Welcome to FT!

If Continental won't give you a status match if you're already another SkyTeam member, why don't you see if another non-ST member will match you. So, if you're elite on AA, UA, or US, take that to Continental and see if they'll match it. I don't know if they indicate on your statement that you're in a match (white out), but if they don't you're home clear. You could also do a bit of advance booking to LAS, as another poster just suggested, to really show you're committed to switching to CO.