4A wrestling: L-P senior tops off perfect season with a title

DENVER • Lewis-Palmer’s Dan Barringer started wrestling when he was in fifth grade.

He admits he was not very good. He said he lost most of his matches, and that wasn’t easy to handle. The only thing that kept him on the mat was a passion for the sport.

“I felt like it’s what I should be doing,” he said. “I put everything I had into the sport.”

Day 1 photos of 4A wrestling

That’s why Barringer ended up crying tears of joy before he even left the mat Saturday after winning the 152-pound title at the Class 4A state tournament at Pepsi Center.

The senior, who beat Curtis Ramsay of Windsor 18-10, started reflecting on his journey minutes before the title match. He thought about the work he put into becoming a top wrestler. He thought about the practices, the camps he attended and the lessons he sought out from other top wrestlers.

“I felt in my heart it was my time,” said Barringer, who finishes the season 45-0.

Lewis-Palmer’s Nick Baker has coached Barringer for three seasons — including last year when he took third — so he knows the road that his wrestler has traveled.

“It means everything,” Baker said. “It’s good to see hard work pay off.”

The match wasn’t easy. Barringer aggravated a right elbow injury early but said he would have continued even had he broken an arm.
The injury wasn’t his biggest concern. He was worried that Ramsay, who took an 8-5 lead, was controlling the match in the first period.

The match started to turn in the second when Barringer scored all eight points. With a comfortable lead in the final moments, his mind started to race.

“The last 20 seconds I kept saying, ‘I can’t believe it, it’s actually happening,’” Barringer said. “It was an amazing feeling. I was on top just like ‘Wow, it’s finally going to happen. I’ve dreamed of that since I was a little kid.’”