5A state boys wrestling: 4-time champ Shelley paces Spanish Fork repeat

OREM — Karson Shelley did something he had accomplished three years previous in his high school career, so he capped Wednesday's 5A state wrestling championship bout with something he hasn't tried in years: a back flip.

After the undersized 120-pounder shook hands with his opponent, Kaleb Blackner of Roy, and embraced his opposing coach in the final high school match of his career, he headed to a lengthy embrace with Spanish Fork coach Kip Spencer in his corner.

Moments later, Shelley stepped to the edge of the wrestling mat and performed a standing back flip to cap off his high school career.

"When I was in elementary school, I liked to do flips. I thought it was really cool," Shelley said. "So I don't know, it was just so much fun."

Shelley flipped out on his way to a program-first four state titles, setting himself up for USA Wrestling folkstyle nationals March 14-15 in Des Moines, Iowa, and high school nationals March 28-30 in Virginia Beach, Virginia — as well as the Dons' second state championship in as many years.

Spanish Fork held off Box Elder 331-319.5, boosted by titles from Easton Shelley (106), Porter Olson (150), Ryker Olson (165), and Hyrum King (190) for a school-record five champs.

Mason Bingham (126), Easton Connelly (157) and Cody Kaleikini (285) paced Box Elder to second, ahead of third-place Wasatch (211.5).

The Wasps got state titles from William Shallenberger (113), Benjamin Kohler (132), Daxton Bonner (138), Max Richins (144) and Wyatt Hanssen (175) to tie the Dons for the most individual champions.

But the Dons' depth carried them through, earning a feat that was hardly 20 years in the making like their last championship — but historic by the numbers.

Five state champions out of nine finalists. Fourteen state placers. The program's first four-time state champion in Shelley, who was the Dons' first three-time state champion since Travis Shepherd from 1986-88, per the Utah High School Activities Association record book.

All school records, "because the mindset was right," Spencer said.

"It seems like all year we've had a target on our back," added Spencer, the 5A state coach of the year. "Everybody has wanted to take us down. But the kids stepped up big time, and we set a goal to score as many points as we can — not just as a team, but individually, to go out and not just win by one or two but go out and score, score, score. To have these kids step up and do that is amazing, and it set us up to set school records."

5A boys wrestling state tournament

Top 10 teams

1. Spanish Fork, 331
2. Box Elder, 319.5
3. Wasatch, 211.5
4. Salem Hills, 112
5. Viewmont, 93
6. Roy, 75.5
7. Bountiful, 70
8. Northridge, 57
9. Brighton, 51
10. Springville, 48.5

Individual results

• 106 — 1. Easton Shelley, Spanish Fork. 2. Ryker Winward, Box Elder. 3. Zach Fowlke, Salem Hills. 4. Connor Avery, Cedar Valley. 5. Tate Allred, Olympus. 6. Ryder Thomas, Salem Hills
• Championship — Shelley, Spanish Fork, p. Winward, Box Elder, 4:48.
• 113 — 1. William Shallenberger, Wasatch. 2. Taegan Leavitt, Spanish Fork. 3. Conley Evans, Box Elder. 4. Jacob Gardner, Woods Cross. 5. Stetler Lloyd, Spanish Fork. 6. Ken Starr, Roy.
• Championship — Shallenberger, Wasatch, d. d. Leavitt, Spanish Fork, 7-4.
• 120 — 1. Karson Shelley, Spanish Fork. 2. Kaleb Blackner, Roy. 3. Farrell Burman, Wasatch. 4. Mesiah Montoya, Kearns. 5. Uriel Castillo, Cedar Valley. 6. Bennett Weight, Salem Hills.
• Championship — Shelley, Spanish Fork, d. Blackner, Roy, TF 17-0.
• 126 — 1. Mason Bingham, Box Elder. 2. Kyler Spencer, Spanish Fork. 3. Scotty Keller, Bountiful. 4. Walter Beacham, Alta. 5. Rylan Winward, Box Elder. 6. Seth Hall, Skyline.
• Championship — Bingham, Box Elder, d. Spencer, Spanish Fork, 2-0.
• 132 — 1. Benjamin Kohler, Wasatch. 2. Kolvin Thompson, Box Elder. 3. Maximo Quintana, Roy. 4. Brody Vogelsberg, Spanish Fork. 5. Brody Rydalch, Bountiful. 6. Saul Gamino, Box Elder.
• Championship — Kohler, Wasatch, d. Thompson, Box Elder, 11-3.
• 138 — 1. Daxton Bonner, Wasatch. 2. Bostyn Tucker, Box Elder. Spencer Rees, Viewmont. 4. Pace Williams, Olympus. 5. Enoc Oteo Torgenson, Timpview. 6. Cahill Simons, Spanish Fork.
• Championship — Bonner, Wasatch, d. Tucker, Box Elder, TF 22-6.
• 144 — 1. Max Richins, Wasatch. 2. Blake Buckway, Box Elder. 3. Landon Hill, Brighton. 4. Logan McNally, Wasatch. 5. Adam Mitchell, Cedar Valley. 6. Alex Lindquist, Viewmont.
• Championship — Richins, Wasatch, p. Buckway, Box Elder, 2:47.
• 150 — 1. Porter Olson, Spanish Fork. 2. Ian Nielsen, West. 3. Jacob Redd, Viewmont. 4. Joshua Helleksen, Northridge. 5. Jonah Ware, Wasatch. 6. Elijah Sanders, Clearfield.
• Championship — Olson, Spanish Fork, d. Nielsen, West, 8-0.
• 157 — 1. Easton Connelly, Box Elder. 2. Jaxon Sorenson, Spanish Fork. 3. Scott Naylor, West Jordan. 4. Wyatt Mangelson, Spanish Fork. 5. Xander Gasser, Maple Mountain. 6. Isaac Grieve, Highland.
• Championship — Connelly, Box Elder, d. Sorenson, Spanish Fork, TF 18-2.
• 165 — 1. Ryker Olson, Spanish Fork. 2. Eli Jurgens, Box Elder. 3. Tayson Wylie, Box Elder. 4. Beck Sanders, Bountiful. 5. Corbin Yoder, Salem Hills. 6. Joel Dominquez, Kearns.
• Championship — Olson, Spanish Fork, d. Jurgens, Box Elder, 9-3.
• 175 — 1.Wyatt Hanssen, Wasatch. 2. Logan Cefalo, Box Elder. 3. Lisiate Valeti, Springville. 4. Levi Birch, Maple Mountain. 5. Isaac Liechty, Bountiful. 6. Manoa Herb, Brighton.
• Championship — Hanssen, Wasatch, d. Cefalo, Box Elder, TF 20-4.
• 190 — 1. Hyrum King, Spanish Fork. 2. Kaden Moore, Salem Hills. 3. Zion Lavalous-Talia, Northridge. 4. Bodee Burnham, Box Elder. 5. Bruce Walker, Hunter. 6. Fernando Cortez, Brighton.
• Championship — King, Spanish Fork, d. Moore, Salem Hills, 17-6.
• 215 — 1. Moroni Mahe, Hillcrest. 2. Preston Graver, Spanish Fork. 3. Tate Allred, Salem Hills. 4. Mack Youngberg, Viewmont. 5. Kaleb Djambov, Viewmont. 6. Porter Jones, West Jordan.
• Championship — Mahe, Hillcrest, d. Graver, Spanish Fork, 5-2.
• 285 — 1. Cody Kaleikini, Box Elder. 2. Carter Rudolph, Roy. 3. Jonah Mandleco, Clearfield. 4. Rylan Rude, Northridge. 5. Tyler Rawlings, Spanish Fork. 6. Ifo Pili Jr., Granger.
• Championship — Kaleikini, Box Elder, d. Rudolph, Roy, 7-1.

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