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OREM — Layton wrestling coach John Fager knew it would take something special to knock off six-time reigning Class 5A state champion Pleasant Grove.
So he told his kids to do something special this year: have fun.
Safe to say the Lancers are doing just that.
Layton placed 10 wrestlers through to Thursday’s semifinal round, including two at 170 and two quarterfinalists who faced each other at 145, to run to the top of the standings with 130.5 points after the first day of the 4A/5A state wrestling tournament at Utah Valley University.
“I think the biggest thing is they were having fun, and they went out there and enjoyed themselves,” Fager said. “Even the kids who lost, they wrestled tough and went out there having fun. The kids who are winning, they’re battling and having fun, too.”
Pleasant Grove is second in Class 5A with 109.5 points, followed by Fremont (99), Viewmont (79) and Mountain Crest (76).
Class 5A state wrestling tournament
| School | Score |
|---|---|
| Layton | 130.5 |
| Pleasant Grove | 106.5 |
| Fremont | 99 |
| Viewmont | 79 |
| Mountain Crest | 76 |
| American Fork | 75.5 |
| Herriman | 75.5 |
| Syracuse | 45 |
| Sky View | 37 |
| Weber | 37 |
Tyson Humphreys (113 pounds) and Terrell Barraclough (120), two of the top-rated wrestlers in their respective classifications by WrestleUtah.com, paced the Lancers with a pair of pins in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
The Lancers then hit the heart of their lineup, winning quarterfinal bouts at 145 (Steven Quintana), 152 (Joel Dopp), 160 (Cole Faust), 182 (Austin Clem), 220 (Austin Early) and 285 (Micah Vuki).
Then at 170, Layton gave itself the best shot of a state finalist in the order, placing both Jon Lund and James Porritt through to the semifinals.
Again, fun, right?
“I think the biggest part is just having fun,” Lund said after winning by pin over Viewpoint’s Cameron Barnson. “It’s going out there and not just winning, but pushing yourself to have fun. Make this an enjoyable time for the crowd and everyone on the team.”
After dominating in the first period, Lund took a narrow lead over Barnson into the third period before pulling away and clinching the victory by fall — a big six points in the Lancers’ quest for their first state title since 2000.
“We haven’t won a state title in a really long time,” Lund said. “I think it’s really important for us to show what we’ve been working for, and all the time we’ve put in.”
Wrestling resumes Thursday with the championship semifinals at 12 noon. The finals for both 4A and 5A will run simultaneously beginning at 5:45 p.m. MT.
For complete results, go to trackwrestling.com.
WASATCH CRUISING TO REPEAT 4A TITLE — The defending champion Wasps placed nine wrestlers into the semifinals to take a 120 to 111-point lead on second-place Parson into the final day of the 4A state tournament.
Mitchel Slack (106), Sammy Heywood (120), Stockton O’Brien (126), Zak Kohler (132), Corbin Smith (145), Jakob Discher (160), Seth Gardner (182), Ritchie Heywood (182) and DJ Cohen (220) lead the Wasps into Thursday’s semifinals.
The Lions are currently second with 111 team points, followed by Uintah (106.5), Maple Mountain (80), and Salem Hills (75).
For complete results, go to trackwrestling.com.
Class 4A state wrestling tournament
| School | Score |
|---|---|
| Wasatch | 120 |
| Payton | 111 |
| Uintah | 106.5 |
| Maple Mountain | 80 |
| Salem Hills | 75 |
| Box Elder | 66 |
| Corner Canyon | 54 |
| Orem | 37 |
| Alta | 33.5 |
| Woods Cross | 33.5 |
