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Payson wrestler Colton Theobald celebrates after winning his match during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi wrestler Isaac Terrell celebrates winning his match during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Spanish Fork wrestler Karson Shelley (top) competes against Timpanogos's Connor Knudsen during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Payson wrestler Ethan Boulton battles against Wasatch's Heath Clyde during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Payson wrestler Landen Shurtleff stands atop the podium during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Payson wrestler Landen Shurtleff competes during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Wasatch wrestler Ryder Robinson (bottom) tries to pin Mountain View's Cody Burr during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi wrestler Isaac Terrell stands atop the podium during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Payson wrestler Colton Theobald (left) battles Wasatch's Austin Kelly during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Spanish Fork wrestler Karson Shelley celebrates winning his match during the 5A state boys wrestling finals at the UCCU Center in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Patrick Carr, Ogden Standard-Examiner)

❮ ❯

Payson wrestled well but Uintah had just a bit more talent, especially in the last three weights, and the Utes took home the gold trophy in the 5A boys state tournament held Wednesday and Thursday at Utah Valley’s UCCU Event Center.

“We had them worried for a bit,” Payson head coach Jeb Clark quipped. “I’m really proud of my guys. They wrestled great. Sometimes it’s more about effort than results.”

Uintah put six in the finals and had two individual champions to score 276.5 points while Payson put four in the championship finals with two champions to tally 265 points.

Despite being outnumbered in the championship finals, Payson did well in the consolation rounds, placing 10 wrestlers places third through six, to trail Uintah by 11.5 points going into the final bouts of the evening.

The two schools had two head-to-head meetings in the championship finals and split those matches.

Uintah freshman superstar Michael Alexander made quick work of Payson’s Aaron Garcia at 113 pounds, pinning the Lion returning state champion in just 22 seconds and pretty much clinched the team title for the Utes mathematically.

Payson won the other match-up when sophomore Landen Shurtleff (175 pounds) pinned the Ute wrestler Will Price in the third round.

Payson’s other state champion was Colton Theobald at 138 pounds, who defeated Wasatch’s Austin Kelly, 4-1.

“It feels freaking awesome,” said Theobald on taking state. “I have the best workout partners and the best coaches.”

Theobald had to overcome some injuries throughout the year including a dislocated elbow but got totally healthy in the last stages of the season for a championship run.

Wasatch (184) was a distant third but way ahead of the fourth-place team, Lehi (93).

The Wasps put four in the finals and Heath Clyde (126) won an exciting match to avenge a loss nearly two weeks ago at divisionals against Payson’s Ethan Boulton. This time the Wasp came out on top 5-2 in a battle that was absolutely thrilling.

Trailing 3-2 in the final seconds, Boulton attacked aggressively. That created a scramble situation where Clyde was able to use his funk wrestling skills to slide his hips around to cover Boulton, earning control for the clinching takedown with just two seconds remaining and claim the 5-2 win.

“I can’t even tell you what was going through my head,” said Clyde on the last seconds of the match. “It was crazy.”

Clyde was quite complimentary of just about everything.

“Great opponent, great teammates, great coaches, great community. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Wasatch wasn’t done as Ryder Robinson (132) claimed a title defeating Mountain View’s Cody Burr by major decision, 10-0.

Other champions with local ties were Spanish Fork’s Karson Shelley, who pinned Connor Knudsen of Timpanogos in a battle of fabulous freshmen.

Then at 285 pounds, Lehi’s Isaac Terrell defeated Uintah’s Gage Howard 5-1 using his vaunted blast double leg to earn two takedowns to go along with one escape point.

“I knew he (Howard) was a thrower and real strong, so I kept my distance and set it up and just went for it,” Terrell said.

Terrell, one of the best football players in the state and only a junior, is glad he wrestles.

“Absolutely the best decision,” he said about participating in wrestling.

Salem Hills put two wrestlers in the championship finals but both came short in their bids to win gold. Luke Degraffenreid (150) lost to Murray’s Isaac Orrock 6-1 while Monson Morley (215) was pinned by Cash Henderson of Woods Cross.

On the team front Mountain View finished in sixth place with 87.5 points just behind Viewmont (88.5). Spanish Fork made the Top 10, finishing eighth with 79.5 points.

Salem Hills (63.5) was 11th, Maple Mountain (59.5) 12th, Sprngville (56) 13th, Orem (37) 17th, Timpanogos (26.5) 18th, Cedar Valley (10) 23rd, while Timpview (3) was 28th. Two schools were blanked (East and Jordan) and two schools (Cottonwood and Provo) didn’t have representation at this year’s meet.

5A Boys Notes: Cedar Valley’s Braiden Balmforth (113) became the school’s first ever state placer as he placed sixth for the Aviator program.

A pair of brother-sister duos made a splash for county programs.

Maple Mountain’s Ellie Jensen won the 5A girls title at 105 pounds while her brother Andrew placed second at 195 pounds. Meanwhile, Springville siblings Tevita and Hotai Valeti both placed at state. Tevita took third in the 175-pound boys tourney while sister did two places better winning her second state title at 155 pounds for the Red Devils.

Viewmont twin brothers Moses (157) and Marcus Espinoza-Owens (165) are juniors and both had won one previous state title. But Marcus got his in his freshman year and Moses last season. But this season both brothers stood on top of the podium and are on track to be 3-time state champions. Moses defeated Wasatch’s Christian Slack 12-5, while Marcus took down Uintah’s Dustin Rhoades by major decision, 12-4.

Box Elder’s Bridger Ricks (120) won his fourth state title pinning Park City’s Jared Miller in the first round. Miller was the first Miner state finalist in over a half of a century.

Two Woods Cross wrestlers (Colton Erickson at 144 pounds and Henderson at 215 pounds) won state titles and both finished with identical 45-0 records.

With 33 schools (31 actually competing), the 5A classification actually resembled classifications of yesteryear, and it showed in the parity in regards to the championship winners. No school had more than two individual champions and 10 different schools put grapplers on top of the podium.

3A Boys Tournament: Juab ran away with the 3A boys tourney while Morgan was second. ALA finished sixth.

Lukus Carrillo (138) notched his second career state title to go with two runner-up finishes when he pinned Juab’s Hayden Park in the second round. His Eagle teammate Andrew Fox took home the silver as he was defeated by Morgan’s Drew Korth by major decision, 12-4.

Brothers Kendal (120) and Traeton (126) Rasmussen finished third and fourth respectively for the Eagles.

The ALA brother-sister duo of Lukus and Oliva Carrillo both took state in the same season making Utah prep wrestling history.

Complete results of these tournaments can be found at www.trackwrestling.com.