The Easton Muay Thai team competed at the Colorado State Tournament on March 3, 2024 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, CO. The team brought 12 athletes to the tournament, finishing with a 15-2 record and 10 individual champions.
Team Easton’s day kicked off with young Adam Odette from Easton Denver capturing a KO (kick-off) victory to secure his spot in the finals. Adam used a strong left kick to damage his opponent before landing a clean head kick that resulted in the final KO.
Adam would go on to fight a tough opponent in the finals, ultimately winning the state championship via unanimous decision.
Boulder’s Ethan Sosnick and Nataliya Nechyporenko entered the ring shortly after Adam’s first match.
Ethan moved to the finals after his opponent could no longer continue the match. Nataliya had a back and forth match, using strong knees and cardio to outlast her opponent on the way to a decision victory.
Ethan’s final match pitted him against a very skilled opponent. They had a tight match through three rounds, with Ethan coming out on the short end of the decision. Nataliya again showed toughness and cardio as she outpointed her opponent in the finals for Easton’s second state champion on the day!
Representing Easton Centennial, Claire Brantley built a big lead in the early going of her semi-final match. Her opponent came roaring back in the second round, leaving the outcome of the match to whoever could take the final round.
With both athletes exhausted, the match came down to who could show the most grit. Claire won the third round, punching her ticket to the finals.
[From Sparring to Scrimmage: The First Step in the Muay Thai Competition Journey]
As we’ve discussed before, tournament fighting is a unique challenge. Athletes have to compete in multiple fights in a short period of time.
For a one day tournament like the CO state tournament, this means fighting twice in the same day. For athletes fighting in a tournament for the first time, this can be a huge challenge to overcome as they try to calm down and prepare for their next match while also managing any damage from their first fight.
[The Best Stretches for Muay Thai]
After taking some time to lay down, catch her breath, and reset her headspace, Claire was ready for her second match of the day. Like the first, Claire’s finals match was a close fight between two game competitors. This time Claire came out on the losing end of a close decision. While not the result she wanted, she showed amazing resiliency (link) — including the ability to bounce back and lock in after her first match.
Denver’s Leah Stern found herself in a bracket with only one other competitor, meaning their match decided the state champion of the weight class. Leah showed strong Muay Thai, ring control, and the ability to break down her opponent’s posture on her way to a clear decision victory.
Also representing Easton Denver, Joaquin Ortiz showed his mettle in a close, hard semi-finals fight. Skillfully pairing his boxing and kicks, Joaquin used both to lethal efficacy on his way to a close decision victory.
In the finals against another tough opponent, Joaquin managed to navigate a hand injury sustained in his first fight by employing a different style. Instead of relying on his boxing, Joaquin worked hard in the clinch, using his knees to build a lead in the second and third rounds on his way to another division victory — and a state championship.
[Easton’s First All-Academy Sparring: 90+ People on the Mats]
Easton Training Center Boulder’s Catherine O’Hara put on a textbook display of southpaw tactics in her division finals.
Her vicious left kicks and knees proved too much for her opponent to handle, earning Catherine a TKO victory. Keeping the TKOs rolling, Easton Longmont’s Luciano D’Alessandro waited all day to get in the ring for his match. Once in there, he showed great balance and poise, picking his shots and using set-ups to land powerful strikes that wobbled and hurt his opponent.
Luciano won via TKO early in the first round.
Denver’s Alejandro Rodriguez, Natalia Esquival, Josh Lucero, and Devon Scott all found themselves in the finals for their first match of the day. Natalia used great knees and kicks to control her fight from bell to bell, scoring a decision victory.
Josh Lucero’s opponent came out strong and put on a good pace the entire fight. Josh matched the pace and found ways to win exchanges when it mattered most, taking a decision victory as well.
Alejandro’s strong boxing and kicks won him the day for another state championship. Easton’s only A-Class (A-Class is for fighters with 10+ fights) fighter on the day, Devon Scott, displayed technique and toughness on the way to a clear decision victory.
Coming home with 17 more bouts of experience, 10 new state champions, the Easton Muay Thai team also scored more team points than any other team with 21.
The team is already back to work in the training room, with many of those who competed at the state tournament preparing for their next fight. The train doesn’t stop and the fights keep coming.
Keep an eye out for Easton Muay Thai athletes competing in the coming months, and come out to support the team if you can!
[The Ultimate Guide to Muay Thai]
