Eagle Valley boys wrestling claims 5 individual wins to finish second behind No. 4 Palisade at home invite

The Eagle Valley boys wrestling team secured second place at the Jody Hern Invitational in Gypsum on Saturday, February 1, 2026. The team finished with 140.5 points, trailing only No. 4 Palisade, who scored 169.5 points, in the 15-team competition.

Dominant Performances Lead Eagle Valley

Cooper Hern of Eagle Valley delivered a strong performance, winning the 285-pound bracket with a 12-4 decision over Palisade’s Tobyn Trottier, who is ranked No. 3 in the state. Teammate Nathan Leeper achieved three consecutive pins at 190-pounds, while Body Cobb went undefeated with a 4-0 record to claim the 157-pound title. Alex Good continued his winning streak, securing his fourth tournament victory of the year with a 13-6 decision over Jace Mizushima of Fruita Monument in the 144-pound final.

Did You Know? Freshman Cody Littlepage followed up a win at the Les Mattox Invite with another victory at 106 pounds.

Several other Eagle Valley wrestlers contributed to the team’s success. Gabriel Valdez placed fifth in the 120-pound category, Rowdy Hollenbach took third at 132 pounds, and Ricky Avendano finished third at 165 pounds.

Battle Mountain and Girls Wrestling Results

Battle Mountain finished tied for 12th in the team standings, led by Robert Young’s fourth-place finish at 138 pounds. The Eagle Valley girls team also competed, earning 47 points to finish sixth out of 10 teams.

Expert Insight: The strong showing by both the Eagle Valley boys and girls teams at the Jody Hern Invitational suggests a developing wrestling program with depth across multiple weight classes.

Gabby Littlepage secured a third-place finish for the Eagle Valley girls, pinning Battle Mountain’s Perla Chavez in 1 minute and 52 seconds. Chavez finished fourth, leading the Huskies to a ninth-place team finish. Luvlyn Ward placed fourth at 125 pounds for Eagle Valley, while Julia Borejszo finished second at 135 pounds, falling to Ayla Hampton of Summit. Nora Abbot also took runner-up honors at 145 pounds. Moffat County won the girls team title with 90.5 points.

A triangular meet between Battle Mountain and Eagle Valley is scheduled for Wednesday night at Eagle Valley High School, beginning at 5 p.m.

Frequently Asked Questions

What place did Eagle Valley finish at the Jody Hern Invitational?

Eagle Valley finished in second place at the Jody Hern Invitational.

Who won the 285-pound bracket for Eagle Valley?

Cooper Hern won the 285-pound bracket for Eagle Valley with a 12-4 decision.

How did the Battle Mountain girls team perform?

The Battle Mountain girls team finished in ninth place.

What impact will these results have on the teams’ performance as the season progresses?