12 area wrestlers capture NCHSAA state titles; Hough barely misses taking 4A crown
A dozen Charlotte-area wrestlers won state championships and Hough nearly returned to the top of the 4A ranks Monday in the final day of the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s wrestling state championships at the Greensboro Coliseum.
The individual champions included one repeat winner and two wrestlers who won in the girls’ championship.
Davie County won its second straight 4A team title, but Hough was a close second, losing 110 to 106.5 in points. The Huskies won the 4A crown in 2020 before Wilmington Laney started a three-year domination in the class and then Davie won last year.
Meanwhile, Union Pines (3A) and Seaforth (2A) successfully defended team championships, while Mount Airy claimed the 1A title. Fayetteville’s Jack Britt won the girls’ team championship.
The Charlotte area had eight champions in 4A; one each in 3A and 2A; and two in the girls’ meet.
Among the individual champions was Hickory Ridge’s Colton Campbell, who won the 175-pound crown and finished the season with a 55-0 record. Campbell, who won by pin Monday night, was last year’s 165-pound king.
Hough and Mooresville each had a pair of champions. Hough seniors Jackson Rowling (150) and Kyser Kostoff (165) each won titles. Rowling, who won in a first-period pin, finished with a 47-1 record. Mooresville’s champs were Jace Barner (120 pounds) and Austin Green (138).
4A BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Charlotte-area wrestlers won eight of the 14 weight classes, led by the two champions apiece from Hough and Mooresville.
Other winners were South Iredell’s Dru Kerley (113 pounds); Weddington’s Aiden White (126), Providence’s Santiago Ruiz Diaz (157), and Hickory Ridge’s Colton Campbell (175).
Kerley, a senior, was fourth in 113 pounds a year ago. Ruiz Diaz was third at 150 pounds at last year’s state meet.
In addition to the eight champs, the Charlotte area had four runners-up — Charlotte Catholic’s Jackson D’Eltore (106); Hickory Ridge’s Brady Donovan (113) and Damien Couture (285); and South Iredell’s Sam Harper (215).
3A BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Union Pines captured three individual championships and won its second straight team title in Class 3A. Second-place Dudley was 52 points behind.
One Charlotte-area wrestler took a state title — Stuart Cramer’s Bentley Sly at 144 pounds. Sly, a junior, scored a 15-0 technical fall (in 1:03) over Hayden Smith of White Oak. It was the second straight state championship for Sly, who won at 132 pounds last year. Monday’s championship capped a 55-0 season for Smith.
Second-place finishes went to Parkwood’s Kyle Simpson (126) and North Lincoln’s Till Helms (132). It marked the second straight year that Helms finished second.
2A BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Seaforth won its second straight 2A team championship, edging Trinity 149-142.
And Monroe senior Jesus Jarquin Ambrosio won the 190-pound state championship with a convincing 10-3 victory over Jacob Hudgins of Rutherfordton’s R-S Central. Ambrosio, who finished second in the 190-pound class a year ago, finished with a 26-1 record this season.
And two wrestlers — Lincoln Charter junior Chris Aparicio (150 pounds) and Mount Pleasant senior Jacob Reigel (175) — had second-place finishes.
Mount Pleasant finished fourth in the team standings, with Lincolnton in sixth.
1A BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Mount Airy became the third team in as many years to capture the 1A championship, beating runner-up Uwharrie Charter (Asheboro) by 35 points. Defending team champion Robbinsville was fourth. Avery County, which won four straight 1A crowns from 2020-23, finished third.
Two Charlotte-area wrestlers reached championship matches but lost. Michael Mauro, a Bradford Prep sophomore, lost 12-2 to Uwharrie Charter’s Lorenzo Austin at 157 pounds. Mauro finished the season with a 29-2 record.
And at 175 pounds, Union Academy’s Elijah Williams was pinned in 2:01 by Andrew Meadows of Mount Airy. Williams is a senior.
GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Jack Britt High of Fayetteville edged runner-up Hoke County for the girls’ team championship. Britt had three individual champions.
A pair of Union County wrestlers won state championships in the girls’ meet.
Weddington’s Breanna DeLeon captured the 145-pound title with a 10-2 victory over Faith Bane of New Bern. DeLeon finished her senior season with a 21-2 record. DeLeon was named the most outstanding girls’ wrestler.
Also capturing a state crown was Parkwood’s Rylynn Keziah, who beat Olympic’s Jayden Holmes for the 185-pound championship. It was a back-and-forth match, with Keziah hanging on for a 10-8 victory. She finished her freshman season with a 52-2 record. It was the final high school match for Holmes, a senior who had a 36-5 record this winter.
Two other Charlotte-area wrestlers, Daniella Jenkins of Jay M. Robinson and Allison Sanders of North Iredell, also had top-four finishes. Jenkins was third and Sanders fourth at 235 pounds..
4A boys
Team scores: 1. Davie County 110; 2. Hough 106.5; 3. Hickory Ridge 106; 4. Lumberton 89; 5. Cardinal Gibbons 84; 6. Mooresville 58.5; 7. Weddington 57; 8. Grimsley 56.5; 9. South Iredell 50.5; 10. Laney 49.5
12. Lake Norman; 13. Providence; 15. Charlotte Catholic; 16. A.L. Brown; 19. Porter Ridge
Championship bouts
106 pounds: Travelian Hall (Lumberton) def. Jackson D’Eltore (Charlotte Catholic, fr.) 15-0 technical fall.
112 pounds: Dru Kerley (South Iredell, sr.) def. Brady Donovan (Hickory Ridge, sr.) 11-4
120 pounds: Jace Barner (Mooresville) def. Aidan Szewczek (Davie County) 5-1
126 pounds: Aiden White (Weddington) def. Cayden Glass (Davie County) 13-8
132 pounds: Liami Hickory (Cardinal Gibbons) def. Tiaj Thao (Davie County) 16-13.
138 pounds: Austin Green (Mooresville) def. Jacob McCord (Grimsley) 5-2
144 pounds: Tobin McNair (Wakefield) def. Samuel Gantt (Charlotte) 7-0.
150 pounds: Jackson Rowling (Hough) def. Aidan Gore (Concord) 4-2.
157 pounds: Santiago Ruiz Dias (Providence) def. Aidan Gore (Garner) 4-2
165 pounds: Kyser Kostoff (Hough, sr.) def. Krizangel Flores (Porter Ridge, sr.) 8-0
175 pounds: Colton Campbell (Hickory Ridge, sr.) pinned Brendan Stevens (Corinth Holders), 3:07
190 pounds: Jack Hardy (Northern Guilford) def. James Ellison (Lumberton) 12-4
215 pounds: Hayden Haynes (McDowell) def. Sam Harper (South Iredell, jr.) 9-2
285 pounds: Sebastian Rivera (Panther Creek) pinned Damien Couture (Hickory Ridge, sr.) 1:08
Other area top-four finishers
106: Ryder Menard (Lake Norman), third; Adrian Feliciano (Hough), fourth.
120: Jacob Dusche (Hickory Ridge), fourth.
132: Tyton Kostoff (Hough), third.
157: Gavin Yow (A.L. Brown), third.
190: Luke Shipley (Weddington), third.
215: Drake Watts (A.L. Brown), fourth.
285: Dom Basrawala (Charlotte Catholic), third.
3A boys
Team scores: 1. Union Pines 134; 2. Dudley 82; 3. St. Stephens 66; 4. Eastern Guilford 65.5; 5. White Oak 61; 6. Pisgah 59.5; 7. North Lincoln 58.5; 8. Jacksonville 56.5; 9. Cape Fear 55; 10. (tie) Central Davidson and West Rowan 51.5
14. North Gaston; 15. Piedmont; 23. Stuart Cramer; 24. Parkwood
Weight class champions
106: Liam Myles (Union Pines); 113: Maleo Diaz (South Rowan); 120: Mac Johnson (Cape Fear); 126: Tye Johnson (Cape Fear) def. Kyle Simpson (Parkwood) 10-6.
132: Elijah Dorsey (Dudley) def. Till Henry (North Lincoln) 14-7; 138: Kevin O’Brian (West Rowan); 144: Bentley Sly (Stuart Cramer, junior) def. Hayden Smith (White Oak) 150: Will Varner (Kings Mountain) def, Elijah Oakley (Piedmont) 17-2.
157: Imon Freeman (Montgomery Central); 165: Nathan McCartney (Central Davidson); 175: Dominic Blue (Union Pines); 190: Brock Sullivan (Union Pines).
215: Xavier Wilson (Eastern Guilford); 285: Trevequan Gary (Person).
Other area top-four finishers
106: Jaxon Thomas (Piedmont), third; 126: Kaden Helms (North Lincoln), fourth; 138: Gage Helms (North Lincoln), third; 215: DeWayne Davis (North Gaston), fourth.
2A boys
Team scores: 1. Seaforth 149; 2. Trinity 142; 3. Morehead 92.5; 4. Mount Pleasant 87; 5. R-S Central 84; 6. Washington 74.5; 7. Wheatmore 69.5; 8. Lincolnton 60; 9. Bandys 58’ 10. West Cravens 45.
16. Monroe
Weight class champions
106: Aiden Burkholder (Trinity); 113: Jordan Miller (Seaforth); 120: Gabe Rogers (Seaforth); 126: Ayden Sumners (Wheatmore).
132: Layne Armstrong (Seaforth) pinned Cameron Gue (Mount Pleasant, jr.) 1:41; 138: Elijah Horton (Morehead); 144: Boedi Kirkland (Newton-Conover); 150: Gerald Johnson (West Craven) pinned Chris Aparicio (Lincoln Charter, jr.), 4:26.
157: Lorenzo Alston (Uwharrie Charter); 165: Lawson Coltrane (Trinity); 175: Dominic Hittepole (Wheatmore) def. Jacob Reigel (Mount Pleasant, sr.) 7-0; 190: Jesus Jarquin Ambrosio (Monroe, sr.) def. Jacob Hudgins (R-S Central( 10-3.
215: Braxton (Randleman); 285: Jaden McClary (Goldsboro).
Other area top-four finishers
126: Seth Almond (Mount Pleasant), fourth; 150: Brandon McBride (Lincolnton), third; 157: Brayden Smith (East Gaston), third; 175: Gavin Gholami (Lincolnton), third.
1A boys
Team scores: 1. Mount Airy 147.5; 2. Uwharrie Charter 112.5; 3. Avery County 98.5; 4. Robbinsville 70; 5. Alleghany 62.5; 6. North East Carolina Prep 53.5; 7. Polk County 46; 8. Eastern Randolph 43.5; 9. Tarboro 30; 10. Swain County 28.5.
16. Union Academy; 17. Bradford Prep; 25. Bessemer City
Weight class champions
106: Skyler Anderson (Robbinsville); 113: Adair Panama (Robbinsville); 120: Cooper Foster (Avery County); 126: David Lambright (Eastern Randolph).
132: Loxston Hooper (Robbinsville); 138: Ryan Murphy (North East Carolina Prep); 144: Joseph Jones (Mount Airy); 150: Carson Worrick (Alleghany).
157: Lorenzo Alston (Uwharrie Charter) def. Michael Mauro (Bradford Prep, soph.) 12-2; 165: Kenneth Pritz (Avery County); 175: Andrew Meadows (Mount Airy) pinned Elijah Williams (Union Academy) 2:54; 190: Cael Dunn (Avery County).
215: Michael Shropshire (Uwharrie Charter); 285: Maddox Carson (Eastern Randolph).
Girls
Team scores: 1. Jack Britt 101; 2. Hoke County 95.5; 3. Laney 89.5; 4. Rosewood 58; 5. Havelock 56.5; 6. West Rowan 54.5; 7. (tie) Jay M. Robinson and Trinity 44; 9. Parkwood 42; 10. Panther Creek 36.
Also: 14. A.L. Brown; 15. (tie) Olympic and Weddington.
Weight class champions
100: Anna Ockerman (Corinth Holders); 107: Khiry Reese (Rosewood); 114: Addison Gore (Garner); 120: Skylar Simpson (First Flight).
126: Isabella Hernandez (Jack Britt); 132: Iyanna Crawford (Purnell Swett); 138: Sumaiya Aamold (Jack Britt); 145: Brianna DeLeon (Weddington) def. Faith Bane (New Bern) 10-2; 152: Stephanie Diaz (Riverside).
165: Sophia Dzanicy (Jack Britt); 185: Rylynn Keziah (Parkwood) def. Jayden Holmes (Olympic) 10-8; 235: Sophia Marshall (Rosewood).
215: 285: .
Other area top-four finishers
138: Moriah Antis (Jay M. Robinson), third; 235: Dangua Jenkins (Jay M. Robinson), third; Allison Sanders (North Iredell), fourth.
