In a competitive field, the Woods Cross boys wrestling team placed eighth in the Class 5A tournament, Feb. 16 –17 at Utah Valley University, scoring 72.5 points. The big story was the performance of 215-pound wrestler Cash Henderson, who cemented quite a legacy as a Woods Cross wrestler. 

Henderson, a senior who went 36-2 on the year, claimed the state championship for the third year in a row. This time, he took home top honors by winning in the final round by fall in 2:49 over Lione Hola of Kearns. Henderson won by fall in all four of his state matches, completing a dominant effort that underscored how well he wrestled all year and throughout his time as a Wildcat. Henderson won his first match by fall in just 27 seconds, followed by pins in 1:02 and 52 seconds to reach the finals.

The championship was a sweet way for Henderson to end his Woods Cross career. Last season, he was the 215-pound state champion and finished the season 42-2 overall. As a sophomore in 2022, he won at 215 too, winning by fall in the finals in 3:03. As a freshman, he placed sixth as a 195-pounder. 

Five other Wildcats qualified for state. Jacob Gardner placed fifth in the 106-class. At 165 pounds, Lock Smoot placed third, winning a 9-8 decision in his final match.  

State Championship wrestlers in the 215 lbs. category include, Cash Henderson, Woods Cross, First Place, Kaleb Djambov, Viewmont, Fourth Place and Mack Youngberg, Viewmont, Sixth Place. Photos by Carl Page

Viewmont

The Vikings placed fifth in the 5A state tournament. Viewmont compiled 97 points, 10 more than sixth-place Springville and 32 behind fourth-place Salem Hills. Spanish Fork won the 5A crown. 

Viewmont sent 12 wrestlers to the state meet, including two in the 126-pound, 138-pound, 144-pound and 215-pound classes. 

At 126 pounds, Viewmont’s Alex Lindquist entered as the top seed. He reached the finals, losing 13-1 to Wasatch’s Benjamin Kohler. Tate Ripplinger placed third in the 138-pound group. He won the third-place match 10-5 after losing in the semifinals. In the 144-pound class, Spencer Rees was runner-up. After going 31-9 in the season, he won three matches at state before losing in the championship 14-2. Mack Youngberg got to the fifth-place match at 215 pounds, falling 4-3. His teammate, Kaleb Djambov, finished fourth after losing by fall in the third-fourth match. He won five matches after losing his opening one.