RECORD NUMBER OF CLASSIFICATION STATE CHAMPIONS HIGHLIGHT THE 3RD ANNUAL UTAH HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING SUPER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21 AT CORNER CANYON HIGH SCHOOL

Led by 27 classification state champions, the 3rd annual Utah High School Wrestling Super State Championships will take place this Saturday February 21 at Corner Canyon High School in Draper.  The tournament, fully sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA), features state place winners from each of the five UHSAA classifications.  USA Wrestling Utah will run the tournament led by Executive Director Jeff Newby.  Wrestling begins Saturday at 10am with the semi-finals scheduled to start at 12pm and the championship matches beginning at 2:30pm.

“Now in its third year, the Super State wrestling tournament continues to grow.  The UHSAA continues to sanction the tournament and is grateful to organizers for their willingness to conduct the tournament under the rules and guidelines of the UHSAA to assure it promotes the goals and ideals of education based competition” comments Bart Thompson, Assistant Director of the UHSAA.  “Congratulations to those who qualified and will compete in the tournament.  It is a tournament of winners.  All who compete regardless of the outcomes are proven winners.  This tournament provides a unique opportunity for the best of the best to test their skills, preparation and determination against one another at a high level of competition.  It allows very successful high school student athletes the opportunity for continued improvement.  Good luck to all the winners who participate.”

A quartet of nationally-ranked wrestlers – Taylor Lamont, Johnny O’Hearon, Jacob Armstrong and Wyatt Koelling – all look to add another Super State title to their already impressive careers.  Senior Jacob Armstrong (46-2) from Salem Hills, a University of Nebraska commit, looks to add a 3rd consecutive Super State title having previously won the 145 and 160 weight classes.  He won his third consecutive 4A championship last weekend at 182.  Teammates from Maple Mountain, Lamont (61-0) a junior and O’Hearon (54-1) a senior, each won championships during the inaugural Super State tournament in 2013.  Lamont, now a 3-time 4A champion is ranked in the top 10 of most national rankings, while O’Hearon marched his way to a second straight 4A championship last weekend.  Rounding out the nationally ranked competitors, junior Wyatt Koelling (38-1) from Davis won a Super State title last year at 182 and is now a 2-time 5A champion winning the 195 class last weekend.

With 27 classification champions, a tournament record, each weight class boasts at least one state champion and several of the weight classes multiple champions.  At 132, we will see four classification champions battle it out for best in the state, highlighted by 2-time 2A champion Kyle Evans (50-4), a junior from Beaver, freshman phenom Brock Hardy (42-1) from 4A Box Elder, returning Super State champion Jayden Pentz (32-3) from 3A Morgan and 1A champion Austin Trapp (43-5) from Piute.  The 120 bracket also boasts multiple champions in returning Super State champion Tanner Cox (60-8), a junior from Maple Mountain and a 2-time 4A champion as well as 5A champion junior Cameron Hunsaker (46-2) from American Fork and 2A champion McKoy Christiansen (42-3), a junior from Emery.

4A team runner-up Maple Mountain leads all high schools with 11 participants, while 5A power Layton enter 8 wrestlers.  4A champion Wasatch submitted 7 wrestlers along with 5A Lehi and 3A Morgan.

“As the Utah Wrestling Coaches Association President I can honestly say that the coaches in Utah, the fans and the wrestlers are very much in support of the third annual Utah High School Wrestling Super State Event,” said Chad Blevins, Mountain View Head Coach.   “We appreciate the strength of USA Utah Wrestling and local business sponsors for making this event possible.  Corner Canyon High and Coach Jeff Eure are gracious enough to hold this event at their school.  We are also very fortunate to have college coaches from across the country scouting future talent.  Every year we are finding more and more High School All Americans competing at Super State.  The strength of all of the 5 classifications in Utah can be seen in this event.  It is an exciting event for all the wrestlers.  Even if a wrestler goes 2 and out he can hold his head high knowing he just lost to 2 of the best wrestlers in the state.  The finals always showcase incredible match-ups and the team trophy could be a very tight battle this year.  We hope that many coaches will continue to support this emerging tradition.”

Other returning Super State Champions include sophomore Tanner Benedict (33-8) from Layton at 113 and returning 285 champion Brackin Stringam (56-3), a senior from Lehi who won the 5A championship last weekend.  Other multiple-time classification state champions participating include 2-time 2A champion Jaxon Cole (50-2), a sophomore from North Summit at 106, 2-time 4A champion from Wasatch junior Braiden Parker (44-6) at 113, two-time 3A champion Ashton Seely (53-2) a sophomore from Juab at 170 and 2-time 1A champion Preston Stephenson (50-2) from Wayne.  The senior Stephenson could meet Wasatch senior Spencer Heywood (48-5) in a marquee final at 160, as Heywood won the 4A championship last weekend and is a 2013 Super State finalist.

2014 Championship Match Results

106 – * Tanner Benedict (Fr/Layton) over * Raynger Keckler (Fr/Logan) – Fall 3:18

113 – * Tanner Cox (So/Maple Mtn) over Brock George (Sr/Syracuse) – Dec 6-2

120 – * Jayden Pentz (Sr/Morgan) over * Kyle Evans (So/Beaver) – Dec 8-2

126 – Andrew Astle (Sr/Layton) over * Jackson Wilson (Jr/Am Fork) – Dec 5-1

132 – Dusty Hone (Sr/Cedar City) over * Taylor Lamont (So/Maple Mtn) – Dec 3-2

138 – Matt Findlay (Sr/Alta) over * Greg Lamb (Jr/Corner Canyon) – TF 17-2

145 – Jacob Naylor (Sr/Davis) over * Ben Bolingbroke (So/Clearfield) – Dec 2-1

152 – Colton Marshall (Sr/Layton) over Brooks Robinson (Sr/Maple Mtn) – SV 7-5

160 – * Jacob Armstrong (Jr/Salem Hills) over Bailey Carlson (Sr/Pleasant Grove) – Dec 8-1

170 – Kimball Bastian (Sr/Maple Mtn) over Dalton Harmon (Sr/Juab) – Dec 5-3

182 – * Wyatt Koelling (So/Davis) over Dylan Brown (Sr/Manti) – Dec 7-2

195 – Landon Brown (Sr/Layton) over Brayden Nuffer (Sr/Taylorsville) – Dec 9-3

220 – Roy Nash (Sr/Taylorsville) over Aspen Naylor (Sr/Syracuse) – Dec 5-2

285 – * Brackin Stringam (Jr/Lehi) over * Dalton Mortensen (Jr/Granger) – Fall 3:16

* Indicates 2015 participant