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OREM — Westlake girls wrestling is quietly building a dynasty, with the first two 6A state championships since the Utah High School Activities Association sanctioned the sport a year after the Thunder won their first club title.
But Saturday's repeat championship wasn't your typical repeat title.
The Thunder rolled, yes. But they did it with a group of first-time champs and new faces to the sport.
Jamie Barton (105), Ashley Cannon (120), Celeste Detoles (125), Lizzie Shunn (140), Emmy Finlinson (145) and Keilikki Nau Rarick (235) each won an individual title as Westlake piled up 290 team points and ran away from the field at the UCCU Center.
"There was pressure coming in. We lost a few girls to transfers and move outs, and it really had to come from everyone," said Westlake coach Cody Burdett, who was named 6A Coach of the Year. "We couldn't just rest on our laurels. I felt like the girls came together.
"We had some trying times, like any team. But they came together and they worked hard."
The Thunder came out on fire, riding Barton's title at 105 pounds and rolling through Cannon's 3:30 pin at 120 pounds to take a commanding lead.
And it was all downhill from there. The Thunder came in as the hunted team, but left as hunters, with the big-game trophy to prove it.
"We got to know each other better, and were more united this year than last year," Cannon said. "We were all friends, and built this incredible connection. Everyone's so happy for everyone else."
Westlake put on a show on the biggest stage in the first year that the boys and girls' wrestling tournaments were staged concurrently. With that stage came more pressure, and also more glory for a program building itself into a high-quality girls power for the young, fast-growing sport.
"I think it's great that we have so many girls that we needed divisionals this year," Cannon said. "There were plenty of weights that needed it, and I thought that was huge."
Right next to the Thunder's mat, the Pleasant Grove boys' wrestling team was fending off Layton for the Vikings' fifth-straight title, 11th in the past 12 years and 23rd in program history — tied with Wasatch for the third-most all-time.
Is a similar dynasty brewing at Westlake? The Thunder only lose two state placers from this year's team that will look to defend both sanctioned titles next season.
And they'll look over the shoulders for an example of jus thow good this program can be.
"My goal for when I graduate next year is to build the program to where PG is with their boys' team," Shunn said. "We want to keep winning state titles, just racking them up. I know a lot of talk in freshman year was our quantity.
"Now we showed our quality. Our girls have worked so hard and improved so much, and we're winning on the consolation side and the championship side. That's what makes a great team."
UHSAA 6A Girls Wrestling
Feb. 19, 2022
UCCU Center, Orem
Team scores
Westlake 290, Copper Hills 210, Pleasant Grove 137, Mountain Ridge 123, Syracuse 121, Cyprus 101, Riverton 95, Corner Canyon 91, Granger 82, Layton 79, Weber 65, Hunter 64, Bingham 59.5, Davis 54.5, Fremont 47, Taylorsville 38, Herriman 25, Skyridge 25, Farmington 24, West Jordan 24, Clearfield 23, Roy 21, Kearns 18, West 14, American Fork 3.
Top-6 wrestlers
100 — 1. Kristina Kent, Davis; 2. Mailen Tran, Bingham; 3. Sherlyn Orduno, Granger; 4. Emily Ball, Syracuse; 5. Paizlie Andre, Syracuse; 6. Ulyssa Peterson, Weber.
105 — 1. Jamie Barton, Westlake; 2. Kaaulani Hew-Len, Hunter; 3. Isabelle Fisher, Pleasant Grove; 4. Madelyn Nielen, West; 5. Tatum Stanger, Layton; 6. Athena Oro, Granger.
110 — 1. Marlie Rigby, Layton; 2. Aleena Navarrete, Weber; 3. Lexus Bertagnolli, Roy; 4. Llianny Barrena, Skyridge; 5. Sabrina Jensen, Syracuse; 6. Jenna Olsen, Hunter.
115 — 1. Brooklyn Pace, Copper Hills; 2. Bella Butterfield, Riverton; 3. Samantha Memmott, Layton; 4. Aly Larson, Corner Canyon; 5. Abigail Griffith, Mountain Ridge; 6. Eva Schuenemann, Corner Canyon.
120 — 1. Ashley Cannon, Westlake; 2. Kimberlynn, Fowers, Copper Hills; 3. Cheyenne Cummings, Cyprus; 4. Olivia Barton, Syracuse; 5. Cassidy Cooper, Pleasant Grove; 6. Myiah Giampapa, Riverton.
125 — 1. Celeste Detoles, Westlake; 2. Brylee Roennebeck, Syracuse; 3. Gracie Borchardt, Pleasant Grove; 4. Valentina Martinez, Davis; 5. Liliani Hopoate, Copper Hills; 6. Eva Newland, Mountain Ridge.
130 — 1. Brinlee Gines, Fremont; 2. Neida Valle, Hunter; 3. Ameris Jensen, Westlake; 4. Ava Krebs, Pleasant Grove; 5. Ashley Wilcox, Copper Hills; 6. Elizabeth Lemon, Copper Hills.
135 — 1. Kate McNeill, Mountain Ridge; 2. Quincy Peterson, Westlake; 3. Ashlea Larson, Riverton; 4. Acacia Heath, Copper Hills; 5. Meleana Fager, Corner Canyon; 6. Kara Noyce, Copper Hills.
140 — 1. Lizzie Shunn, Westlake; 2. Kacy Mecham, Cyprus; 3. Hailey Pigg, Westlake; 4. Katie Navarro, West Jordan; 5. Taylor Martin, Pleasant Grove; 6. Nativada Unsworth, Taylorsville.
145 — 1. Emmy Finlinson, Westlake; 2. Angella Van Valkenburg, Bingham; 3. Bella Morgan, Corner Canyon; 4. Leticia Garcia, Kearns; 5. Janessa Brown, Mountain Ridge; 6. Hailey Curtis, Mountain Ridge.
155 — 1. Brooklyn Hays, Pleasant Grove; Bailee Hawks Nelson, Cyprus; 3. Kam Nez, Corner Canyon; 4. Samantha Dotson, Westlake; 5. Ellyana Shane, Weber; 6. Haley Diaz, Layton.
170 — 1. Anya Hatch, Copper Hills; 2. Tayleigh Robertson, Copper Hills; 3. Adel Roennebeck, Syracuse; 4. Alyx Walker, Clearfield; 5. Jessica Hacking, Farmington; 6. Jesse Harrison, Westlake.
190 — 1. Cheyenne Ruiz, Taylorsville; 2. Tori Poulsen, Cyprus; 3. Rachel Johnson, Riverton; 4. Mikaylee Stitcher, Bingham; 5. Audrey Gribble, Herriman; 6. Midori Kano, Corner Canyon.
235 — 1. Keilikki Nau Rarick, Westlake; 2. Bethany Gardner, Granger; 3. Zoie Nerch, Copper Hills; 4. Kate Ashton, Mountain Ridge; 5. Tapuaki Halahingano, Granger; 6. Makaylee Huntsman, Westlake.
