The Pagosa Springs High School Lady Pirate wrestling team finished sixth out of 32 teams at the Warrior Classic in Grand Junction last week, with every Lady Pirate winning at least one match and scoring points for the team.
“It was a very exciting tournament for the girls,” wrote coach Dan Janowsky in an email to The SUN.
Laykyn Baxstrom led the way for the Lady Pirates, going 4-0 in the 190-pound weight class and taking first place.
Baxstrom received a bye in the first round and then pinned her first two opponents, the first after 38 seconds and the second after 1:54. In the semifinals, Baxstrom won by a 13-7 decision to move onto the championship, which she won by pinning her opponent after 2:32 to score 30 team points for the Lady Pirates.
“Laykyn’s record is now 9-0 and is a clear contender for a state championship,” wrote Janowsky.
Bella Jackson placed second, wrestling at 105 pounds, and scored 25 points for the Lady Pirates.
Jackson received a bye in the first round, pinned her first opponent in 54 seconds, won her quarterfinal match via a technical fall score of 20-2 after 3:50 and reached the first-place match via another technical fall score of 15-0 after 3:16. Jackson was pinned in the championship after 3:25 and finished second.
Heading into the break, Jackson has a 9-3 record.
Madi Stretton placed second as well, wrestling at 110 pounds and scoring 22 points for the Lady Pirates.
Stretton also received a bye in her first-round match. She defeated her first opponent with a 9-4 decision, pinned her second opponent after 3:53 in the quarterfinal and won her semifinal match by a 12-5 decision. Stretton was pinned in her final match after 29 seconds.
She holds a 9-2 record heading into the break.
Both Jackson and Stretton faced state medalists in the finals of their brackets, and Janowsky emphasizes both girls gained valuable experience for the state tournament at the Warrior Classic.
Kyley Matyniak was the last Lady Pirate to place in the tournament.
Wrestling at 130 pounds, Matyniak scored 13 points for the Lady Pirates with her sixth-place finish.
Matyniak received a first-round bye like the others and won her first matchup via a 4-2 decision. She lost in the quarterfinals after being pinned in 1:53, but pinned her next two opponents in the consolation bracket — the first after 2:17 and the second after 4:27. She was defeated via a 4-3 decision in the first-place match, moving her record to 9-4 heading into break.
Neveah Castaneda did not place, but scored eight points for the Lady Pirates while wrestling at 115 pounds.
Castaneda won her first two matches, pinning her first opponent after 1:55 and her second after 1:27. She was then pinned in her next two matches and eliminated from the tournament.
Kelsey Matyniak did not place, but scored four points for the Lady Pirates while wrestling at 120 pounds.
Kelsey won her first match by pinning her opponent after 3:58, but was pinned in her next two matches and eliminated.
Audrina Smith did not place, but scored five points for the Lady Pirates while wrestling at 135 pounds.
Smith won her first match by decision with a score of 7-4, but dropped her second match after being pinned in 3:35. Smith bounced back and won her third match, pinning her opponent after 1:57, but was eliminated after getting pinned in her fourth match.
The Lady Pirates now have a chance to rest while they are on winter break. The Lady Pirates will compete next at home when they host the Rocky Mountain Invite on Jan. 9, 2026.
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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