Buckle Up, Utah! 6A Wrestling State Championships Promise Excitement
It's about to get wild at the 6A Wrestling State Championships, and if you're not ready for some mayhem, you better find a new sport. We've got freshmen tearing through the competition, returning champs looking to repeat, and underdogs hungry to shake up the status quo. From the grudge matches to the last-ditch efforts for glory, this tournament at the UCCU center will surely deliver some headlines.
106 Pounds: Dynamite: This weight class is a warzone. Freshmen Sam Moody (Riverton), Perry Fowler (Syracuse), Tanner Telford (Corner Canyon), and Asher Millward (Skyridge) have had excellent high school wrestling debuts. Also in the mix is Porter Carlson (Syracuse), a 2023 state placer with a win over Millward this season. But don't underestimate the scrappiness of undersized, skilled freshmen Kacen Jones (Corner Canyon) and Kaden Oldroyd (Westlake), who have had solid seasons in their own right.
113 Pounds: Familiar Faces, New Battles: Aidan Bastian (Layton), Corbyn Robison (Westlake), Dax Christensen (Bingham), and Hudson York (Corner Canyon) are no strangers to tough competition. Bastian and Robison are both coming off claiming gold in their respective divisionals, but York and Christensen have the experience of returning state placers.
120 Pounds: Two Looking to Repeat: Last season, Syracuse's Mason Carlson and American Fork's Hanks Jacobson both won titles as freshmen. Carlson was at 113 pounds, while Jacobson was down at 106. Also in the mix is Lander Bosh of Layton, a returning state finalist in his own right. Additionally, in this weight, Dagen Lamano (Layton) is a returning state placer, Zack Anderson of Syracuse was a state placer in 2022, and Westlake's Trey Thompson has put together a solid season.
126 Pounds: Grudge Match: Who do we need to petition to have this be the final bout of the evening on Saturday? Geronimo Rivera (Layton), the two-time defending champ, likely faces the undefeated freshman phenom Israel Borge (Westlake) in a rematch that promises fireworks. Remember that Rockwell Rumble showdown? Yeah, Borge sent shockwaves through the state with his victory. This will be one all eyes are on this weekend at the UCCU center.
132 Pounds: Shark Tank: This weight class is a feeding frenzy of contenders all vying for their first title. Curtis Borge (Westlake), Austin Ellis (Davis), Hudson Palmer (Farmington), Teague Brown (Syracuse), and Cole Fenwick (Layton) have all placed at state and national events. They're hungry and skilled; only one will stand atop the podium when it's all said and done.
138 Pounds: Kleimann's to Lose? Layne Kleimann (Mountain Ridge), a 2022 champ, looks to win his second title. Former state finalists Jason Worthley (Fremont) and Jace Lemons (Layton) stand in his way. He's already beaten them both this season, but we've seen crazier upsets over the years.
144 Pounds: Three Contenders: The always aggressive Noah Bull (Layton), who has had a stellar season, could face Tege Kelley (American Fork), a crafty returning state champ, in the finals, but don't count out two-time state runner-up Korbin Chuchran (Westlake) here either. All these guys are skilled and experienced.
150 Pounds: Familiar Foes: Josh Fish (Westlake) and Gavin Regis (Layton), familiar foes from the semi-finals in 2023, are likely to meet again, but this time in the finals. Can Fish repeat his dominance, or will Regis avenge his defeat? Or will we see a pair of returning state placers, Treyson Hunt (Fremont) and Payden Woolsey (Corner Canyon), spoil the party? Another wrestler in this weight to keep an eye on is Davis freshman Shepard Stephens, who has amassed 35 wins this season.
157 Pounds: Undefeated vs. Underdogs: Brayden Robison (Westlake), undefeated and hungry for his third title, faces former placers Hixon Canto (Pleasant Grove) and Preston Stevens of Mountain Ridge (who, if you can remember all the way to 2021, derailed a wrestler seeking a fourth title). Can Robison maintain his perfect record, or will the underdogs pull off a monumental upset?
165 Pounds: Champions Collide: Brad Farrer (Pleasant Grove) and Logan Hancey (Fremont), both defending champions, clash in a battle for ultimate bragging rights. When two state champions meet, there are always fireworks. However, the talented Fargo double All-American Ty Carmen (Herriman) and returning state placer Kaizen Detoles (Westlake) could have other plans and are capable of crashing the party.
175 Pounds: Last Dance: Kaden Bennie (Layton) and Banks Love (Bingham), both former finalists, have one last chance to claim gold. Also in this weight is Jake Closson (Pleasant Grove), who finished third last season, and Mason Kartchner (Farmington), who finished sixth last season. What do all these wrestlers have in common? They're all seniors looking to go out on top.
190 Pounds: Returning Champ vs. Hungry Challenger: Trevyn Gates (Pleasant Grove), a returning champion, faces Leimana Fager (Corner Canyon), a returning finalist. Can Gates maintain his national ranking he earned with his Doc B performance, or will Fager claim his first state title with a signature win?
215 Pounds: Smith Gunning for Two: Cayaen Smith (Pleasant Grove) was a state finalist as a freshman, a state champ as a sophomore, a runner-up as a junior, and is looking to finish his career with a second title. Standing in his way are a pair of former state placers. Ridge Lindley (Fremont) and Collin Webb (Corner Canyon). Smith's work makes him the heavy favorite, but nothing at the state tournament is guaranteed.
285 Pounds: Big Finish for the Big Men: Takoa Byrd (Layton) has had a great season with placements at the Reno TOC and Rockwell Rumble, cementing his position as one of the best heavyweights in Utah. Kaydon Williams (Corner Canyon) finished third last season and will be looking to improve on that finish. Jared Smith (Lone Peak) won Divison B and has posted a solid 30-9 record this season. Ayden Vasquez (Davis) and Braiden Moon (Layton) add depth to this weight and can pull upsets.
The Team Race
6A is arguably the deepest classification in Utah. The top 7-8 teams all have high-quality wrestlers, and the finals will likely have a lot of programs represented. However, on the team race side, it looks like a showdown between Layton and Westlake. Both teams have a lot of star power and depth, and for the first time, 6A is only scoring one wrestler per team per weight. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out.
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