6A girls wrestling: Mountain Ridge girls repeat with 4 champions, 'special' father-daughter duo

OREM — Asking Mountain Ridge girls wrestling coach Brandon Birch to name his favorite individual champion from the Sentinels' four titles may be like picking a favorite child.

But the 235-pound winner holds a special place in his own heart: His own flesh and blood.

Bella Birch was the fourth individual champion in the final match of the night as Mountain Ridge held on to repeat as 6A girls wrestling state champions at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University.

"Having my daughter win it at 235 was amazing. But all of them were fantastic," said the two-time state champion coach, particularly noting Olivia Merino's second individual title at 145 pounds. "They're all special. But there's always the daughter thing, and it's definitely a bit extra special."

Brooklyn Eagar opened the finals with a 5-minute, 31-second pin at 105 pounds to give the Sentinels their first individual champion, and Evalyn Lenahan (135) and Merino (145) helped the Sentinels turn a 8.5-point lead after Wednesday's first day of competition into a 225-211 edge over Westlake.

Mountain Ridge is just the second team to win a repeat 6A title since the the Utah High School Activities Association sanctioned girls wrestling five years ago. The Sentinels join former three-time champion Westlake (2021-23) with the honor.

But Thursday's triumph was different for Birch's group, which wrestled without three varsity wrestlers due to injury — and added a runner-up, two third-place finishers, two fifth-place finishers and three sixth-placers.

"I knew my team would be proud of how I did, even I didn't win," Bella Birch said. "But it was amazing. I was really proud not only of myself, but of my team."

Corner Canyon's Piper Eller (100), Copper Hills' Naomi Kofe (120), Riverton's Hannah Larson (130) and Westlake's Tevia Rarick (190) each added repeat individual championships.

Layton's Brynlee Sorensen claimed her third title at 125 pounds, Skyridge's Madison Sherman added a third title at 155, and Corner Canyon's Clarion Fager took home most outstanding wrestler honors with a three-peat at 170.

Syracuse's Payton Gines entered Thursday's 115-pound final with a 28-3 record and a bid to become just the third four-time state champion in UHSAA history.

But Copper Hills freshman Maquell Pace set herself up on a similar trajectory, jumped out to a 7-0 lead after the first period and 10-3 advantage in the third before winning by pin in 5:03 for her first individual title.

"I've been doing a lot of visualization, which has really helped me to just be grateful," said Pace, whose sister Brooklyn started her own collegiate and Olympic dreams by winning won four individual titles for Copper Hills from 2021-24. "When I'm in the moment, it kind of feels like a dream, and this is a dream come true. I'm just so happy."

6A girls wrestling state tournament

Top-10 teams

1. Mountain Ridge, 225
2. Westlake, 211
3. Corner Canyon, 191
4. Cedar Valley, 174
5. Copper Hills, 157.5
6. Davis, 124.5
7. Syracuse, 123.5
8. Layton, 109
9. Herriman, 88.5
10. Skyridge, 83

Individual results

100 pounds

1. Piper Eller, Corner Canyon
2. Nevi Brady, Cedar Valley
3. Melayna Johnson, Riverton
4. Skye Schultz, Syracuse
5. Bekah Price, Davis
6. Ava Eav, Lehi

Championship match — Piper Eller, Corner Canyon, p. Nevi Brady, Cedar Valley, 3:44.

105 pounds

1. Brooklyn Eagar, Mountain Ridge
2. Aubriana Wadley, Westlake
3. Emma Wallace, Davis
4. Isabella Munton, Cedar Valley
5. Nara Johnson, Skyridge
6. Lyra McCarthy, Syracuse

Championship match — Brooklyn Eagar, Mountain Ridge, p. Aubriana Wadley, Westlake, 5:31

110 pounds

1. Kennedy Jeppson, Westlake
2. Rozlyn Robertson, Corner Canyon
3. Taranom Zakeri, Mountain Ridge
4. Presley Mataalii-Solomona, Westlake
5. Kayla Haskett, Syracuse
6. Kiara Tanaka, Mountain Ridge

Championship match — Kennedy Jeppson, Westlake, d. Rozlyn Robertson, Corner Canyon

115 pounds

1. Maquell Pace, Copper Hills
2. Payton Gines, Syracuse
3. Emerson Purser, Corner Canyon
4. Ashlyn Ballantyne, Westlake
5. Sofia Gwynn, Mountain Ridge
6. Dallas Peterson, Davis

Championship match — Maquell Pace, Copper Hills, p. Payton Gines, Syracuse, 5:03

120 pounds

1. Naomi Kofe, Copper Hills
2. Abigail Giatras, Weber
3. Lidia Anderson, Herriman
4. Brynlee Clarke, Layton
5. Heidi Huckstep, Westlake
6. Brianna Bellrichard, Cedar Valley

Championship match — Naomi Kofe, Copper Hills, p. Abigail Giatras, Weber, 2:25

125 pounds

1. Brynlee Sorensen, Layton
2. Faith Bowen, Mountain Ridge
3. Eletise Fager, Corner Canyon
4. Fenix Fischer, Westlake
5. Tayler Ivie, Copper Hills
6. MaKray Monson, Cedar Valley

Championship match — Brynlee Sorensen, Layton, p. Faith Bowen, Mountain Ridge, 0:49

130 pounds

1. Hannah Larson, Riverton
2. Sophia Tipton, Copper Hills
3. Millie Leib, Davis
4. Amelia Roennebeck, Syracuse
5. Avery Sanchez, Copper Hills
6. Telma Rodrigues, Layton

Championship match — Hannah Larson, Riverton, d. Sophia Tipton, Copper Hills, TF (16-0)

135 pounds

1. Evalyn Lenahan, Mountain Ridge
2. Charlotte Osborn, Weber
3. Marley Michaelis, Westlake
4. Hailey Tibbs, Herriman
5. Jen Brumbaugh, Davis
6. Lily Kahman, Syracuse

Championship match — Evalyn Lenahan, Mountain Ridge, d. Charlotte Osborn, Weber, 4:00

140 pounds

1. Alexandra Gates, Cedar Valley
2. London McEntire, Corner Canyon
3. Yenifer Calderon Escobar, Westlake
4. Addison Hutchison, Lehi
5. Gia Arrowsmith, Davis
6. Dylynn Wayman, Mountain Ridge

Championship match — Alexandra Gates, Cedar Valley, p. London McEntire, Corner Canyon, 1:02

145 pounds

1. Olivia Merino, Mountain Ridge
2. Madilyn Thompson, Copper Hills
3. Piper Taylor, Syracuse
4. Isabella Peterson, Cedar Valley
5. Elenoa Vaki, Westlake
6. Vanessa Garcia, Corner Canyon

Championship match — Olivia Merino, Mountain Ridge, p. Madilyn Thompson, 2:36

155 pounds

1. Madison Sherman, Skyridge
2. Hallie Denney, Cedar Valley
3. Mia Smith, Herriman
4. Shaelynn Willes, Skyridge
5. Naidelyn Lucio, Mountain Ridge
6. Kinsey Byrge, Corner Canyon

Championship match — Madison Sherman, p. Hallie Denney, Cedar Valley, 0:42

170 pounds

1. Clarion Fager, Corner Canyon
2. Gabriela Galvez, Layton
3. Jazmyn Simmons, Mountain Ridge
4. Claire Bartlome, Herriman
5. Jessa Parker, Davis
6. Katie Talbot, Bingham

Championship match — Clarion Fager, Corner Canyon, p. Gabriela Galvez, Layton, 0:56

190 pounds

1. Tevia Rarick, Westlake
2. Myrtie Faletau, Skyridge
3. Makayla Walden, Corner Canyon
4. Deveni Tu'ivai, Westlake
5. Koryn Mafi, Davis
6. Kenna Johnson, Layton

Championship match — Tevia Rarick, Westlake, p. Myrtie Faletau, Skyridge, 0:47

235 pounds

1. Bella Birch, Mountain Ridge
2. Vala Netane, Copper Hills
3. Rylyn Denney, Cedar Valley
4. Lauren Hatch, Copper Hills
5. Maleihna Falepapalangi, Westlake
6. Tina Lotulelei, Mountain Ridge

Championship match — Bella Birch, Mountain Ridge, d. Vala Netane, Copper Hills, 2-0

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