Wheatmore’s Ayden Sumners leaps into the arms of coach Kyle Spencer after winning the 126-pound state championship in Class 2A. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
GREENSBORO — Trinity and Wheatmore shared some of the glory in the Class 2A division of the wrestling state tournament.
There was plenty to go around.
Randleman’s Braxton Walker joined in the fun as part of Randolph County’s huge presence in the classification during Monday’s finals.
Trinity’s Aiden Burkholder (106 pounds) and Lawson Coltrane (165) won championships along with Wheatmore’s Ayden Sumners (126) and Dominic Hittepole (175).
So of the 14 weight classes in Class 2A, titles in five of them belonged to wrestlers from Randolph County across the three-day tournament at First Horizon Coliseum.
It’s the first time in school history that Wheatmore has two state champions in the same year.
Hittepole, a runner-up last year, controlled Mt. Pleasant’s Jacob Reigel in a 7-0 decision in a rematch of the Midwest Regional final Feb. 15.
“I was excited, but it just hasn’t hit yet,” Hittepole said. “It paid off, all the hard work.”
Hittepole (47-5), a junior, outscored opponents by a combined 50-15 in the tournament.
In Sunday night’s semifinal, Hittepole used a tiebreaking takedown with 49 seconds left on the way to an 8-6 decision against Eden Morehead’s Brock Blizzard. Hittepole won his first two bouts with a major decision and a technical fall.
Sumners (35-4) edged Washington’s Bryce Perry 6-5, coming back after yielding a first takedown.
“I feel like I took control from top,” Sumners said. “I’ve been working my butt off for this one.”
Sumners (35-4), a sophomore transfer from Ragsdale, also trailed in the semifinals. He went ahead with a takedown late in the second period and ended up pinning Rutherfordton-Spindale Central’s Sam Gosnell in 5:07.
“I feel like the lights really got to me and wrestled a little nervous,” Sumners said.
Walker’s dominance continued all the way until the end in the 215-pound division, roughing up Seaforth’s Ethan Kuball 14-2 in the final.
“My goal was to tech fall everybody,” Walker said. “But I got the job done. That’s all that matters.”
Walker (40-3) led 8-1 through two periods and, with an 11-2 advantage, then lifted Kuball for a dramatic maneuver and three more points – much to the delight of his Randleman baseball teammates, who from Section 119 roared approval of a wrestling version of a grand slam.
“Unreal support from my school,” Walker said. “The whole team showed up and I couldn’t be more appreciative.”
Walker registered three technical falls, yielding a total of seven points in those manhandlings. That included a match that lasted 5:21 in the semifinals against Trask’s Asher Eason.
“My mindset this whole tournament has been to dominate,” Walker said.
Coltrane topped Connor Byrd of Bandys by 7-2 for the title in his final high school bout.
“It hasn’t really set in,” Coltrane said. “I was just telling myself it just was another match.”
Coltrane (44-1) never trailed, with a third-period reversal pushing his lead to 5-1.
“He pinned me last year (in the regional quarterfinals), so I was trying to be cautious because I knew he had that pinning ability,” Coltrane said. “I was just staying confident in myself.”
Burkholder (55-3), a sophomore, pinned Washington’s Sam Boltes in 5:04 in a stellar final.
“When I get on top, I feel I can keep anybody down.” Burkholder said.
Burkholder said his confidence has grown rapidly as he became stronger throughout the season. His first three bouts in the tournament resulted in a pin, technical fall and a 6-0 decision.
“These are guys who are the best in the state,” he said. “I can actually do this.”
Trinity 138-pounder Jaden Allred finished second with a 9-3 loss to Eden Morehead’s Elijah Horton.
Allred (56-3) rode Horton (49-1) hard in the third period but couldn’t get a turn.
Earlier, Allred won by two pins and a 14-0 decision.
Southwestern Randolph senior Jose Flores (285, 41-2), a 2023 state champion, placed third.
Flores trailed Goldsboro’s Jaden McClary by 4-0 late in the semifinal bout when a repeated dispute about the clock unfolded. Southwestern Randolph coaches protested the issue, and officials held several conferences to try to sort it out.
When time had expired, Flores appeared to be working toward a move that might have turned McClary. The match was deemed complete.
Flores then won two matches Monday, including a consolation semifinal by 3-0 against Trinity’s Joseph Trahan.
Trinity’s Steven Cross (113, 48-11), Omega Edge (120, 45-16) and Trahan (285, 50-7) finished fifth and Edgar Vasquez (126, 39-17) and Jayden Henry (150, 49-13), was sixth.
Noah Browning (190, 42-16) of Wheatmore was sixth.
Providence Grove’s Mitchell Freeman (157) won two matches by technical falls and lost twice by pins.
Wheatmore’s Spencer Moore (144) went 2-2. Teammate Johnathan Kelly (215) rallied in the final seconds to force overtime in the second consolation round before falling.
Trinity was the team runner-up with 142 points behind defending champion Seaforth’s 147.
Class 3A
Asheboro 120-pounder Oscar Zelaya lost his first and third matches. Teammate Bear Bigelow (126) went 0-2.
Girls’ division
Trinity had a pair of runners-up with both of its entrants reaching the finals.
Trinity’s Bliss Joyce at 132 and Briana Joyce at 235 both advanced to Monday’s title bouts after each winning three matches. Bliss Joyce has recorded two pins.
The finals didn’t go so well.
Bliss Joyce (36-1) lost a 4-2 decision to Purnell Swett’s Iyanna Crawford.
Briana Joyce (33-7) fell by pin in 3:42 to Rosewood’s Sophia Marshall.
Asheboro’s Alaina Scherer (235, 27-21) was eliminated with losses in her two bouts.
