Colby Eagles Battle Through Injuries at 68th Annual Rocky Welton Invitational
January 30, 2026
The Colby High School boys wrestling team faced one of the stiffest tests of the season Saturday as the Eagles traveled to Garden City for the 68th Annual Rocky Welton Invitational, a tournament widely regarded as one of the toughest regular-season events in the region.
With 39 teams from Kansas, Colorado, and surrounding areas filling the brackets, Colby entered the day shorthanded but determined. The Eagles were without several key contributors, including returning two-time state champion Ryder Dempewolf, standout freshman Ethan Reinert at 126 pounds, and 215-pounder McCager Wright, along with multiple upper-weight wrestlers. Despite the gaps in the lineup, the wrestlers who made the trip competed through a long, physically demanding day and finished 32nd as a team with 40.5 points.
Maize claimed the team title with 183.5 points, followed closely by Pueblo East at 178.0 and Rose Hill at 161.5, underscoring the depth and quality of the field assembled at the Garden City SportsPlex.
At 106 pounds, Laken Sharpe went 1-2 on the day. After dropping his opening match, Sharpe bounced back in the consolation bracket with a quick pin over Braydon Robinson of Holcomb, earning valuable team points before being eliminated later in the tournament.
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Julian Salcido competed at 113 pounds and opened with a first-round bye before earning a win by fall over Garden City’s Adriel Sanchez. Unfortunately, Salcido was injured during that bout and was forced to withdraw from the tournament, cutting short what had been a promising start.
Talon Wark delivered one of the stronger performances for Colby at 132 pounds, finishing 12th in a massive bracket. Wark picked up two wins on the front side, including a fall and a decision, before running into top-seeded competition from Maize in the quarterfinals. A series of tightly contested matches on the backside ultimately pushed Wark down the placement rounds, where he ended the day just outside the top ten.
At 138 pounds, Nathan Schroeder also placed 12th after a grueling tournament run. Schroeder opened with a dominant major decision over Garden City, then battled through the consolation rounds with wins over Newton and Andale. As the day wore on, Schroeder faced a string of tough opponents and eventually withdrew due to injury after falling to Great Bend, closing out a physically taxing day.
Pierce Bartlett competed at 144 pounds and went 1-2. After dropping his opening match to Hutchinson, Bartlett rebounded with a major decision win over Pueblo County before being eliminated by Lincoln Christian.
Eric Schroeder turned in Colby’s top individual finish, placing eighth at 150 pounds and scoring 11.5 team points. Schroeder earned two strong wins on the front side with a technical fall and a pin before being knocked into the consolation bracket. He responded with another fall against Rose Hill but came up short against tough opponents from Pueblo East and Dodge City in the placement rounds.
Vance Dempewolf wrestled at 157 pounds and finished 1-2. After an opening loss to Holcomb, Dempewolf rebounded with a pin over Weatherford before being eliminated by Ulysses.
Dalton Jacob put together a strong effort at 165 pounds, finishing 12th after a lengthy run through the bracket. Jacob opened with a first-round pin over Maize, added two more wins including a gritty 1-0 decision over Roosevelt, and continued battling deep into the consolation rounds. After suffering a head injury later in the day, Jacob was forced to withdraw from the competition.
While the team results did not reflect the Eagles’ effort, the Rocky Welton Invitational once again served as a valuable measuring stick. Facing elite competition while shorthanded, Colby’s wrestlers gained experience, toughness, and perspective that should pay dividends as the season progresses toward postseason competition.