After years of runaway victories at the state tournament for the Pleasant Grove wrestling program, it came into Saturday’s championship round at the UCCU Center feeling a bit more pressure than usual.
The Vikings trailed Layton by two points heading into the semifinals, but managed to carry a slim lead heading into the championship round.
Pleasant Grove junior Jacob Carson watched as Layton freshman Geronimo Rivera Jr. pinned defending state champion Tyler Vivanco for the 113 title just before his match, and knowing he faced another Lancer, Jace Lemons, in his 120-class championship match, Carson said he began to feel the pressure of needing to perform.
But Carson managed to calm his nerves and took care of business quickly, pinning Lemons 55 seconds into the match to claim his first ever individual state title and clinch a fifth straight state championship for the Vikings.
Pleasant Grove finished with 216.5 points, while Layton and Westlake rounded out the top three with 207 and 165 points, respectively.
“It feels so good right now,” Carson said after his match. “After two years of taking second (individually), I finally locked it up and I just can’t express how that feels…I came out and I pinned him and that just locked us up a state title.”
Carson was the first of two individual winners for the Vikings, as senior Kort Wilkinson (285) capped off his career with his first state title.
Pleasant Grove had four wrestlers finish in second place.
Emotions were high after Wilkinson secured his title after he finished second in last year’s tournament as the senior ran up into the stands to celebrate with a Pleasant Grove community he said he dedicated the win to.
“I’ve worked 13 years for that moment, and it feels awesome to finally get it,” Wilkinson said. “We had a couple of guys finish not as well as we thought they would, but we’re a championship-minded team and we took care of what we needed to when we needed to.
“It was awesome to get the (individual) win, and I feel like it let me give back to the community a little bit.”
Wilkinson wasn’t the only senior who went out in style, as West senior Drew Lang (144) won his match in a 7-4 decision to finish his career as a three-time state champion.
Lang said he came into the season knowing that he was going to win state, but that he wanted to be dominant in doing so.
The senior set out to not allow anyone to score a takedown against him and succeeded. Lang also pinned or tagged all his matches this season except for his championship match against Riverton’s Kaden Olson.
After the match, Lang couldn’t help but reflect upon all the moments that led up to the end of what was an excellent career.
“No one except for my friends, family and partners really know what I’ve gone through to get here,” Lang said.
“It’s crazy the amount of sacrifice, pain and loss it takes to get to a point like this. It feels like all the work I’ve put in the last 15 years has just paid off, which is obviously such a satisfying feeling.”
Lang joined Corner Canyon’s Brigham Bagley (138), Skyridge’s Joshua Millward (150) and Westlake’s Brayden Robison (132) as champions who successfully defended their titles.
Robison did have a close call in his match, as he and American Fork’s Dallan Hunsaker battled into double overtime in order to determine a winner.
The Westlake sophomore managed to pin Hunsaker in the second overtime to claim his second state title and keep his chances of a four-title career alive.
6A boys state tournament
At UVU
Team scores
1. Pleasant Grove, 216.5
2. Layton, 207
3. Westlake, 165.5
4. Corner Canyon, 144
5. Fremont, 122
6. Mountain Ridge, 113
7. Syracuse, 104
8. Lone Peak, 95.5
Individual results
106 pounds
1. Layne Kleimann, Mountain Ridge
2. Korbin Chuchran, Westlake
3. Cole Fenwick, Layton
4. Erol Yellowhair, Skyridge
5. Hunter Sanchez, Mountain Ridge
6. Zack Anderson, Syracuse
Championship — Layne Kleimann, Mountain Ridge def. Korbin Chuchran, Westlake, Fall 5:41
113 pounds
1. Geronimo Rivera Jr., Layton
2. Tyler Vivanco, Corner Canyon
3. Hudson Palmer, Farmington
4. Teague Brown, Syracuse
5. Jason Worthley, Fremont
6. Wade Mecham, American Fork
Championship — Geronimo Rivera Jr., Layton def. Tyler Vivanco, Corner Canyon, Fall 1:41
120 pounds
1. Jacob Carson, Pleasant Grove
2. Jace Lemons, Layton
3. Jacob Waddoups, Davis
4. Gavyn Gappmayer, Corner Canyon
5. Isaac Price, Copper Hills
6. Isaac Dickinson, Bingham
Championship — Jacob Carson, Pleasant Grove def. Jace Lemons, Layton, Fall 0:55
126 pounds
1. Kyison Garcia, Mountain Ridge
2. Israel Gonzalez, Pleasant Grove
3. Cal Christiansen, Fremont
4. Josh Fish, Westlake
5. Sutton Brown, Syracuse
6. Quinn Bedell, Corner Canyon
Championship — Kyison Garcia, Mountain Ridge def. Israel Gonzalez, Pleasant Grove, MD 11-3
132 pounds
1. Brayden Robison, Westlake
2. Dallan Hunsaker, American Fork
3. Ryker Brann, Layton
4. Alejandro Romero, Granger
5. Tucker Keller, Fremont
6. Payden Woolsey, Corner Canyon
Championship — Brayden Robison, Westlake def. Dallan Hunsaker, American Fork, Fall 7:23
138 pounds
1. Brigham Bagley, Corner Canyon
2. Koda DeAtley, Pleasant Grove
3. Bradlee Farrer, Pleasant Grove
4. Banks Love, Bingham
5. Logan Hancey, Fremont
6. Preston Stevens, Mountain Ridge
Championship — Brigham Bagley, Corner Canyon def. Koda DeAtley, Pleasant Grove, Dec 8-6
144 pounds
1. Drew Lang, West
2. Kaden Olson, Riverton
3. Max Benson, Pleasant Grove
4. Tucker Butler, Westlake
5. Jaxon Bearden, Mountain Ridge
6. Joshua Limb, Hunter
Championship — Drew Lang, West def. Kaden Olson, Riverton, Dec 7-4
150 pounds
1. Joshua Millward, Skyridge
2. Jace Brower, Westlake
3. Corbin Platt, Fremont
4. Andrew Crowther, Layton
5. Ty Carman, Herriman
6. Angel Granandos, Hunter
Championship — Joshua Millward, Skyridge def. Jace Brower, Westlake, Dec 6-3
157 pounds
1. Sam May, Farmington
2. Carson Neff, Bingham
3. Jordan Faifai, Syracuse
4. Jacob Green, Westlake
5. Payton Fowler, Clearfield
6. Ricky Mamone, Granger
Championship — Sam May, Farmington def. Carson Neff, Bingham, Dec 6-0
165 pounds
1. Kael Bennie, Layton
2. Tanner Giatras, Weber
3. Zachary Phipps, Syracuse
4. Cody Stewart, Mountain Ridge
5. Corbin Baumgartner, Lone Peak
6. Noah Fieeiki, American Fork
Championship — Kael Bennie, Layton def. Tanner Giatras, Weber, MD 11-2
175 pounds
1. Cayaen Smith, Lone Peak
2. Trevyn Gates, Pleasant Grove
3. Geovanni Thomas, Davis
4. Noah Mandleco, Layton
5. Leimana Fager, Corner Canyon
6. Jacob Keblis, Fremont
Championship — Cayaen Smith, Lone Peak def. Trevyn Gates, Pleasant Grove, Dec 8-3
190 pounds
1. Mahkyi Smith, Lone Peak
2. Luke Evans, Pleasant Grove
3. Ridge Lindley, Fremont
4. Matt Taylor, Skyridge
5. Ethan Hearne, Layton
6. Mason Kartchner, Farmington
Championship — Mahkyi Smith, Lone Peak def. Luke Evans, Pleasant Grove, Fall 0:53
215 pounds
1. Damon Armenta, Cyprus
2. Teancum Mitchell, Corner Canyon
3. Skyler Armenta, Cyprus
4. Bradley Critchfield, Corner Canyon
5. Connor Schwab, Syracuse
6. Kael Jenkins, Davis
Championship — Damon Armenta, Cyprus def. Teancum Mitchell, Corner Canyon, Dec 7-4
285 pounds
1. Kort Wilkinson, Pleasant Grove
2. Cooper Mumford, Lone Peak
3. Ian Briskey, Weber
4. Mason Bodell, Westlake
5. Noah Linford, Layton
6. Davis Pickett, Clearfield
Championship — Kort Wilkinson, Pleasant Grove def. Cooper Mumford, Lone Peak, Fall 3:52