Mead and Holy Family wrestlers take bronze at state tournament

Carter Woods and Adam Moore earn third-place finishes after tough semifinal losses.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Carter Woods of Mead High School and Adam Moore of Holy Family High School both earned bronze medals at the Colorado state wrestling championships after suffering heartbreaking losses in the semifinals. Woods had a lead late in his match before being taken down and pinned, while Moore also came up short in his semifinal bout.

Why it matters

The state wrestling tournament is one of the biggest high school sporting events in Colorado, with wrestlers from across the state competing for individual titles. While Woods and Moore fell short of reaching the finals, their bronze medal performances show their resilience and ability to bounce back after tough losses.

The details

Woods, a senior at Mead, was leading his semifinal match against Pueblo's Elijah Contreras with just 19 seconds remaining when he was taken down and pinned, ending his bid for a state title in cruel fashion. Moore, a wrestler for Holy Family, also lost his semifinal match, but was able to regroup and claim third place in his weight class.

  • The Colorado state wrestling championships took place on February 21-22, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver.

The players

Carter Woods

A senior wrestler for Mead High School who earned a bronze medal at the 2026 Colorado state wrestling championships.

Adam Moore

A wrestler for Holy Family High School who earned a bronze medal at the 2026 Colorado state wrestling championships.

Elijah Contreras

A wrestler from Pueblo who defeated Carter Woods in the semifinals of the 2026 Colorado state wrestling championships.

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The takeaway

Despite the heartbreak of falling short in the semifinals, Woods and Moore demonstrated the resilience and determination that are hallmarks of successful high school wrestlers. Their bronze medal performances show that they have the mental toughness to overcome adversity and compete at the highest level.