Trinity, UCA lead charge into wrestling states after strong regionals

Trinity’s Bear Schaefer works on top against Seaforth’s William Bass during a key match in the Class 2-A dual team final. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Trinity and Uwharrie Charter Academy will be well-represented in the wrestling state tournament after both schools produced four regional champions.

Add in Randleman’s Braxton Walker among wrestlers from Randolph County winning regionals and holding high seeds for the states.

Numerous other wrestlers from the county qualified as well and could be contenders for place finishes. Wrestlers in the top four in regionals advance to states.

Trinity and UCA claimed team regional titles. Both teams were state dual team champions.

The three-day state tournament begins Thursday at the Greensboro Coliseum, except for Class 1-A that starts Friday. Championship bouts are slated to begin late Saturday afternoon.

Here’s a look at the regionals:

Class 2-A

In the Midwest Regional at Mt. Pleasant, Trinity’s champions were Spencer May (120 pounds), Levi Dennis (132), Jaden Allred (138) and Gavin Hardister (215).

May pinned his first three opponents in less than a minute before flattening Forbush’s Drake Parker 2:32 of the final.

Dennis ended his first three matches early with two points and a technical fall before stopping Michael Fischer of East Surry by 6-2 in the final.

Allred edged Wheatmore’s Trey Swaney 4-2 in the final after securing three first-period pins.

Hardister had two pins and a major decision before a 10-4 decision against Bandys’ Matthew Cranfill for the title.

Four Bulldogs were regional runners-up.

At 113, Trinity’s Edgar Vasquez posted three victories before suffering a 10-0 finals loss to Mt. Pleasant’s Seth Almond.

Trinity 126-pounder Brayden Hall was a runner-up after notching a pair of pins, but ending up on the wrong end of a third-period pin recorded by Mt. Pleasant’s Josh Hammac in the title bout.

Bear Schaefer (144) of Trinity reached the final, but was topped 6-0 by David McEachern of Mt. Pleasant.

Baron Justice (150) took second place, falling 2-1 to East Gaston’s Brandon Wyatt in the final.

Other state qualifiers for the Bulldogs were Aiden Burkholder (third at 106), Lawson Coltrane (third at 165), Joseph Trahan (third at heavyweight) and  Xavier Horton (fourth at 190). Coltrane was 5-1, with three pins, a technical fall and a shutout decision.

Wheatmore had runners-up with Swaney (138) and Dominic Hittepole (175) and third-place finishers Zack Starkweather (150).

Swaney won twice before the loss to Allred. Hittepole recorded three pins, including two in the first period, to reach the title bout, where he was a second-period pin victim to Bandys’ Ian Moore. Starkweather had a 4-1 regional record.

Wheatmore’s Nolan Hammonds (132), Noah Browning (190) and Johnathan Kelly (215) all went 3-2 but didn’t place.

** In the Mideast Regional at Eden, Walker captured the title at 190 pounds, using two pins to reach the final.

There, he defeated Seaforth’s Harrison Compton 3-1 to win the regional.

Kolby Garner of Randleman was the 138 runner-up. Eden Morehead’s Nathan Howard pinned Gardner with 26 seconds left of the title bout.

In third place for Randleman were Alex Raymundo (106) and Jesus Garcia (144). Raymundo and Garcia each posted three straight pins in the consolation bracket.

At 215, Southwestern Randolph’s Jose Flores, a reigning state champion, was the regional runner-up. He was pinned by Seaforth’s Ethan Kuball in the second period of the title match.

Earlier, Flores recorded two first-period pins.

Erick Lopez Rabadan of the Cougars was the 165 runner-up, losing 14-3 in the final to host Eden Morehead’s Brock Blizzard.

Southwestern Randolph’s Michael Jaimes (138) claimed third place. Teammate Janaskel Perez Mortera (113) placed fourth.

Class 1-A

UCA, competing in the East Regional at South Davidson, had seven wrestlers reach title matches.

Undefeated Lorenzo Alston notched four pins, including in 1:43 of the 150 title bout against Rosewood’s Fabian Sabillon.

Carson Robinson added to UCA’s title haul at 157, using two pins and a decision before a 15-4 domination of Thomasville’s Eriberto Torres in the final.

UCA’s Alek Millikan went 4-0 at 165, capped by a 16-5 thrashing of South Stokes’ Cohen Jennings.

Jaden Maness had three pins for UCA before defeating Pamlico County’s Tyler Stevens 10-5 for first place at 215.

UCA’s Ethan Hines was the 106 runner-up with a 5-2 loss to North East Carolina Prep School’s Holton Quincy. Jack McArthur placed second at 132 after Lejeune’s James Campos posted a second-period pin in the final. Jair Ulloa of UCA was second at 138 with an injury default in the final after managing two pins and a decision.

Third place for UCA went to Caleb Saldana (113) and Caden Bond (175) and Devonte Harrison (heavyweight). Brennan Worrell of the Eagles was fourth at 120.

Eastern Randolph’s Joshua Watson (fourth at 106), David Lambright (fourth at 126) and Maddox Carson (fourth at 215).

Class 3-A

Asheboro’s lone state qualifier is 132-pounder Oscar Zelaya. He was fourth in the Midwest Regional at North Davidson.

Girls’ tournament

There’s also the first fully sanctioned North Carolina High School Athletic Association championships for girls’ wrestling. That state tournament also will take place this week at the coliseum.

Trinity’s Bliss Joyce was the runner-up at 132 in the Midwest Regional earlier in the month at Kannapolis Brown. She fell in the regional final by 9-7 in overtime to East Davidson’s Danielle Dennis.