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Spanish Fork wrestler Karson Shelley grapples with Salem Hills's Breyton Banks during the 2024 Ross Brunson All-Star Dual at the UCCU Center in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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ALA wrestler Rachel Camacho pins Riverton's Bella Butterfield during the 2024 Ross Brunson All-Star Dual at the UCCU Center in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Westlake wrestler Israel Borge battles Uintah's Michael Alexander during the 2024 Ross Brunson All-Star Dual at the UCCU Center in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Westlake wrestler Brayden Robison celebrates winning his match during the 2024 Ross Brunson All-Star Dual at the UCCU Center in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Payson wrestler Landen Shurtleff battles Olympus's Andre Leota during the 2024 Ross Brunson All-Star Dual at the UCCU Center in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Westlake wrestler Keilikki Nau Rarick pins Murray's Cheyenne Ruiz during the 2024 Ross Brunson All-Star Dual at the UCCU Center in Orem on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

Area wrestlers shined at the 24th Annual Ross Brunson All-Star Dual held at the UCCU Event Center on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem Tuesday night.

Here’s a look at some of the top performances:

Boys Wrestling

Westlake’s Brayden Robison (157 pounds) got the event going with a 51 second pin of Juab’s Preston Aagaard of Juab in the very first bout on the center or feature mat. Robison didn’t want to be on the mat too long because he had to wrestle twice when Pleasant Grove’s Bradlee Farrer dropped out of the competition.

“I just wanted to get a good feel, a good warm-up with a match and go into the second match more confident.” Robison said regarding his first match.

Robison’s second match versus Stansbury’s Brandon Ploehn was a bit tougher going the distance, but Robison was in total control, winning 6-0.

“I’m a bit tired, but it’s all good,” said Robison.

Westlake has had a great season thus far and is setting their sights on beating the defending state champions Layton. Robison said the key to defeating the Lancers might be more based on the intangible things such as team chemistry.

“We need to be a family,” Robison said. “We have a solid team and we’ve been working on techniques, but to be a family.”

One of Robison’s teammates, freshman Israel Borge, is turning heads as the Thunder 126-pounder put together a very impressive match pinning Uintah 2-time state champion Michael Alexander in the third round to remain undefeated on the season.

Israel’s brother Curtis (Zion) Borge (138) had a bit more of a difficult match going up against Fremont’s Jason Worthley, who recently placed eighth at the Doc Buchanan and placed second in 6A last year.

This bout needed some extra time, in fact, every second allowed by high school overtime rules, to decide a winner.

After regulation, the score was knotted at 2-2 as Worthley got the first takedown but Borge got two escapes and rode Worthley out the entire second period.

Both competitors provided some great scrambling situations but no points were scored in the sudden victory portion. Both grapplers rode each other out in the tiebreaker sessions, and then since Worthley scored first, he got the choice in the ultimate tiebreaker and chose bottom. But the older Borge was up to the challenge and rode Worthley out to win the match to stay unbeaten on the season.

“We just practice everyday on staying on top and doing our scrambles,” said Zion Borge, who was also grateful to wrestle in this event as a sophomore.

“It was awesome (to wrestle in the All-Star Dual). Last year, I came here to watch it. I was hoping to wrestle in it. I just appreciate being here,” Zion Borge said.

Zion’s brother Israel said he gets more anxious about his brother’s bouts than his own.

“I don’t really get nervous about my matches,” Israel Borge said. “I think we get more nervous about each other.”

Westlake’s Josh Fish (150) put together a strong match to defeat Union’s Tucker Roybal, 7-3. Roybal came into the All-Star Dual undefeated and is a returning 3A state champion.

And while Westlake’s wrestlers dominated the competition, other area wrestlers also showed their mettle.

In a battle of two returning state champions and local wrestlers, Spanish Fork’s Karson Shelley, who won the 5A 113-pound state title last season, took on Breyton Banks of Salem Hills, the 106-pound 5A champion. This year both are at 120 pounds.

Shelley made quick work of rival with a first-round pin. This is the second time these grapplers have met this year with Shelley winning both bouts, but this go-around the victory for the Don 2-time state champion was more decisive.

“Our first match was closer, but this time I was more aggressive,” Shelley said, who used a front head whizzer to put Banks on his back to secure the fall.

Payson had two participants in Quayde Beck (165) and Landen Shurtleff (190) and both won their bouts without much fuss.

Beck eased past Millard’s Morgan Tingey 9-3, while Shurtleff pinned Andrew Leota of Olympus in the first period.

Also victorious was Springville’s Tevita Valet (190), who picked up a win by pin over Millard’s Emilio Jackson.

Tege Kelley (144) of American Fork secured a close 1-0 win over Millard’s Sam Rasmussen with the difference being Kelley’s ride out of the Eagle grappler the entire third period.

Wasatch went two-for-two as Ben Kohler (126) downed Millard’s Dak Eldredge 9-3, while his Wasp teammate Austin McNaughton made quick work of San Juan’s Taylor Black pinning the Bronco wrestler in just 45 seconds.

Mountain View had two participants with Glade Harman (132) and Oakley Shumway (138) but both were defeated in their matches.

Boys Notes: With all the changes and extra wildcard matches, team scores in this event don’t give the most accurate picture of what classification or team was the strongest. However, the 6A classification left no doubt that it’s the strongest in 2024. Even with some of its stars choosing to sit out or not available because of injury or illness, the classification still dominated. Westlake led the way going 5-0 in its matches and 6A wrestlers were 13-3 overall.

Girls Wrestling

The female contingent of Utah County wrestlers also had a good night. The very first valley wrestler to win was ALA’s Rachel Camacho (115), a 2-time state champion for the Eagle program.

Camacho made quick work of Riverton’s Bella Butterfield pinning the Silverwolf wrestler in just 48 seconds. It was Camacho’s third appearance in the event but this year was extra special.

“This year was the funnest,” Camacho said. “It’s awesome (to wrestle in this event). There’s a lot of good competition so it’s a lot of fun.”

For Camacho, wrestling has become a family thing as her two older sisters wrestled in the Provo program and she has a younger sister in the ALA program.

Another veteran to the All-Star Dual is Maple Mountain’s Aurelia Ramos (190). She competed against Salem Hills’ Jocelyn Hepler in the one intra-county bout in the female competition. Ramos won with a second round pin.

“We’ve wrestled quite a few times this season. We just wrestled last Thursday,” Ramos said. “Every time I’ve won faster and faster but she (Hepler) is getting tougher and tougher.”

With the win, Ramos remains undefeated as a senior, her last loss coming in the championship finals her sophomore season.

In a much anticipated match-up at 235 pounds, Westlake’s Keilikki Nau Rarick pinned Murray’s Cheyenne Ruiz for the second time this season.

In their first meeting Ruiz started fast and built up a 7-0 lead before Rarick rallied and earned the pin. Though Ruiz was technically leading this bout 4-2, Rarick pounced when the Spartan made a mistake in positioning to earn another win by pin.

“This time I kept cool and calm,” Rarick said. ” I just knew I had to come back.”

She was also complimentary of Ruiz and the challenge she brings in these matches.

“Cheyenne (Ruiz) is amazing,” Rarick said. “She’s definitely the best wrestler I’ve wrestled.”

Rarick, undefeated so far this season, won the 16-and-under nationals while Ruiz is an All-American herself. Rarick, a junior, is going for her third state title but has bigger aspirations like winning the Junior Nationals as she will move up an age bracket.

Rarick’s teammate Celeste Detoles (135) won her match against Snow Canyon’s Nia Hagler by major decision, 14-4, to remain unbeaten this year as well. Combined with the boys results, Westlake went 7-0 in their matches.

Another rematch took place at 170 pounds where Springville’s Hotai Valeti pinned Canyon View’s Meletilini Matakaiongo for the second time this season. Valeti is also undefeated this year and the senior is seeking her fourth state title.

“She (Matakaiongo) gave me a really good fight this time and the match went longer. She’s strong,” Valeti said.

Valeti’s brother Tevita competed and won his bout and much like Borge siblings, she gets more nervous for him than for her own bouts.

“I get more nervous for him,” Valeti said. “He did so good tonight.”

Two other Utah County wrestlers were victorious in very hard-fought matches.

Mountain View’s Isla Baez (130) won a wild match 8-7 over Union’s Evie Davidson. Baez overcame a 4-3 deficit bh throwing Davidson to her back in the second round to go ahead 8-4 and then held on to secure the win.

Meanwhile, Cedar Valley’s Ryha Balmforth (140) needed extra time to beat Lucy Harris of Desert Hills. This match featured a lot of great back and forth action and regulation time ended with the two grapplers tied at 9-9. But Balmforth secured the takedown to win 11-9 in sudden victory.

Skyridge’s Nadia Thomas didn’t need any dramatic finish to win her bout at 125 pounds as she pinned Rich High’s Quincy Siddoway in the first round.

Mountain View’s Makenzie McCoy (120), Salem Hills’ Avery Winterton (145) and Skyridge’s Madison Sherman (155) also competed but the trio came up short in their bouts.

Girls Notes: With less changes in the initial published line-ups, the team scores had a bit more integrity. The 5A/6A team scored 55 points while the 3A/4A team pointed 36. The wildcard team was third with 27 points, while the 1A/2A team scored 22 points. It was a rough night for the 1A/2A teams generally as the boys team scored just six points with two wins by decision.

Complete results of the boys and girls competition can be found at trackwrestling.com.

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