Broncos qualify 18 wrestlers for state with runner-up division finish

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School wrestling team collected 222 points to finish second at the 2A Division A Tournament in Millard this past Saturday, February 28.
Callen Burke won an individual division championship, six Broncos finished third or better, and 18 earned at least eighth place to qualify for the 2A Utah State Tournament.
Millard won the division championship with 570 points and San Juan finished 12 points ahead of third-place Kanab at the event.
Callen Burke continued his dominant run this season, going 2-0 at the divisional tournament with both wins by fall. He led the Broncos with 26 points in the tournament.
JD Palmer and Chad Yellow brought second-place trophies home. Palmer was 2-1 on the weekend with a win by fall and another by 9-1 decision. Yellow was 1-1 with his win by fall.
Deklan Helquist, Parker Snyder, and Trace Bennett all went 3-1 to finish third for the Broncos. Helquist and Bennett’s wins were all by fall. Snyder’s were all by decision. Bennett was also fourth in most pins in the least time with three in 5:18.
Grady Lacy went 2-2 on the weekend to finish fourth for San Juan with both wins by fall. Taydan Mark and Taylor Black also earned fourth-place results with 1-2 records. Each of their wins were by fall.
Lynnox Benn wrestled the most at the division tournament, winning four matches and losing two to finish in fifth place. Three of his wins were by fall with the other by 14-5 major decision.
Two other Broncos came home fifth in the division. Nicholas Joe and Logan Keith had identical 2-2 records at the tournament with a win by fall each and a win by decision each.
Keith also had the third-fastest pin in the tourney with his 16-second pin on Eli Brickey of Maeser Prep in the consolation quarterfinals.
Other San Juan wrestlers who qualified for the state tournament include Treshon Billie (6th, 1-3), Taren Bayles (6th, 1-3), Porter Keith (6th, 1-3), Koyer Johnson (7th, 0-2), Rigley LaGiglia (7th, 1-2), and Chance Laws (8th, 1-3).
The Broncos will take this week off to prepare for the 2023 2A Utah State Wrestling Tournament which is set for Friday and Saturday, February 10-11 at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield.