Treasure Valley wrestlers of the week (Feb. 19 to 25)
Voting has closed.
See the winners, and all the nominees, below.
GIRLS WRESTLING
Nia Avelino, Caldwell: Scored a 12-8 decision over Thunder Ridge’s Mia Ragan for the girls 107-pound state title after finishing second last year.
Talea Nichols, Rocky Mountain: Earned three pins and then a 12-6 decision in the championship match at 114 pounds, upending defending state champion Joely Slyter of Lewiston.
Clare Waite, Boise: Won her second title in three years with a 4-0 decision over Coeur d’Alene’s Cara Brown in the championship match at 145 pounds.
Elise Twait, Meridian: Claimed the 152-pound championship for the second straight year with a 10-3 decision over Potlatch’s Hayley McNeal.
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BOYS WRESTLING
Jason Mara, Meridian: Became the first four-time state champ in program history and led the Warriors to their fourth straight team title. He racked up three pins to make the 5A 152-pound finals, then posted a 7-1 decision.
Carson Exferd, Nampa: Took his place in history as the first four-time state champ in Nampa history. He scored a pin, a tech fall and two major decisions for the 5A 138-pound crown.
Jacob Blandford, Middleton: Broke through for his first state title after finishing second the past two years. The 160-pounder edged Post Falls’ Trey Smith 2-0 in the finals.
Shilo Jones, Mountain View: Became the school’s first state champ since 2015 by rolling through the 5A heavyweight bracket with three pins and a 5-0 decision over teammate Aiden McGinnins in the finals.
Matthew Martino, Bishop Kelly: Racked up three pins and a major decision in 4A’s 152-pound division to win his third straight state title.
Sam Buck, Emmett: Brought home the 4A heavyweight title after a sudden-death victory in the semifinals and a 1-0 decision in the finals.
Quinn Hood, Fruitland: Racked up three pins and a 7-4 decision for the 3A 220-pound crown, posting 28 points as the Grizzlies set a 3A scoring record with 318 points.
Kash Cobb, Weiser: Rode three first-round pins and a 7-2 decision in the finals to the 3A 182-pound state championship.
Nathan Willoughby, New Plymouth: The senior pinned his way to the 2A heavyweight title for the second straight year. No match lasted longer than 58 seconds.
Evan Michaelson, Melba: Scored a takedown in sudden-death overtime for a 3-1 decision in the 2A 220-pound championship match.
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This story was originally published February 26, 2024 at 1:13 PM.
