Box Elder claims another Region 5 wrestling crown

SMITHFIELD — For awhile, it looked like the Bees might get stung themselves.

In the end, though, they went on their way back to Brigham City buzzing about another in a long line of league wrestling titles.

Box Elder High used some strong performances in the middle and upper weight divisions to overcome a strong challenge by Mountain Crest and capture the Region 5 Wrestling Championship in the annual Region 5 tournament staged Thursday night at Sky View High School.

The Bees took home six individual titles and had seven second-place finishes to pile up 367.5 points, which was good enough to turn back Mountain Crest by 14 points for the region title. The Mustangs, who dominated the lower weights and had Sylas Wells win the outstanding wrestler award in the upper weights, wound up with 353.5 points.

Logan High was third with 214.5, followed by Sky View with 139, Roy 70 and Bonneville 43.5.

"When we had 12 in the finals and (the Mustangs) had eight, I felt pretty confident," said Box Elder coach Mike Ripplinger. "But man, they wrestled really well coming through the back door, probably better than we did, so they kind of snuck up on me a little bit and it was closer than I thought going into the finals.

"That's where our strength has been all year, in the middle and upper weights, and we're getting better in the lower weights. But Mountain Crest wrestled better than us in the consolation bracket, and we've got to do just a little better if we want to win state, I think."

For Ripplinger, Thursday's title marked the 22nd region championship in his stellar coaching career.

"Winning's always fun," he said with a smile. "It's always a little bit different. Each one's got its own little story, and this year will have its own little chemistry and makeup and story. It's always a lot of fun."

Box Elder got first-place performances from Shand Hardy at 113 pounds, Jake Tolman at 145, Rasten Yeates at 152, Nick Sorenson at 160, Breckin Gunter at 195 and Rylee Reeves at 285.

Hardy (34-7), a junior who took the 113-pound title with a 9-0 major decision over Bonneville's Haydan Jackman, is another in a long line of Hardy family members who has wrestled, and wrestled very well, for the Bees' perennial powerhouse program over the years.