Hudson Koellner of Holyoke, wrestling heavyweight, wraps up Burlington’s Diego Estrada during his first match of the Class 2A Region 1 tournament on Friday in Sterling, Colo. He won by fall at 2:38. — Andrew Turck | The Holyoke Enterprise
Tyson Mosenteen of Holyoke maintains control during his 157-pound match Saturday against Angel Vela of Burlington. He took the bout 8-2 in what Holyoke Head Coach Broc Pelle called “a very smart, technical match.” — Andrew Turck | The Holyoke Enterprise
PUTTING IN THE TIME
Hudson Koellner’s final wrestling match Saturday evening, one which closed out the Class 2A Region 1 tournament in Sterling, Colorado, proved relatively simple.
Pitted in a wrestle-back against fellow heavyweight Angel Quezada of Dolores Huerta Preparatory, the Holyoke freshman locked arms with his opponent. His first attempt to gain control failed; turning away and popping out his hips, Koellner peeled off Quezada’s grip. Once again, they were face-to-face. Going under the arm and over the head, he attempted a throw; his positioning faltered and they went to the mat in a scramble. Quezada came out on top and Koellner escaped a second time.
And then he turned, and shot a double-leg takedown; Quezada fell to his side. The Preparatory wrestler turned to his stomach and attempted to regain position, but Koellner had his arms upon Quezada’s head and below his shoulder, ready to crank him to his back. Often, Koellner said, he uses cheers from the crowd during matches as a “sixth sense” to gauge both the amount of time left in a round and when he is about to score. The referee blew his whistle and struck the mat: Koellner won by fall at 1:35.
None of the techniques used in the match were flashy – in fact, new wrestlers often learn them in the first weeks of practice – but “fine-tuning” them over the winter season, using the phrasing of Holyoke Head Coach Broc Pelle, helped Koellner and Holyoke junior Tyson Mosenteen each place fourth and qualify for state.
“They’ve worked hard all year long and they’ve definitely put in the time that it takes,” Pelle said. “We’re fine-tuning everything. They’ve gone through technique; they’ve wrestled well; they’re well-rounded wrestlers on top, bottom and neutral.”
At 157 pounds, Mosenteen was the one returning Holyoke wrestler from the 2021-22 season, when he placed fifth at regionals in the 145-pound bracket – one spot shy of qualifying for state. No Holyoke wrestlers qualified that season. This year, he said, he has learned to “persevere through a lot of hard times” in practice, tournaments and periods of injury.
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