Colby Eagles Claim Team Title at Salina South Invitational
January 10, 2026
The Colby High School boys wrestling team delivered a statement performance on the road Saturday, capturing the team title at the Salina South Boys Invitational inside Salina South High School. Behind a balanced lineup, multiple finalists, and a dominant showing at the top of several weight classes, the Eagles finished first overall with 194 team points, narrowly edging Abilene by 4.5 points in a tightly contested field that featured ten schools.
Head coach Cole Garcia said the weekend went far beyond wins and losses, pointing to the character his team showed throughout the day.
“The thing I noticed about our team at Salina was resiliency, and Brotherhood,” Garcia said. “Two of our wrestlers are going through a very difficult thing in their lives and everyone stepped up to support them. As far as the wrestling goes I was happy with everyone’s performance.”
Colby’s depth was on full display from the opening rounds. At 106 pounds, Laken Sharpe battled through the bracket to earn a fourth-place finish. Julian Salcido continued his strong season at 113 pounds, reaching the championship match and finishing second after four wins by fall earlier in the day.
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The Eagles were especially dominant in the middle weights. Ryder Dempewolf put together another elite performance at 120 pounds, going undefeated on the day and claiming the championship with a mix of falls and technical falls. His efforts earned him his third outstanding wrestler award of the young season, a reflection of his consistency and aggressive style. Dempewolf’s relentless offense set the tone for Colby’s surge in the team standings.
At 126 pounds, Ethan Reinert also reached the finals and placed second, adding valuable team points. One of the highlights of the tournament came at 132 pounds, where senior Talon Wark captured first place with a string of decisive victories, including multiple falls in the championship bracket.
Wark credited the environment around the team as a key factor in Colby’s success.
“I would say team and coach support not just this last tournament but this whole season everyone has been there for each other and also are conditioning is way better than most teams and are coaches do a good job of that when there’s a close match in the 3rd period,” Wark said.
Wark also reflected on his final season in an Eagles singlet.
“My senior season has gone good it’s going by fast but I’ve had 3 disappointing loses to the same guy but besides that I’ve had a good season and so has the team,” he said.
Additional placers helped keep Colby near the top throughout the day. Nathan Schroeder placed fourth at 138 pounds, while Pierce Bartlett finished third at 144. Eric Schroeder added a fourth-place finish at 150 pounds, and Dalton Jacob did the same at 165. At 190 pounds, Laken Lindberg fought back through the consolation rounds to secure fifth place. McCager Wright reached the finals at 215 pounds and finished second, closing out a strong heavyweight showing for the Eagles.
Garcia acknowledged that the team is managing some adversity as the season continues but remains focused on growth.
“We are dealing with a few injuries that we hope to get healed up through January,” Garcia said. “The focus this week is just trying to stay focused on getting better. We have a few things that we are going through as a team, and hopefully we can lean on each other to get through that and still compete at a level I know we are capable of.”
With a tournament title secured and momentum building, Colby now turns its attention toward the heart of the season, carrying confidence, cohesion, and a clear sense of purpose into the weeks ahead.