Three UCA wrestlers claim state titles

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Jaden Maness lifts Tyler Stevens of Pamlico County during the Class 1-A final at 215 pounds. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

GREENSBORO – Uwharrie Charter Academy wrestlers were busy in Saturday’s finals of the Class 1-A state tournament, coming away with three championships and two runners-up spots at the Greensboro Coliseum.

UCA’s Lorenzo Alston won his second state title by cruising at 150 pounds, while teammates Carson Robinson at 157 and Jaden Maness at 215 also nabbed championships.

Eagles seniors Ethan Hines (106 pounds) and Alek Millikan (165) were runners-up, while junior Caden Bond (175) was third.

Robbinsville won the team title with 124½ points across the two-day competition for Class 1-A, while Avery County’s was next with 114½ points and UCA took third with 109. The Eagles had defeated Avery County in the dual team state final earlier in the month.

Alston, a sophomore, completed his second undefeated season with a pin of Avery County’s Mason Bentley in 3:02 in the final. To advance, Alston (48-0) needed just 28 seconds for a first-round pin of East Wilkes’ Wesley Willey and wrapped up Elkin’s Alejandro Lopez in 1:56.

Robinson, a senior who placed third a year ago, won 4-3 against Mt. Airy’s John Martin for the title. Robinson (40-3) opened the tournament with a pin of Mountain Island Charter’s Roma Perna in 2:50 and then stopped Pamlico County’s Jake Whitley 12-4.

Maness (33-3) capped his high school career with three pins, including a fall in 3:12 against Tyler Stevens of Pamlico County in the final. That came following Maness’ 56-second pin of Swain County’s Matthew Ferguson and 3:11 sticking of East Wilkes’ Tristan Alkire.

Hines (47-2) lost in the final to North East Carolina Prep School’s Holton Quincy by 4-1. That was the same margin as a week earlier when Quincy won the East Regional. Hines opened with a 6-1 decision against Robbinsville’s Skylar Anderson and defeated Mt. Airy’s Angel Olade 13-3.

Mt. Airy’s Andrew Meadows pinned Millikan (40-5) in 5:37 of the final. Earlier, Millikan stuck Hayesville’s Caden Gordon in 1:51 of a first-round match and defeated Lejeune’s Jacob Campos 11-5 in the semifinals.

Bond (45-11) worked for a 9-4 first-round decision against Zalen McCraw of Polk County, lost 6-4 in overtime to Rosewood’s Ryan Deloach, handled East Wilkes’ Raul Lopez 8-2 and was a second-period pin victim in the third-place match vs. Union Academy’s Elijah Williams.

UCA 132-pounder Jack McArthur and 138-pounder Jair Ulloa both went 1-2. Caleb Saldana (113), Brennan Worrell (120) and heavyweight Devonte Harrison all lost twice without a win.

Lambright takes fourth

Eastern Randolph’s David Lambright finished fourth at 126, splitting two matches that ended in decisions and splitting two that concluded with falls.

Teammates Joshua Watson (106) and Maddox Carson (215) were both 0-2.

Class 3-A

Asheboro’s lone entrant was 132-pounder Oscar Zelaya, who went 0-2.