Westlake boys and girls wrestling starts strong at Wrestling Against Cancer Duals
- Wrestlers from Westlake and Mountain Crest battle during the 2021 Wrestling Against Cancer Duals at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)
- Wrestlers from Westlake and Mountain Crest battle during the 2021 Wrestling Against Cancer Duals at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)
- Wrestlers compete during the 2021 Wrestling Against Cancer Duals at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)
- Wrestlers from Westlake and Mountain Crest battle during the 2021 Wrestling Against Cancer Duals at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)
- Wrestlers from American Fork and Mountain Crest battle during the 2021 Wrestling Against Cancer Duals at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)
It was a big night for Westlake at the 2021 Wrestling Against Cancer Duals Tuesday. The Thunder girls went 3-0 on the night while the boys team won both of its matches.
The Westlake girls are the defending state champions and the Thunder took down the 1A-3A, 5A returning state champions, Maple Mountain, 46-36, the returning 4A champions, Mountain Crest, 48-36, and a combined team from American Fork, North Sevier and Canyon View, 54-30.
Meanwhile the Westlake boys team beat last year’s 6A runner-up Layton, 39-33 and last year’s 4A runner-up Mountain Crest 33-33, winning on criteria (most falls).
Leading the Westlake girls were returning state champions Celeste Detoles (125 pounds), Lizzie Shunn (145) and Emmy Finlinson (155), who all went undefeated. Detoles had earned a big win by pin over Maple Mountain’s Donna Wright, who was a state runner-up last season. The Thunder’s Quincy Peterson (135) also contributed three wins.
In one of the best matches of the night Keilikki Nau Rarick (235) defeated Nya Seiuli, a state runner-up last year, 3-2. Rarick earned two other wins by pin to go 3-0.
On the boys front, Westlake made it known that it will be a serious contender in 6A by defeating Layton, who are a perennial trophy winner in the large-school division.
The match, which started at 120 pounds, was a great back and forth affair, but in a battle of returning state placers, Westlake’s Tucker Butler (157) earned a 3-2 decision over Andrew Crowther to give the Thunder a 21-10 lead. Layton then won four of the next five bouts to take a 27-24 lead before the Thunder earned another big victory when Colton Cook (197) won by 9-7 sudden victory over Layton’s Takoa Byrd. Mason Bodell (285) and Korbin Churhran (106) put the finishing touches on the dual with pins giving Westlake the insurmountable lead at 39-27.
In the meet against Mountain Crest, the bouts started at 106 pounds. Mountain Crest held a 33-27 lead. But then Bodell got the pin in the match’s final bout to tie the score at 33. Westlake earned four pins to Mountain Crest’s two falls, and thus were declared the winner.
The decisive match came In a huge battle between defending state champions at 126 pounds. The Thunder got a huge 10-4 win by Brayden Robison over the Mustang’s Easton Evans.
Layton beat Mountain Crest 32-26 in the other boys dual held at Westlake.
Westlake co-hosted this event with Provo High School and the most competitive dual of the night at Provo was the girls match between Springville and Mountain View. Like the boys dual between Westlake and Mountain Crest, the dual ended in a 36-36 tie. But Springville actually won more bouts by pin and thus earned the win.
The dual also featured a match up between Mountain View move-in Esther Han (175) and Springville’s Hotaia Valeti. Han is nationally ranked and Valeti, a returning state champion. Han earned a third period fall in a match between two of the best female grapplers in 5A.
In the boys duals Mountain View split as it defeated Skyridge 44-30 but lost to Riverton 57-22. Skyridge also went 1-1 as it defeated Provo 60-6.
Provo and Westlake donated $1,400 dollars to help two families battling cancer as part of the charitable aspect of the sport. Here are the dual meet results featuring area teams:
Boys Results: Westlake 39 Layton 33; Westlake 33* Mountain Crest 33 (* winner by criteria); Mountain View 44 Skyridge 30; Riverton 57 Mountain View 22; Skyridge 66 Provo 6.
Girls Results: Westlake 48 Mountain Crest 36; Westlake 46 Maple Mountain 36; Westlake 54 American Fork/Canyon View/North Sevier 30; Mountain Crest 46 Juab 33; American Fork/Canyon View/North Sevier 48 Ogden/Hillcrest 24; Juab 54 Ogden/Hillcrest 30, Maple Mountain 42 Bonneville//Riverton 36; Springville 36* Mountain View 36 (*winner by criteria).
Dual Meet Boys Results at the Davis Duals held Wednesday at Davis High School: Davis 51 Mountain View 30; Mountain View 48 Stansbury 29; Mountain View 45 Independent Team 23; Mountain View 51 Roy 21; Mountain View 57 Orem 12; Independent Team 65 Provo 9; Riverton 63 Provo 0; Roy 49 Provo 30; Stansbury 52 Provo 18; Roy 54 Orem 19; Orem 42 Provo 36; Davis 75 Orem 3; Riverton 70 Orem 9; Davis 39 Riverton 24.
In other dual meet action involving local teams: Granger defeated Cedar Valley 39-39, winner by criteria. The Aviators also dropped a 41-39 dual meet to Grantsville.