“Dream” comes true for local high school wrestlers

The wrestling careers will continue at the next level for Belen’s Josh Jaramillo and Tommy Freeman, as well as James Bachicha of Los Lunas.

Within days of each other, the trio signed to wrestle collegiately at Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference institutions, with Freeman and Bachicha going from rivals to teammates.

Jaramillo, who will attend Colorado State University-Pueblo, and Freeman, who is headed to New Mexico Highlands University, joined together in the BHS wrestling room to ink their commitment papers.

Both called it a long-time “dream” to wrestle at the next level.

“Whenever Highlands gave me an opportunity, gave me the chance, I had to take it,” said Freeman, who was fourth at 160 pounds in the recent 4A state championships. “It’s nice not spending a lot of money and still getting the opportunity to wrestle.”

Freeman, who will study criminology at the Las Vegas, N.M., school, said the BHS coaches were “beyond helpful in this whole (recruiting) process, giving me advice on what to ask the coaches and stuff like that.”

For Jaramillo, getting to college on someone else’s dime was important.

“I’m glad I got that paid for,” said Jaramillo, a three-time state runner-up for the Eagles. “I have to do the rest and wrestle at a higher level. I’m ready to learn.”

Jaramillo, who will compete at 125 pounds, has big expectations.

“I don’t want to go to this program and just be on the team,” said Jaramillo, who will pursue a health science degree, with plans to be an occupational therapist. “I want to be an All-American. I want to be a national champion. I want to leave a really big print on that program.”

Bachicha, a 2025 5A state champion at 160 pounds, will join Freeman at Highlands, where the pair will likely not wrestle in the same weight class any longer.

“He’s my best friend,” Bachicha said of Freeman. “We’ve been grinding it out together for four years. That’s two friends’ dream, wrestling together in college.”

That dream almost evaporated for Bachicha, who wasn’t certain he had the fire to continue in his sport after capturing the state title in an upset victory.

“I was very confused for a few months. I didn’t even know if I wanted to wrestle,” until he made a visit to the Las Vegas campus. “I loved it, honestly. The coach (Chris Freije) is super cool.”

Bachicha plans to study physical therapy at NMHUS, the alma mater of LLHS coach, Steve Chavez.

The upcoming schedules for both the Cowboys and Thunderwolves have not been released, but you can expect Valencia County grappling fans will have that date circled when the showdown between the schools is made public.