Archive for Saturday, February 21, 2009
Photo by Joel Reichenberger
Soroco freshman Lauryn Bruggink wrestles Friday against David Torres, of Manzanola, in the first round of the consolation bracket at the Class 2A state wrestling tournament in Denver. Bruggink lost the match and fell from the tournament.
Bruggink falls short of goal
Soroco freshman determined to return to state
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Lauryn Bruggink wrestles against David Torres. Bruggink lost the match and fell from the tournament.
Soroco freshman Lauryn Bruggink tries to keep David Torres, of Manzanola, from rolling her over for a pin late in a Friday match at the Class 2A state wrestling tournament in Denver.
Soroco freshman Lauryn Bruggink wrestles Friday in the state tournament in Denver. Bruggink was only the second girl to ever make the draw and became the first to score a point. She fell short in her bid to become the first girl to win a state match.
Soroco freshman Lauryn Bruggink walks toward the open arms of her coach, Jay Whaley, after she lost Friday in the first round of the consolation bracket at the state wrestling tournament.
Soroco wrestling coach Jay Whaley, right, and assistant coach Travis Bruggink give 103-pound wrestler Lauryn Bruggink a few final words of advice Friday before her consolation match at the state wrestling tournament in Denver.
The state wrestling tournament is no place for reflecting, and Soroco freshman Lauryn Bruggink didn't waste much time thinking about the past on Friday after losing, 6-1, in the first round of the consolation bracket and falling short in her attempt to become the first girl to win a match at the state tournament.
"I enjoyed the ride," she said.
Bruggink was only the second girl to qualify for the state wrestling tournament, and on Friday, she became the first to score a point.
However, she couldn't overcome David Torres, a freshman from Manzanola.
"I'm disappointed," Bruggink said. "He wrestled well, but it wasn't my best match. I'll get him next time."
Torres didn't appear to want any part of the history Bruggink was trying to make.
He wrapped up and bogged down the wrestler who has relied on her quick feet to stay one step ahead of the boys all season long.
He tangled her arms and kept her close, preventing Bruggink from breaking wide and ducking around him.
"He did what he needed to do to win," Bruggink said. "He tied up a lot and held me in there. It reduced my mobility."
Torres slowly built a lead Bruggink wasn't able to scratch.
He was awarded two points for a takedown in the final seconds of the first round, a call that made Soroco's coaches leap off the bench and growl at the referee.
Torres scored another takedown in the waning moments of the second period, this one - combined with the pace of the match - enough to force Bruggink's considerable fan base simply to drop their heads to their hands.
Torres added one more takedown midway through the third period. Bruggink scored her only point later in that period when Torres was called for stalling.
"If she had been able to get outside a little more, she could have scored more," Soroco coach Jay Whaley said. "Still, she did well. We couldn't be more proud."
Bruggink wasn't distraught after the match and said she hadn't been reliving the final moments of her season.
She didn't waste many thoughts on history of any form, either that which she just missed making or the matches that left her on the outside looking in early Friday afternoon.
"I'm focused on next year," she said. "I'll definitely be back here next year. It's not even a question."
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