Fruita Monument HS wrestling team prepares for new season
FRUITA, Colo. — The Fruita Monument High School Wrestling program is under great leadership with Lucas Archuleta as the head coach. Lucas has been the head coach for the last 6 years and had previously worked as an assistant coach for 12 years. Though a winter sport, the wrestlers put in a lot of hard work and time in the off season.
Last spring, they practiced 3-4 days a week focusing on Greco Roman and freestyle wrestling. They competed in multiple tournaments in these styles. They also traveled and competed in the High School Nationals in Virginia Beach in April 2022. Lucas was proud that, “multiple wrestlers placed at the state freestyle/Greco tournament qualifying for the United States Marine Corps Freestyle/Greco nationals in Fargo ND.” In June 2022, the FMHS team hosted and participated in the Colorado National Team Camp held @FMHS. They also traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the Oklahoma State Wrestling Team Camp where FMHS placed 2nd in the dual tournament. In August, the wrestling team began preseason workouts and also attended the Cosmic Clash and Monster Match tournaments in Denver and the Preseason Nationals/High School Showcase in Des Moines, Iowa.
The team participated in several fundraisers to help cover approximately $7000 in expenses. They high school wrestlers put on a peewee tournament in December 2022 where the boys keep score, officiate and run concessions. In May of every year, the team puts on a golf tournament at Adobe Creek in Fruita. They also completed a number of property cleanups in the community and in November were branding cattle for a local rancher.
During the season, workouts vary from 2 1/2 hours early in the season to a little over an hour right before regionals and state. Wrestlers’ warmups begin with a dynamic stretch and tumbling, then move to technique and drilling with spurts of live wrestling mixed in, and they finish with strength and conditioning. This season, the wildcat wrestling team focused on building off what they accomplished last year and to improve each day. Lucas says they will, “return 9 state qualifiers and 13 wrestlers that had extensive varsity experience last year where we finished 6th at the state tournament.” The ultimate goal is to win the State Championship trophy. Lucas says, “This year’s group is a talented and hardworking group that have high expectations and goals for both Varsity and JV. Our room is very competitive and do a great job pushing each other to get better every day. The team will be very exciting to watch and would encourage everyone that has the time to come out and support them in their efforts.”
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