With the best of the best on hand for the two-day event at the Merrell Center Saturday, the stage was set for some top-notch competitive action. Many the state’s top wrestlers came down to the wire to see who would make the trip to Austin for the state competition.

In the boys division at 103, it was Morton Ranch’s Justin Sanchez taking first place. Sanchez won by a 4-2 decision.

“The day after districts last year I told myself I would start training to win district, regional, and state,” said Sanchez, a sophomore with a 49-3 record. “I am not going to stop short of my goals. I will keep going.”

For the 112 weight class, Allen’s Roderick Gaines walked away as the champion with a 6-0 decision while Plano West’s Evan Burns won at 119.

The 125 and 130 weight classes were dominated by Houston-area wrestlers Erik Spjut (The Woodlands) and Cailin Tutt (Clear Lake). Spjut, the defending champion at his weight class, has a 44-1 record.

Tutt is 41-2.

“I’m just going to wrestle hard and wrestle tough and I shouldn’t have any trouble defending my title,” Spjut said.

The three wrestlers with the first name Austin all won their respective weight classes as well. Austin Barnes (Rockwall, 135), Austin Burke (Oak Ridge, 140), and Austin Cordova (Lake Highlands, 145) were all first place winners.

At 152, it was Lake Highlands’ Josh Marx; Westside’s James Hazzard took the title at 171. Hazzard was in the championship match last year, but took second.

Of course now, things have changed.

“I think I’m just more experienced and have been through the hard times with wrestling with losing the close ones,” Hazzard said. “Now, I’ve learned how to win the close ones.”

J. Christopher Fortner (Klein Oak, 160), Will Morris (Cinco Ranch, 180), Jerod Brockmeyer (Clear Brook, 189), Gerald Mouton (Beaumont West Brook, 215), and John Gioffre (Cinco Ranch, 285) round out the rest of the day’s top finishers. Gioffre, Mouton, and Morris are all unbeaten on the season.

For the girls, Waller had the most first-place winners. At 128, Amanda Kelso won by major decision 12-4.

“I had to learn real hard how to get my head focused on the match,” Kelso said. “And I have been taking things too seriously. I learned that if I just play around, I’m real successful that way.”

Waller also had Whitney Distolle (138) and Megan Fellers (185) finish first. Katy’s Kathleen Farmer (148) and Alana Jimenez (165) took top honors for the Tigers.

The other gold-medal winners were Jessica Nguyen (Cypress Ridge, 95), Alejandra Gomez (Houston Lee, 102), Taylor Busboom (Klein, 110), Julie Smith (Cy-Fair, 119), and Kiara Swain (Allen, 215).

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