Pueblo South’s Isaac Naro. (Courtesy of Jerry Sisneros)
PUEBLO — The history of high school wrestling in Pueblo is storied. Since 1949, wrestlers from Pueblo have captured 69 individual state championships. But none of those wrestlers had the opportunity Isaac Naro has.
Naro, a sophomore at Pueblo South High School, has the chance to become the Steel City’s first four-time state champ. South has won a Pueblo-best 23 individual state wrestling champs.
“I do like the pressure because it gives me more mental toughness to practice harder and train harder because everybody is coming at me now,” Naro said. “I know I have to work even harder to get back to that state championship match and make history.”
Naro put himself in this position with his stunning performance at the Class 4A state tournament last February at the Pepsi Center in Denver. He concluded his improbable state tourney run by shocking Pueblo Central’s Sonny Espinoza 5-2 in the 132-pound finals.
Naro. (Courtesy of Jerry Sisneros)
“It is just crazy,” said Naro moments after he beat Espinoza. “I’m just so excited right now. I did my best out there and listened to my coaches. This is just incredible.”
Espinoza had a 2-0 season record against Naro before state. He beat Naro 17-2 at the Pueblo East Invite in December 2012 and 7-3 last January in a dual.
Espinoza, now a freshman wrestler at the University of Northern Colorado, is Pueblo’s all-time prep wrestling wins leader at 163.
“The more I look back on it, the more I realize how cool it was to be there and Sonny was a very good wrestler,” said Naro, who finished with a 28-5 record last season. “I lost to him twice before that and it was a good feeling to beat him in the finals where it counted the most.”
This season Naro hasn’t missed a beat.
He is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A at 138 pounds by On The Mat and is sporting a 12-1 record. South also is ranked No. 4 in 4A and is vying for its fourth state wrestling crown.
The Colts won state in 1997, 2004 and 2005 — all in Class 4A. South also has finished second in state three times in 1999 (Class 5A), 2006 (Class 4A) and 2012 (Class 4A).
“I’ve had a good season, but I know I can get better,” Naro, 15, said. “I can’t take anything for granted. I need to work harder and harder each day at practice.”
(Courtesy of Jerry Sisneros)
Naro’s only blemish this season was a 5-3 overtime loss to Rocky Mountain’s Danny Murphy in the finals of the Warrior Classic in Grand Junction last month.
“This year the biggest thing is Isaac is healthy,” veteran South coach Jerry Sisneros said. “He had a lot of nagging injuries last year. Plus, he had a great offseason lifting weights and he’s stronger and a year older. He’s just a very good wrestler who also keeps himself in every match.”
Marcus Martinez, a senior who is ranked No. 2 at 132 pounds, concurred with his coach.
“Isaac is a great teammate,” said Martinez, a state runner-up at 120 pounds a year ago. “He always works hard in the room and brings intensity. He just has some moves that are really unique that you don’t see very much and they are hard to defend, especially when you are on the bottom. In our room, everybody is focused on doing what they can do to help us win state. It would mean so much if we could win state.”
Naro has been honing his wrestling craft since he was 5 years old.
“I love how wrestling teaches you mental toughness and teaches you life lessons,” the 5-foot-8 Naro said. “I love getting in there and having fun with my friends. Hopefully, if I keep it up I will be able to get a college scholarship for my wrestling skills. That would be cool.”
(Courtesy of Jerry Sisneros)