Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Carson Robinson, top, works on Eastern Randolph’s Bryce Foland during the 160-pound final in the Class 1-A East Regional. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Five county schools have regional champions
ASHEBORO – Aldo Hernandez and Grayson Roberts will try to repeat as state champions as Uwharrie Charter Academy will send 10 wrestlers to the state tournament.
UCA, as the host school, rolled through Friday and Saturday’s Class 1-A East Regional.
Hernandez at 138 pounds and Roberts at 170 pounds were regional champions, joining 106-pounder Ethan Hines, 145-pounder Lorenzo Alston, 160-pounder Carson Robinson and 195-pounder Jaden Maness with those first-place spots.
The Eagles were overwhelming team champions with 251 points compared to runner-up North East Carolina Prep’s 152. Eastern Randolph was sixth with 115½.
The multi-day state tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum begins Thursday for Class 2-A, Class 3-A and Class 4-A, while Class 1-A starts Friday. Finals are slated for Saturday night.
Hernandez, who won in the 2021 states for Montgomery Central, and Roberts both moved up one weight class since last season.
Robinson won by a first-period injury default against Eastern Randolph’s Bryce Foland in the final.
The top four finishers in each weight class qualify for states.
UCA will also send regional runners-up Brandon Jordan (126), Jack McArthur (132) and Corbin Grissom (182) along with third-place finisher Alec Millikan (152). The Eagles will have entrants in 10 of the 14 weight classes.
Other than Foland, Eastern Randolph’s qualifiers are Jamie Crabtree (third at 106), Adrian Lopez (third at 126), Ian Moore (third at 220) and Carter Self (fourth at 120).
Class 2-A
At Bunn, Spencer May of Trinity, Dominic Hittepole of Wheatmore and Jose Flores of Southwestern Randolph won titles in the Mideast Regional.
May won at 120, Hittepole at 160 and Flores at 220.
Trinity was team runner-up behind Eden Morehead. Southwestern Randolph was fourth.
Trinity’s contingent at the state tournament also will include Brayden Hall (second at 113), Gavin Hardister (second at 182), Levi Dennis (third at 126), Joey Smith (third at 220) and Baron Justice (fourth at 138).
Wheatmore is sending Hittepole, Trey Swaney (second at 132) and Randy Spencer (fourth at 195).
Aside from Flores, Southwestern Randolph’s state qualifiers are Luke White (third at 138), Mason Leonard (third at 145) and Janaksel Perez (fourth at 106).
Providence Grove’s Colton Wood (285) heads back to the states after a runner-up spot in the regional. Teammate Mitchell Freeman was fourth at 152.
Randleman’s Braxton Walker (second at 195) and Kaelob Pearce (fourth at 132) advanced to states.
Class 3-A
At Lexington, Diego Gutierrez of Asheboro won at 120 pounds in the Midwest Regional at North Davidson to lead four Blue Comets into the state tournament.
Gutierrez went 4-0 to improve to 37-1.
Xavier Santos (113), who was a state qualifier last year, Christian Diaz (160) and Eddie Soto (195) also moved on with fourth-place regional finishes.
