Teams to beat, Boise-area title favorites at Idaho wrestling state tournament
More than 1,000 of Idaho’s top high school wrestlers descend upon the Treasure Valley for this week’s state tournaments.
Competition starts Friday at Nampa’s Ford Idaho Center, and the tournaments crown their champions starting at 4 p.m. Saturday.
We broke down all the brackets entering the tournament, sizing up the team races in each classification and highlighting the top individual title threats from the Boise region below.
6A TEAM TO BEAT
This tournament is Meridian’s to lose. The Warriors racked up a staggering 1,008 points for their ninth straight district title last week. And they enter the week with the most state qualifiers (29), the most No. 1 seeds (four) and the most top-four seeds (13) across all classifications.
Keep an eye on the team scoreboard as the all-class scoring record (338.5 points) stands within reach.
Post Falls snapped Meridian’s four-year run of state championships last season, but the Trojans would need a lot to break their way to repeat. Post Falls brings 18 wrestlers to Nampa, including nine top-four seeds. But Coeur d’Alene ended Post Falls’ streak of 11 straight district titles last week, meaning the Vikings or Madison may stand as the top threat for second place.
5A TEAM TO BEAT
This division stands as the polar opposite with a wide-open race for the team trophy.
Bishop Kelly enters as the reigning state champ, and it brings plenty of title firepower with three No. 1 seeds. Idaho’s state tournament often rewards depth over individual talent — but the Knights sent only 13 to state last year, and they bring 13 again this week.
Middleton (22 state qualifiers), Minico (21) and Blackfoot (20) all bring deep lineups capable of racking up points. But keep an eye on Nampa, which fields a dangerous mix of depth and title contenders. Six of its 16 state qualifiers drew a top four-seed in their weight class, tied for the most in 5A.
4A TEAM TO BEAT
American Falls brought home tournament hardware the past three years. But expect the Beavers to finally capture that elusive banner with a stacked lineup. Three-time state champ Nathan Gugelman II (45-1) headlines a list of 17 state qualifiers, including eight seeded inside the top three.
Snake River and Homedale loom as contenders. Snake River topped American Falls at district last week and brings a 4A-leading 25 state qualifiers. Homedale has never won a state title, but three No. 1 seeds and 20 state qualifiers give the Trojans the weapons for an upset.
3A TEAM TO BEAT
Two-time defending champ Malad brings the firepower to capture another title, leading the classification with 20 state qualifiers. That list includes seven seeded inside the top three, giving the Dragons plenty of contenders for the championship round.
Kellogg stands at the top challenger with 16 state qualifiers, including seven seeded fourth or higher to contend with Malad in the medal rounds.
GIRLS TEAM TO BEAT
Thunder Ridge has ruled Idaho all season, capturing team titles at Rollie Lane, Tiger-Grizz and Ardis Nash. Now the Titans bring 11 to state, including five who drew a top-four seed. Both counts lead the girls division.
Caldwell and Eagle stand as the top challengers with 10 state qualifiers each. Caldwell captured a District Three title last week against a deep field. And Eagle is one of the few teams to go toe-to-toe with Thunder Ridge this season, topping the Titans at a dual tournament.
TOP WRESTLERS TO WATCH
Bodee Williams, Meridian (6A 98 pounds)
The sophomore (29-4) suffered a heartbreaking loss in last year’s state championship match, giving up a 6-1 lead and falling 7-6. But he’s put together an impressive bounceback campaign, finishing second at Rollie Lane this year while winning back-to-back Tiger-Grizz and district titles. He enters state having won nine of his past 10 contested matches via a pin or a tech fall.
Jaxson Freeman, Caldwell (6A 126)
The senior (45-4) owns a host of accolades, placing at state three times, reaching two championship matches, earning folkstyle All-American honors and committing to Western Colorado. But a state title has eluded him thus far, and Meridian’s Justus Briggs snapped his 28-match win streak with a pin in the district finals. Look for a rematch in Saturday’s championship round.
Blake Nevils, Meridian (6A 138)
The sophomore (41-5) headlines the Warriors’ stacked lineup as a returning state champ and Greco national runner-up at Fargo. He hasn’t cruised through Idaho competition like he did a year ago, taking third at Tiger-Grizz and sixth at Rollie Lane. But he starts every tournament he enters as the favorite.
Ian Avalos, Mountain View (6A 144)
A two-time state runner-up, the junior (40-9) looks to break through for his first state championship this weekend. His title bid hit an unexpected speed bump last week when Meridian’s Darius Case pinned him for the district crown. The two are set to meet again in the semifinals.
Gage Ponton, Mountain View (6A 215)
The reigning Greco Fargo national champ is still seeking his first high school state title. He leads 6A in takedowns (133), and the junior (47-5) earned the No. 1 seed in his bracket by knocking off Caldwell sophomore Liam Rodebush (55-5) for the district title last week. Expect a rematch for the state crown.
Ryan Hirchert, Nampa (5A 113)
Nampa crowned its first four-time state champion two years ago in Carson Exferd. Hirchert (37-4) gets the chance to join him this weekend as the overwhelming favorite, cruising to wins over the second, third and fourth seeds in his bracket. He is 29-0 vs. Idaho opponents this season with 18 pins in those matches.
Vincent Contreras, Nampa (5A 132)
The senior (41-6) has reached the finals every year of his high school career, capturing his first state title at 120 pounds last year. He jumped up two weight classes this season but still earned the top seed thanks to another dominant season. But he won’t receive a cakewalk as he needed overtime to beat the No. 2 seed in his bracket, Burley’s Tristan Vega, at last month’s Red Halverson Tournament.
Jake Mescher, Bishop Kelly (5A 150)
Mescher (34-4) made the state finals as a freshman, then brought home a title as a sophomore last year at 138 pounds. The junior will try to make it to the finals for a third straight year as the top seed in his bracket and the linchpin of Bishop Kelly’s middleweight onslaught.
Tensei Thompson, Bishop Kelly (5A 157)
After taking second at 150 pounds last year, the senior (39-5) returns for his last shot at an individual state title. He drew the No. 1 seed at 157 pounds but enters an uncharted field. He did not face Lewiston’s Mason Faling, Lakeland’s Kalab Hammer or Bonneville’s Mason Hilier — the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds, respectively — this season.
Ryan Lewis, Middleton (5A 175)
The Western Colorado commit returns as the top seed after winning this same weight class last season. The 5A takedown leader (184) enters 37-2, with his only losses coming in the finals at Wiley Dobbs and Rollie Lane. He’s won 19 straight matches since finishing second at Rollie Lane, including 16 via a pin or a tech fall.
Jakobe Valle, Homedale (4A 106)
The sophomore (36-5) is quickly building an impressive resume. He followed up last year’s district, state and Rollie Lane titles with another district crown and a third-place showing at Rollie Lane this season. He already owns three pins and a major decision over his bracket’s No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, setting him up to add another state title to his mantle.
Trevor Paynter, Homedale (4A 113)
The junior (43-7) won a title as a freshman, then finished second last season. He returns looking to make it back to the finals for a third straight time as a No. 2 seed. If he makes it, he’ll get a chance to avenge a 6-5 loss at Rollie Lane to Timberlake’s Wyatt Carey (33-5), the bracket’s top seed.
Marcus Aleman, Fruitland (4A 126)
The senior (24-3) missed six weeks of the season, but he returned in time to capture his fourth straight district title last week. That helped him earn the No. 1 seed at state, where he returns looking for his second straight championship after winning the 120-pound crown last year.
Taylor Drake, Kuna (Girls 110)
The junior (42-2) stands as the Treasure Valley’s only defending state champ. She and top-seeded Mya Bolander of Idaho Falls split a pair of regular-season matchups. Drake won at Rollie Lane, and Bolander pinned Drake on her home turf for the Tiger-Grizz crown. But a highly anticipated third matchup for a state title is the only one anybody will remember.
Talea Nichols, Rocky Mountain (Girls 115)
The senior (27-2) enters with plenty of pedigree, winning state and Rollie Lane championships in 2024. She’ll need to knock off an undefeated opponent from American Falls (Kinzie Williams, 34-0) to climb back to the top of the podium this weekend.
Charlee Noah, Tri-Valley (Girls 125)
Southwest Idaho’s only No. 1 seed at the girls state tournament hails from one of the state’s smallest schools. But the sophomore enters with a bulletproof resume, sporting an undefeated record (39-0) while winning major tournaments like Rollie Lane and the Reno Tournament of Champions.
Whitney Cawthra, Rocky Mountain (Girls 140)
The sophomore (34-4) stands as the only person to beat top-seeded Ali Svancara of Buhl (50-1) all season. Cawthra scored an 8-6 decision at the Big Mountain Invite, avenging a 14-8 loss to Svancara at Rollie Lane. Their third meeting should determine the state title.
Ella Elordi, Eagle (Girls 190)
A two-time finalist at the Reno Tournament of Champions, the senior (31-4) gets one last chance for her first state title. The defending state runner-up won’t have it easy though. Her bracket’s top seed is Thunder Ridge senior Shaun Anderson (31-1), whose only loss came in the Rollie Lane finals.
This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 3:38 PM.
