Glacier’s Vasquez On Pace for 3rd State Title

Teegan Vasquez and his teammates passed around a hat that every Kalispell Glacier wrestler put on when they stepped on the podium to receive their medals following the Western AA divisional on Saturday.

The smiles and laughter were a constant for the group in their final tune-up for the state tournament, which runs Friday and Saturday in Billings. Vasquez was loose and enjoying himself after winning the 132-pound bracket, even as the pressure seemingly mounts in his chase for a third state title in three years.

“Actually, I feel like there’s less pressure,” he said after receiving his medal. “I feel like that freshman year was the toughest because you’re like, ‘Man, what happens if I don’t win this because there’s no way I can go for four.’ So, just being able to win one took tons of pressure off. It’s just like ‘Yeah, I’m that guy, I can go out there and win and I’m the best.’”

Vasquez kept alive his undefeated record this season and earned the No. 1 seed out of the Western AA for the state tournament by pinning Butte junior Kip Pumnea in 73 seconds in the divisional title match. He won his other divisional matches with pins in 61 and 88 seconds.

Vasquez added the divisional title to the crowns he won at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic and Western Montana Ronan Invitational. His success has come even as he’s jumped up two weight classes after he won at 103 pounds as a freshman and 120 pounds as a sophomore.

“My mindset is just keep on the gas pedal and don’t let anything up,” he said. “I’ve already won two, so no reason to just relax and be like, ‘OK, well, I’ve already won two, I got this third one easy.’ It’s definitely keeping the gas pedal on and wrestling solid like I am right now.”