DENVER • Ciara Monger stood on the center mat at Ball Arena, a four-time champion and completely relieved.

The Calhan senior captured the 235-pound girls weight class with a second-round pin of Fort Lupton’s Anastacia Salazar, capping a perfect run through high school.

Phew.

“It’s very much a relief,” Monger said. “All the stress and anxiety that has been put onto me, and all these people coming up to me saying, ‘You better win four.’ It’s so much pressure. Now that it’s done, it’s such a relief.”

The pressure is greater when it’s about more than yourself, and that’s what this journey has become for Monger.

The Calhan basketball game paused on Friday night with the announcement that Monger had reached the finals and the arena broke out in raucous applause.

Her matches are routinely live streamed in the cafeteria when other events are going on at the school.

It’s no coincidence that the school with an enrollment of around 100 had 11 girls go out for the wrestling team this year.

“You have to attribute a lot of that to CJ,” Bulldogs coach Bryan Jack said.

“It’s been amazing. What I really love about her, she comes in the room, helps out with our middle school program. All those kids get to see CJ and work with her. It’s great for our program.”

The only issue of coming out of this small, supportive community was finding a worthy practice opponent to keep Monger sharp. Taylor Knox, who was a two-time champion at 190-pounds who graduated last year. She filled that role for years. This year it was the boys team that worked to keep her sharp.

In the past, that role had fallen on sister, Jaiden, who is three years older and provided many long hugs for Ciara after her crowning achievement.

“When she was little, yes,” Jaiden said. “Her getting into her high school years, I choose not to mess with her.”

The beauty of girls wrestling in Colorado is that it is not segmented into classifications by size of school. There is one champion per weight class, statewide. That the champion in this weight class has come exclusively from tiny Calhan in the four years CHSAA has officially sanctioned the sport makes this all the sweeter.

Monger, who recently committed to Fort Hays State University in Kansas, credited her community. But after she took the mat by herself, waving to the crowd, her proud coach corrected that narrative.

“This is an awesome moment for her, awesome for our community,” Jack said. “But we’ll give that all to Ciara.”