ST. GEORGE — Region 10 will send 141 high school wrestlers to Richfield when the 2022 UHSAA boys and girls 4A state wrestling championship tournaments get underway this weekend.
The two-day event beginning Friday at Sevier Valley Center pits the best grapplers in Regions 10 and 11 against each other to decide 4A individual and team state champions.
Snow Canyon’s boys are part of what head coach Nicholas Laing called the best team the Warriors have ever put on the mat and are Region 10 champs.
Crimson Cliffs’ girls broke glass ceilings and blazed new trails as champions of Region 10’s first sanctioned girls wrestling season.
The Warriors and Mustangs lead the large Region 10 contingent of wrestlers at state this weekend. Following are a look at the teams and a preview of the state tournaments for both the girls and the boys.
Region 10 girls champs
The Crimson Cliffs girls team started with one wrestler last year, and through her determination and enthusiasm, the Mustangs put eight wrestlers on the mat this year and they persevered to become region champions.
Junior Katelynn Wall promoted the sport among her friends and recruited the Mustangs.
“I just talked about it a lot,” Wall said to St. George News. “I kind of explained that wrestling is not that gross. People think it’s kind of gross but it’s not.
“I had a lot of fun. I learned a lot from it. There’s a lot of opportunities from it. Word of mouth spread around and the team just grew from there.”
Wall added that a special feeling of camaraderie has a lot of appeal for potential Mustangs.
“We’re all really good friends with each other,” Wall said. “I think that’s what helps bring people in. Just to see how close we are to each other and how much we care for each other. It’s awesome to have these girls with me.”
Junior Anja Hansen was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the region-clinching dual victory over Cedar.
“I’m just grateful I got the opportunity to share it with my team, because it wasn’t just me winning, it was all of us,” said Hansen, adding that the team is proud to represent Crimson Cliffs.
“People in the hallways know who I am just because I’m a wrestler,” Hansen said. “I think that’s really special. I hadn’t really thought about it ’til I joined the team but there’s a culture that comes with it and a sense of belonging when you say I’m a part of the team and I work hard to be here.”
Freshman Maapupula Faumui said she joined the wrestling team to prove people wrong.
“I’ve been underestimated a lot because I’m tiny,” Faumui said. “I thought it would definitely be a challenge but I thought it was something that I could do.
“In the smallest weight class, I had to work a lot harder to get where I am right now. Even though it’s individual work, you are bonded as a team. It’s helped me as a person and I’m very glad I joined.”
Hailey Woolley joined the wrestling team after encouragement from her cousins.
“I was really really nervous but then I did it and now I have a bunch of new friends,” Woolley said. “I was so proud of our team. We all worked so hard, every single day. It all came together and we pulled it off.”
Freshman Abby Miles said she wrestled a lot at home with her brothers and got into the sport that way. She also said she’s very excited to be going to state.
The other members of the team are Alyssa McCallson, Ellie Wall and Quinci Smith. The team is led by coaches Rachel English and Quynh Wall.
The Mustangs use one word as their motto: RELENTLESS.
4A girls state tournament
Besides the eight Mustangs going to state, Region 10 will send 22 other girls wrestlers to Richfield this weekend.
Pine View sends eight wrestlers: Lucy Meidell (100 pounds), Genesis Diaz (115), Lillian Stirling (120), Taimane Faumui (125) Lily Pomeroy (130), Kennis Borrowman (130), Emma Meidell (135) and McKelle Jeppson (140).
Desert Hills has four girls going to state: Sara Salas (100), Samantha Bain (100), Nicole Harris (130) and Lucy Harris (140).
Four Cedar Reds will wrestle: Ayelen Grilli (130), Megan Robinson (110), Katherin Hall (170) and Zoyie Powell.
Snow Canyon sends two wrestlers in Faith Quinlan (125) and Megan Allred (155).
Finally Dixie will be represented at state by Bensha Wade (120), Georgina Decasas (155), Serena Graham (170) and Tumua Salanoa-saga (190).
Region 10 boys champs
Snow Canyon was undefeated in region duals and sends its largest contingent ever to the state tournament.
“I would argue that this is the best team in the history of Snow Canyon wrestling,” coach Nicholas Laing told St. George News after beating Hurricane in a dual Jan. 20.
Lang credited a full buy-in from Snow Canyon athletes who are starting to wrestle at the junior high level or even before.
“So our senior class has gone through our pipeline and we’ve got freshmen that have come up ready to compete at the varsity level,” Lang said.
4A boys state tournament
Region 10 will send 119 boys wrestlers to the state tournament.
Hurricane leads all Region 10 teams with 21 qualified wrestlers:
Parker Revis (106 pounds), Paul Wright (113), Caden Anderson (113), Cooper Anderson (120), Seth Armstrong (126), Ashton Dofelmire (126), Paul Gregory (132), Ben Jackman (132), Mikah Murphy (138), Cole Johnson (138);
Patrick Miller (144), Kayleb Murphy (144), Tristyn Dennett (150), Alex Stubbs (150), Banson Hawkins (157), Traven Bauer (157), Tad Peart (175), Kai Kaba (175), Ethan Farnsworth (190), Seth Peart (190) and heavyweight Mahonri Tonumaipea.
Pine View will be represented by 15 wrestlers:
Porter Calico (106), Payton Marx (120), Jaren Marx (120), Caleb Bundy (138), Kamron Reis (144), Ryder Doman (150), Bridger Gifford (157), Zane Wilbanks (165), Teddy Carson (165), Spencer Krispin (175), Scott Palmer (190), Brayden Barlow (215), Corben Gifford (215) and heavyweights Payton Calico and Braedon Nomee.
Eight wrestlers will represent Cedar at state:
Wyatt Greenhalgh (120), Austyn Ennis (132), Cooper Anderson (144), Jancen Payne (150), Rayce Zobell (157), Aiden Poauha (190), Ian Poauha and Bryson Bennett (215).
The Dixie Flyers will have 17 wrestlers:
Hayden Wittwer (106), Karter Robinson (106), Dakota Heath (113), Oscar Walsh (120), Jarryn Brooks (120), Darrell Zamacona (126), Trace Franco (126), Zion Bringhurst (132), Richie Martinez (138);
Tayan Hodges (150), Yair Galvan (165), Derrick Allredge (165), Tautua Toloa (175), Cash Carlisle (175), Ashton Cox (190) and heavyweights Kenneth Erickson and Aiden Crawford.
Crimson Cliffs will also have 17 wrestlers in its state contingent:
Brady Womack (113), Elias Beiza (113), Corbin Hansen (113), Kayden Madsen (126), Ace Layton (132), Tyson Marshall (138), Owen Peterson (138), Joshua Alvey (144);
Karter Cram (150), Dayton Terry (150), Nic Baum (157), Ethan Hatch (165), Justin Anderson (165), Treyton Terry (175), Eldon Milton (190) and heavyweights Mason Vazquez and William Howcroft.
Desert Hills will put 15 wrestlers on the state mats:
Wyatt Allred (106), Maddox Waters (113), Kason Webb (126), Gage Brenneman (126), Nathaniel Fordam (132), Coulter Talbert (138), Cody Jordan (144), Jared Roundy (150);
Keagan Boyce (157), Mason Newman (157), Christia Bolli (165), Gavin Julien (175), Noah Fuailetolo (215) and heavyweights Dawson Bundy and Bridger Fleming.
And finally here are the 18 wrestlers Snow Canyon will send to state:
Asher Farr (106), Carson Smith (113), Kayden Guymon (113), Johnathon Linton (120), Edgar Renteria (120), Dominik Benedetto (132), Oliver Larsen (132), Brenden Smith (144);
Brayden Jones (150), Max Edwards (150), Tegun Cu Whitehead (157), Rockwell Jones (165), Phoenix Oliver (175), Breccan Fisher (190), Bransen Averett (190), Beau Miller (215), Vincent Threlfall (215) and heavyweight Tag Gubler (285).
Results of the 4A state wrestling tournament will be posted here.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.