2023 L.I.T. PREVIEW
The wait is finally over. Wrestling season is in full swing, and we have plenty of action taking place statewide for all you junkies to follow. In this article, we’ll be honing in on the Layton Invitational. It has a deep field with several great potential matchups in each weight.
106 CONTENDERS
ETHAN SHARP - UINTAH
TANNER TELFORD - CORNER CANYON
DAXTON JOLLEY - PAYSON
106 is always a fun weight because we see some new faces representing the next wave of talent. The LIT will feature three solid freshmen at 106. Ethan Sharp is a super state champion and an All-American. Tanner Telford was a super-state finalist with a lot of national experience. Daxton Jolley is a super-state placer and has had competitive matches with some of the state’s best.
113 CONTENDERS
PEYTON HOGAN - UINTAH
AIDEN BASTIAN - LAYTON
KALEB BLACKNER - ROY
HUDSON YORK - CORNER CANYON
Returning state finalist Kaleb Blackner is the favorite in this weight. He has a scrappy style and solid skills in every position and is the most experienced competitor in this bracket.
Hudson York is a returning state placer. He's very dynamic on his feet and brings athleticism and explosiveness to the table.
Aiden Bastian was one of the best 106 pounders in the state last year and won divisionals but found himself on the wrong side of some upsets at the state tournament and ended up not placing. Don't let that fool you though, he's game and can do some damage in this weight class.
Peyton Hogan comes into this event as a highly touted freshman. He competes often and he competes hard. Even though he's a freshman, he will be looking to make a name for himself right away this weekend.
120 CONTENDERS
LANDER BOSH - LAYTON
RYKAN HACKING - UINTAH
DAX CHRISTENSEN - BINGHAM
JONAH SHAW - PAYSON
This weight features two returning state runner-ups who approach their matches similarly.
You don’t need to go looking for Lander Bosh. He holds the center and marauds forward, looking for snap downs and go-behinds. He gets a lot of work done on his feet and looks for bonus points.
Hacking posted a great freshman campaign, highlighting 31 wins and reaching the 5A state finals. As we’re accustomed to seeing out of Uintah, he keeps good position and competes with intensity.
To add depth to this weight there are a pair of state placers from last season. Jonah Shaw and Dax Christensen are capable of pulling off upsets.
126 CONTENDERS
GERONIMO RIVERA - LAYTON
MICHAEL ALEXANDER - UINTAH
HUDSON PALMER - FARMINGTON
Geronimo Rivera is coming off one of the best seasons out of any Utah wrestler last season. He captured his second straight state title, placed at Doc B, and was a folkstyle All-American at NHSCAs and a freestyle All-American in Fargo.
Michael Alexander is also a two-time state champion and brings a high-octane style every time he competes. He wrestles hard and looks to overwhelm the opposition with offense. He has good leg attacks and is very comfortable navigating upper-body exchanges.
Hudson Palmer is a seasoned veteran and a two-time state placer heading into his senior season. He wrestles hard and has picked up several significant wins throughout his high school career.
132 CONTENDERS
KAEL THEOBALD - PAYSON
TREVOR ANGUS - UINTAH
COLE FENWICK - LAYTON
Kael Theobald had a great freshman campaign where he placed at state and picked up wins over multiple state finalists throughout the season. When he’s on, he’s as good as anyone.
Trevor Angus is also coming off a great season, where he was a state placer. A potential matchup with Theobald has some big 4A implications for the ongoing rivalry between Payson and Uintah.
Cole Fenwick placed fifth at state last season in a very deep weight. He has a hard-nosed style and will be looking to defend home turf at this tournament.
138 CONTENDERS
LAYNE KLEIMANN - MOUNTAIN RIDGE
JASON WORTHLEY - FREMONT
JACE LEMONS - LAYTON
A few years back, I did commentary for the All-Star Dual and that year, one of the junior high matchups featured was Layne Kleimann versus Jason Worthley. Obviously, they were both poised to have great high school careers and have lived up to that billing.
Kleimann is a Fargo Champion and multiple time All-American who recently broke into the national rankings after a great showing at Super 32. He was a state champion as a freshman and missed all of last season due to injury.
Last season, Worthley put together a great season; he had a firework-filled state finals match against Jacob Carson and then picked up All-American honors in Virginia Beach at NHSCA Nationals.
Looking to spoil the party is two-time state finalist Jace Lemons. He’s coming off a fourth-place finish last season in a loaded weight and will be looking to finish his high school career strong. He has great technical skills in all three positions and is a tough out for almost anyone.
144 CONTENDERS
COLTON THEOBALD
NOAH BULL
Colton Theobald is one of the top wrestlers in Utah. He’s gunning for his third state title and captured All-American honors last season. He has excellent skills and is the favorite in this weight class if we’re going off resumes.
Noah Bull is *checks notes* bumping up three weight classes from last season, where he placed third at 126. Over the summer, he represented the 16U national team at 138 and competed well. He’ll be looking to knock off top-ranked Theobald to set the tone for his sophomore season.
150 CONTENDERS
BRODY RHOADES
GAVIN REGIS - LAYTON
JAXON MCCURDY - UINTAH
PARLEY THACKER - SKYVIEW
Brody Rhoades is a returning state finalist. Last season, he collected 37 wins. Back in 2022, he picked up a fourth-place finish at state. He continually improves and is poised for a good season.
Gavin Regis placed third at state last season and spent the entire off-season traveling to compete at national events. He posted solid efforts at NHSCAs and the 16U National Duals. He’s all offensive and can put people on their backs in all three positions.
Jaxon Mccurdy also has a third-place finish under his belt and joins his teammate Rhoades in this bracket where they’ll push to create a Uintah versus Uintah final.
Parley Thacker has placed sixth, fourth, and second in his three trips to the state tournament. Coming into the LIT, he can shake up the Power Polls and start his senior campaign on the right foot.
157
CONTENDERS
TUCKER ROYBAL
WILL DIXON
PRESTON STEVENS
PAYDEN WOOLSEY
This weight has a handful of solid guys looking to take the next step.
If we’re going off resumes, Roybal, as a defending state champion, is the favorite. He was a finalist in this event last season and had a solid off-season of gaining experience on the national circuit.
A trio of former state placers, Will Dixon, Preston Stevens, and Payden Woolsey, can play spoiler in this weight. They all come from good programs and have notched quality wins throughout their high school careers.
165 CONTENDERS
LOGAN HANCEY
JED CHATWIN
MASON HOLT
Logan Hancey is a big favorite in this weight. Last season, after a solid couple of years, he became a state champion in an overtime thriller. Coming into this season, he's looking to join the ranks of two-time state champions.
Standing in his path at the LIT are two former state placers. Jed Chatwin placed third last season and Mason Holt has finished fifth during his high school career.
175 CONTENDERS
TY CARMAN
BANKS LOVE
CHRISTIAN HARTLE
KADEN BENNIE
QUAYDE BECK
I feel bad for whoever has to seed this weight. This bracket will have significant 6A implications and statewide supremacy on the line.
Ty Carman had a breakout summer by picking up All-American honors in freestyle and greco in Fargo. He’ll be coming into this event with a lot of confidence.
Banks Love is a returning state finalist in a weight class where Carman finished fifth, but the two didn’t meet. It’s also worth noting that he has also performed well on the national level.
Christian Hartle was a finalist in 5A last season. He presents a unique challenge to just about anyone because he throws the kitchen sink from whistle to whistle. He’s not afraid to try anything.
Kaden Bennie has steadily improved throughout his high school career. Last season, he was a state finalist, and coming into his senior season, he undoubtedly wants to go out on top.
Like Bennie, Quayde Beck has made steady jumps over the last few years. He placed third at state last year and had a productive off-season competing in national-level events like the Freakshow and Super 32.
This weight is up for grabs and will feature high-profile matchups as early as the quarterfinals.
190 CONTENDERS
LANDEN SHURTLEFF - PAYSON
LEIMANA FAGER - CORNER CANYON
This weight is a bit of a two-horse race, with Shurtleff coming in as the heavy favorite.
Last season, Shurtleff pulled off what was arguably the upset of the year at the 5A state tournament and captured his second state title. He’s also been an NHSCA All-American during his career, and due to his performance at Super 32, he currently sits in the top 20 in FloWrestling’s national rankings.
Leimana Fager, however, is as solid as they come. He’s coming into this event on the heels of a state finals appearance last season after a fifth-place finish in 2022. He placed third at the Reno Worlds in the off-season, a solid event. He’s well-coached and will be excited rather than daunted by competing against Shurtleff if they meet.
215 CONTENDERS
RIDGE LINDLEY - FREMONT
COLLIN WEBB - CORNER CANYON
LUKE STEARNS - LOGAN
Up at 215, we have a trio of wrestlers looking to join the next tier and contend for state championships.
Ridge Lindley is back after missing most of last season due to injury. If he’s healthy, look for him to pick up right where he left off. In 2022 he placed third at state as a freshman at 190 which is no easy task.
Collin Webb and Luke Stearns both notched third place finishes at state last season. Webb has carried that momentum and is already 7-0 to start this season.
285 CONTENDERS
TAKOA BYRD - LAYTON
KAYDON WILLIAMS - CORNER CANYON
CADEN YOUNG - UINTAH
NATHAN HOLLADAY - CORNER CANYON
ETHAN SWEET - LAYTON
In the heavyweight division, there are some solid competitors.
Takoa Bryd placed at the Reno TOC last season but missed the second half of the season. Placing at an event like that makes him a slight favorite.
Kaydon Williams is a two time state placer (3rd and 4th) he’s been a model of consistency for the Chargers and will look to set the tone for the rest of his season at this event.
Caden Young was one win away from placing at state last season. With a whole off season in the Uintah room, I expect to see some improvements from him coming into this season.
Rounding things out, there’s a pair of other state qualifiers in Ethan Sweet and Nathan Holladay.
THE TEAM RACE
Layton, Uintah, and Payson are all bringing solid squads with both depth and star power. Look for all three teams to have the lead at one point or another and to all have their share of finalists.