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OREM — There may have been no louder corner of Utah Valley than the one that was taken over by Juab wrestling fans Saturday at the UCCU Center.
And there was no louder screamer — maybe a few that matched it, but none louder — than when Connor Ingram won his second state title with a 9-5 win over South Sevier’s Triston Fillmore at 132 pounds.
He wasn’t alone, though.
Ingram and teammates Channing Warner (138), Chase Ingram (145), Cade Bowring (152), Will Harmon (160), Blake Mangelson (220) and Shan Jackson (285) all claimed individual state titles as the Wasps swarmed to a fourth-straight Class 3A wrestling championship under head coach Joel Holman.
“I feel like this sport means a lot to everyone,” Connor Ingram said. “Our people like success, obviously, but they really like gritty, hard-nosed people that like to go get the job done.
“I think it means everything to the people of Juab.”
The crowd made itself known, too, with deafening levels of decibels inside the 8,500-seat arena on the campus of Utah Valley University. Sometimes a wrestler can block out the crowd, the noise and the atmosphere, focus on the task at hand, and just simply wrestle.
None of the Wasps did that this weekend. None of them wanted to.
“It’s big having them, the crowd, the wrestlers before me to show what Holman and all the coaches have taught us,” Chase Ingram said. “Hearing this crowd gets you going.
“Sometimes when you’re tired, you can block this out. But a lot of times you can hear the crowd, and it feels really good right now.”
The Wasps had little to do to wrap up their fourth title, with a massive lead over second-place Morgan and eight finalists before the championships began.
But just to be safe, Juab won seven of its eight championship bouts — including five in a row beginning with Connor Ingram at 132 and finishing with Harmon at 160.
In between came Warner, who won his second title, and Bowring, who won a third. Jackson also won his second individual state title at 285.
It’s a remarkable achievement for Holman, who was voted 4A Coach of the Year by his peers. An orthopedic surgeon by trade, Holman holds practice at 5 p.m. every night to teach and mentor his wrestlers into what he wants them to be.
And what that’s been, at least in the past four years: a level of greatness previously unseen in Juab wrestling history. The Wasps won four state titles in a row for the first time in program history, after spending 10 years without a trophy prior to Holman’s ascension in 2016.
“He’s Holman,” Chase Ingram said of his coach. “I don’t know how to explain it; he’s Joel Holman, and that’s who he is. That’s how he’s going to coach. That’s how he’s going to teach.
“I love him for it.”
Jake Jackson won a state title at 195 to pace second-place Delta, and third-place Morgan added champions in William Korth (113), Waylen Pentz (120) and Jarett Jorgensen (167).
Class 3A
Most Outstanding Wrestlers: Waylen Pentz, Morgan; Cade Bowring, Juab
Coach of the Year: Joel Holman, Juab
Top 10 Teams
Juab 286.5, Delta 216.5, Morgan 184, Emery 169, South Sevier 130, American Leadership 111, Richfield 103, South Summit 95, North Sanpete 86, Manti 68.
Championship finals
106 — Dayson Torgerson, Richfield d. Kaden Ercanbrack, Juab, 3-0.
113 — William Korth, Morgan d. Blake Woolsey, Morgan, 5-3.
120 — Waylen Pentz, Morgan d. Joseph Mecham, Grantsville, 3-2 (SV).
126 — Jarett Jorgensen, Morgan d. Lukus Carrillo, ALA, 19-11.
132 — Connor Ingram, Juab d. Triston Fillmore, South Sevier, 9-5.
138 — Channing Warner, Juab d. Will Haight, Summit Academy, 19-6.
145 — Chase Ingram, Juab p. Jett High, South Sevier, 5:03.
152 — Cade Bowring, Juab d. Bryar Meccariello, Emery, 10-4.
160 — Will Harmon, Juab p. Bryce Clegg, South Summit, 4:37.
170 — Hayes Dalton, Emery d. Tanner Belinski, Morgan, 6-4.
182 — Jaden Kaibetony, North Sanpete p. Taylor Hunt, South Sevier, 5:24.
195 — Jake Jackson, Delta p. Justyn Mitchell, ALA, 3:45.
220 — Blake Mangelson, Juab p. Spencer Colburn, Manti, 1:30.
285 — Shan Jackson, Juab d. Kemer Jones, South Sevier, 5-1.
