Numerous Randolph County wrestlers nab regional titles, head to states

A slew of high school wrestlers from Randolph County will head to the state tournament this week at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro.

Several of them will aim for repeat championships, including Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Lorenzo Alston seeking his fourth title.

Based on regional results, the top four finishes go to the state tournament. Girls’ competition will be held Thursday and Friday, while boys compete Friday and Saturday.

Class 3A East Region

Randolph County schools – and Trinity in particular – dominated in the two-day regional at Ayden-Grifton. Trinity was the team champion, with Wheatmore the runner-up, Eastern Randolph in fourth place and Providence Grove placing fifth.

Trinity’s champions were Jeven Palmeri (106 pounds), Aiden Burkholder (113), Stephen Cross (120), Omega Edge (132), Hezekyah Matson (138), Simeon Hammett (144), Haris Idrees (165), Anees Khan (175) and Joseph Trahan (285). Burkholder will bid for his second state title.

2025 state champions Ayden Sumners (126) and Dominic Hittepole (190) of Wheatmore won in the regional along with teammate Spencer Moore (150).

Trinity’s other state qualifiers were Addam Bernal (157, second), Grayson Carroll (190, third) and Edgar Vasquez (126, fourth).

Wheatmore will also send Nolan Hammonds (138, second), Terry Gillespie (113, third), Dylan Harris (106, fourth), Brodie Bates (165, fourth) and Peyton Russo (285, fourth) to states.

David Lambright (126) and Maddox Carson (285), a pair of Eastern Randolph state champions from last year, were regional runners-up. Following an 8-5 sudden-victory decision against Vasquez in the semifinals, Lambright dropped a 7-2 decision to Sumners in the final. Sumners earlier had two first-minute pins and a second-period pin.

Carson fell to Trahan in the regional final by 4-0, with Trahan’s points coming on a second-period reversal and a pair of stalling points. Trahan had two first-period pins and a technical fall to reach the final. Carson pinned Russo in the second period of the semifinal.

Eastern Randolph’s other state qualifiers are Lucas Kennedy (120, second), Jamie Crabtree (144, third) and James Combs (215, fourth).

Providence Grove’s state qualifiers are Ayden Terwilliger (132, second), Malachi Combo (175, second) and Jeremiah Payne (120, third).

In other regional finals between two county wrestlers, Cross won by a third-period technical fall against Kennedy, Edge notched a second-period pin against Terwilliger, Matson won with a third-period technical fall against Hammonds and Khan posted a 16-6 decision against Combo.

Trinity’s team point total was 294½, with Wheatmore at 173½, McMichael at 152, Eastern Randolph at 126 and Providence Grove at 86½ among 23 scoring teams.

Class 4A

UCA was the team champion with four individual champions at Eden Morehead.

Aside from Alston, who won the 175 division, UCA’s regional champions were Ayven Virasone Chitavong (106), Andrew White (120) and Paxton Kearns (126).

UCA’s Caleb Saldana (138), Ric Riccardella (150) and Rylan Alvarez (190) were runners-up, while Huntley Adcock (132) and Travis Nobles (157) placed third and Chase Wooley (113) and Brennan Worrell (114) were fourth.

Randleman’s Alex Raymundo (106) advanced to states with a third-place finish.

UCA’s 235 points were enough to top runner-up Eden Morehead, which had 199.

Class 6A West Region

Asheboro’s Oscar Zelaya went 4-0 to win the 126 division at Kernersville Recreation and Event Center.

Girls’ regionals

Asheboro’s Alaina Scherer won the 235-pound division of the Class 6A West Regional at Charlotte Olympic.

She’ll be joined at states by teammates Andrea Thornton (second at 126), Briana Munoz (third at 114).

In Class 1A/2A/3A/4A at south Davidson, UCA’s Riley White was the East Region champion at 132 pounds. UCA’s Avriana Whitfield was fourth at 138.