Coloradans flocked to Ball Arena on Saturday to watch the champions be crowned on the final day of the 2022 Colorado High School Wrestling Tournament. 

This weekend’s tournament was the first one at Ball Arena since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the tournament was held at a smaller venue — the Southwest Motors Event Center in Pueblo.

Joyce Delfin of Fountain was among those in the crowd. She was cheering for her granddaughter, sophomore Isabella Cross, and Isabella’s Mesa Ridge teammates. 

“Last year, you know, I felt like Bella got cheated because she qualified for state but wasn’t able to wrestle (at Ball Arena),” Delfin said. “Bella’s brother wrestled at the state tournament in 2018, so it’s a family tradition to wrestle here, so it’s pretty cool to see her here.” 

The Delfins have had wrestlers qualify for the state tournament in the past, but others, like North Fork freshman Treyven Stevens, were making a debut over the weekend. 

Stevens said despite losing in the Class 2A quarterfinals, wrestling at a professional sports venue was an unbelievable experience.

“It’s just different,” Stevens said while walking across the arena’s concourse on Saturday afternoon. “There’s a lot of pressure, but at the same time, seeing all those people and knowing you’re going up against the best in the state is motivating.”

Stevens said some of his teammates who had previously qualified for state echoed Joyce Delfin’s sentiment that while wrestling in Pueblo last year was fine, it’s not Denver and it’s not Ball Arena.

“Denver’s our capital and it’s where you want to be,” Stevens said.

Cases of COVID-19 have been on the decline in recent weeks, but remnants of the pandemic lingered. 

Each attendee had to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before entering the arena. Some people wore masks and a state-run mobile vaccine clinic stood outside the arena’s western gates.

While Saturday’s festivities were not “entirely normal,” Jeanette Moss of Hugo — who was waiting for her grandson, Seth Moss of Buena Vista High School, to wrestle in the championship round — said everything was organized and ran smoothly. 

“Everything has just been terrific,” Moss said. “Our entire family and some of our friends here and this weekend is something we’ll never forget.”

As 65 wrestlers would be crowned state champions on Saturday evening, Stevens said he would be watching the finals unfold and is using his loss as motivation for next year.

“Next year, I’ll be down there,” Stevens said. “That’s a promise.”