening; first against Big 12 Conference opponent Utah Valley at 6:30 p.m., followed by New Mexico Highlands at 8:00 p.m.
Air Force vs. No. 22 Stanford
Saturday, Feb. 6, 1:00 p.m.
Discovery Canyon Campus High School
1810 North Gate Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
(719) 234-1800
