Denver, CO
Keeler: Why Pomona’s Colorado state wrestling dynasty is ‘not going anywhere’
If you want to be Pomona, you’re going to have to join them.
“I know people get tired of (certain teams) winning all the time,” former Ponderosa wrestling coach Tim Ottmann told me late Saturday afternoon as Pomona’s Panthers inched ever closer to a Colorado-record eighth straight state wrestling title at Ball Arena.
“But you also have to wonder why. And I think it’s important for those that are (trying) to dethrone him to find out what (coach Sam Federico) does and how he does it. And then be able to to build what he’s built.”
Ottmann, a 2022 CHSAA Hall of Fame inductee, knows the formula inside out because he lived it. His Mustangs were Colorado’s last big-school wrestling dynasty, with Ottmann in charge for six of what turned into eight straight state crowns from 2003-10.
“I don’t see (Pomona’s run) ending anytime soon,” Ottmann continued. “When I talked to Sam a few months ago, he said this was his best team that he’s had, and it’s his eighth (state champion) in a row.
“They’re not going anywhere. I think it’s good (for the state). I don’t have any issues with it. It’s a call to others to maybe step it up a little bit and figure out how he does it.”
The bigger the tree, the longer the roots. Feeder programs. Coaching consistency. Rinse. Repeat, en route to the Panthers breaking their own state meet points record on Saturday at Ball Arena.
“Eight for me is (just) a number,” Federico told me Saturday before the finals. “Our goal is to get as many state champs as we can, every year. It’s an individual sport. We want to win championships at the end of the day. It’s hard. When they get second, it’s not fun. It’s a rollercoaster as a coach.”
Yeah, but what a ride. The Panthers are the Front Range’s gold standard, its barometer and benchmark. If you can hang with them, you can hang with anybody. What’s impressed Ottmann the most about Pomona’s current run is the degree to which the Panthers have followed Ponderosa’s two core pillars from a generation ago.
“I’ve been retired since 2008 and (Federico is) doing the things that we did,” the former Mustangs coach said.
“And we talked actually quite a bit about ups and downs and that kind of thing, picking my brain on longevity and how you stay focused and how you keep having the energy to do that.”
Ottmann’s advice?
• Keep that pipeline of kids coming. Plant those seeds.
“When you’ve got four or five freshmen coming into your program every year, you don’t get hurt by the three or four seniors that graduate,” the former Mustangs coach noted. “So you’re always maintaining that quality. What (Federico) does is what we did. His program feeds only Pomona. And he works at it. Other programs may farm that out, or combine it with other schools. I don’t believe in that. I believe in doing it yourself.”
• Once you’ve found lieutenants on your staff, assistant coaches and teachers who complement your skills and parrot your mantra, lock them the heck down.
“The biggest thing to me is just outstanding assistant coaches,” Ottmann stressed. “I know Sam’s the same way. He’s had assistants (stay) with him for a long time. That consistency means everything.”
• Don’t be afraid to test yourself against the big boys in other states. Ottmann took Ponderosa to Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania, letting iron sharpen iron.
“It increases your levels here,” Ottmann explained.
Federico’s walking on rare air, indeed. Cherry Creek’s boys and girls tennis teams once put up state-title streaks of 19 straight each. Fort Collins High won 16 consecutive boys state track titles on either side of World War I. Cheyenne Mountain boys tennis notched 11 straight crowns. Limon and Sedgwick County currently share the state record for consecutive football titles, with six apiece. (Valor Christian won four in a row from 2009-13; Cherry Creek did the same from 2019-2022.)
Merino and Faith Christian won five straight crowns in boys’ basketball; Broomfield notched five in a row in girls basketball. Evergreen won eight straight volleyball titles from 1978-85. TCA won nine straight girls cross-country crowns.
“It’s extremely difficult to win one, much less two or three, right?” Ottmann noted. “There’s just a lot of things that have to fall into place.”
And not just fall there. Stay there. Constancy isn’t a bug at Pomona — it’s a feature. Federico is the Panthers’ third wrestling coach over the last five decades. Its youth program is widely regarded as among the best in the state, the backbone of a grappling empire.
“It always has been,” Federico said. “I made sure of that. You have to have it.”
It’s like that old NFL adage: When you see something that works, copy the living heck out of it. Cherokee Trail coach Jeff Buck beefed up his feeder program, the Junior Cougars, in order to solidify his program’s standing as a perennial 5A contender.
“Pomona’s youth program … that’s a huge part of their program and many programs,” Buck said. “Success breeds success, and winning, and kids want to wrestle for (Federico) because of the program he’s built.
“(It’s) not something that Sam hides. He’ll let anybody practice with them. When Pomona’s good, they’re making the state look good. I don’t think it’s bad at all.”
Fair enough. Dissecting a beauty is one thing. But how do you dethrone a beast?
“I know Sam is probably close to retirement in a couple years,” Ottmann said. “A new coach always presents a challenge (as far as) keeping it going … you have programs such as Grandview and Ponderosa, to an extent, and others that are challenging them. But their program is just so much better than anybody else’s, currently.”
After this weekend, it wasn’t hard to see why.
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Denver, CO
Dale Kistler Obituary | The Denver Post
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Denver, CO
Where to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Playoffs: TV channel, start time, streaming for April 18
The 2026 NBA postseason is finally here after a thrilling Play-In Tournament saw the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers officially earn their spot in the playoffs
The postseason action continues on Saturday as the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round. We’ve got you covered on everything you need to know to tune in for tip off.
Want to see the full National Basketball Association schedule for April 18 and how to watch all the games? Check out our sortable NBA schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Game 1?
Tip off between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, April 18.
How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets on Saturday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11:45 a.m.
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Denver, CO
Timothy Weil Obituary | The Denver Post
Timothy Weil
OBITUARY
Timothy Robert Weil 1952-2026 Tim Weil was born in Los Angeles, California.
In his early life he held many jobs, but he often commented that among his most memorable and rewarding roles was using his Spanish fluency to teach elementary school students in East LA. It instilled in him the importance of social justice which he in turn emphasized to his children.
On April Fool’s Day, 1981, he and “NC” (Nancy) married, a partnership that launched a unique and fulfilling life. Theirs was a union of sly, poetic witticism; they collaborated in writing jokes, songs, stories, and mythologies for over four decades. They maintained a high level commitment to wordplay and the celebration of silliness for most of their marriage. Tim and Nancy lived together in Boulder, CO, Chico, CA, Alexandria, VA, and Takoma Park, MD, before finally landing back in Denver as empty-nesters.
Tim found community in many places: Taking on a role as Assistant Scoutmaster with Page and Louis’ Boy Scout troop in Takoma Park; crafting an award-winning beer with his homebrewing group; staying in the game of baseball in the Ponce de Leon (over 50) league; playing bluegrass and folk music with other enthusiasts; performing stories with creatives at Denver venues; and joining Jewish congregations Temple Shalom in Maryland, and Temple Micah in Denver.
Tim’s creativity and playfulness were among his most defining features. Nothing was brighter than the gleam in his eye when he prepared to tell a joke, with a setup spanning about ten minutes of vivid details, often ending in a personalized, spectacularly delivered pun of his own design. To label those jokes mere “groaners” would be a disservice to his masterful storytelling. A piece he submitted to Rolling Stone about his jocular parasocial relationship with actor Lou Ferrigno received a personal rejection letter, noted as “very interesting” by the editor.
His professional work in the field of network security computing provided an outlet for his intellect as well as many professional and personal relationships throughout a career that spanned over 30 years. His writing was published in IEEE magazine and other tech journals.
Throughout his life he engaged deeply with visual art, literature, film, and music. He traveled far and wide, including to Jerusalem, Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Vancouver, Seoul, Paris, Ipswich, London, and Edinburgh.
His recent struggle with severe depression was devastating for him and those close to him. It robbed him of his light and kept him in isolation from which sadly he was unable to escape. He will be remembered as the person who, despite the pain he carried, led an incredibly full life and touched the hearts of countless people with his witty humor and warmth.
He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 45 years, sons Page and Louis, daughter-in-law Jessica, grandsons Felix and Calvin, and cats Shackleton and Whiskey, along with many family and friends coast to coast.
A celebration of his life will be held in Denver at 1pm on Sunday, May 17th at Temple Micah, 1980 Dahlia Street. Bring your fondest memories of Tim. Please, no gifts or flowers. If you would like to make a donation in his memory, please consider American Foundation for Suicide Prevention https://afsp.org/.
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