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Layton's Geronimo Rivera Jr. (right) clings to Westlake's Curtis Borge (left) during the 6A boys wrestling state championships on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

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Morgan's Drew Korth pushes back against South Summit's Zane Winter during the 3A boys wrestling state championships on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

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Syracuse's Perry Fowler raises his hand in victory during the 6A boys wrestling state championships on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

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Layton's Lander Bosh (right) wraps around Corner Canyon's Tanner Telford (left) during the 6A boys wrestling state championships on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

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Layton's Geromino Rivera Jr. (left) battles with Westlake's Curtis Borge (right) during the 6A boys wrestling state championships on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

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Ben Lomond's Evan Centeno (bottom) flips Delta's Kyler Jenkins (top) during the 3A boys wrestling state championships on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

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Morgan's Tyson Pace pressures Union's Spartan Stradinger during the 3A boys wrestling state championships on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

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Syracuse's Mason Carlson (top) rests atop Westlake's Jamyne Xoumphonphackdy (bottom) during the 6A boys wrestling state championships on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the UCCU Center in Orem.

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OREM — After winning a fourth consecutive state title, Geronimo Rivera Jr. made a mad dash for the stairwell leading into a raging crowd Thursday at the UCCU Center.

A thought occurred to Rivera — anxiously awaiting an embrace with Krista, his mother — that he’d now climbed the same flight of steps four years in a row. Mere minutes earlier, the Layton senior received a standing ovation for a 7-1 decision over Westlake’s Curtis Borge in the 6A 132-pound championship, cementing himself as one of the Lancers’ all-time greats.

But as Rivera puts it, going out a winner was always the plan.

Rivera’s father, Geronimo Sr., coached his son to a new milestone on Thursday, but the journey began when the younger Geronimo was just 4 years old. Rivera entered the day with a 72-15 record, 29 technical falls, 16 pins and three major decisions — but when it came down to the finals all he needed was his pops.

“As soon as I stepped onto the mat, all of my nerves went away,” Rivera said. “The past few weeks I’ve just been grinding in the garage with my dad. Been working on it all day, all night, going to three or four practices a day. This has been the goal since I started wrestling.”

Utah Valley University was the backdrop for all four of Rivera’s championships and the highly sought-after recruit officially signed with the Wolverines in November. UVU head coach Adam Hall, fresh off his ninth season as the head coach of an eighth-ranked North Carolina State program, was in the building for Rivera’s final run of his prep career.

When Rivera caught word of Hall’s plans to take the reins in Orem, he threw out his competing options — which included interest from Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota State — to stay home and wrestle in the Big 12.

“I was like ‘I gotta come’ (to Orem),” Rivera said. “I went on my visit (to UVU) and canceled like five other visits after that, knew where (Hall) was and knew this was the place I’d end up.”

Not only did Rivera top a Westlake opponent but Layton, as a team, finished the tournament 58 1/2 points ahead of the Thunder for the team championship. Four more Lancers ended the night as individual 6A champions: Lander Bosh (120 pounds), Logan Crowther (144 pounds), Noah Bull (150 pounds) and Elijah Hawes (190 pounds).

Aiden Bastian (113 pounds) dropped a tight 9-8 decision to Skyridge’s Jacob Millward, followed by Cole Fenwick’s (138 pounds) loss in his respective title match.

Seven more Lancers succeeded in consolation rounds: Gavin Regis (3rd, 157 pounds), Treyden Christensen (4th, 138 pounds), George Mansfield (4th, 165 pounds), Tucker Sorensen, (5th, 144 pounds), Martin Rodriguez (6th, 150 pounds), Porter Baclayon (6th, 157 pounds), and Ethan Sweet (6th, 285 pounds).

Carlson earns third-straight title for Syracuse

Finishing sixth as a team, Syracuse crowned Mason Carlson a three-time state champion after the senior defeated Westlake’s Jamyne Xoumphonphackdy by fall (2:24).

Teague Brown (144 pounds) and sophomore Perry Fowler (113 pounds) claimed victory by fall in their respective third-place finales. Additional Titan medalists include Ryker Nelson (4th, 120 pounds), Ty Hunter (5th, 285 pounds), Tate Mikesell (5th, 133 pounds), Zack Anderson (6th, 126 pounds), and Bracken Kentch (6th, 132 pounds).

Ellis, Roundy fall short for Davis

Finishing fourth overall, Davis celebrated two runner-up finishes between Austin Ellis in the 144-pound title and Ryker Roundy in the 165-pound title.

Six more Darts secured spots on the podium in the consolation round: Ben Brown (3rd, 215 pounds), Shepard Stephens (3rd, 175 pounds), Jake Bott (4th, 190 pounds), Daniel Schraedel (5th, 157 pounds), Makaio Bird (6th, 138 pounds), and Carter Percival (6th, 190 pounds).

Two runner-up finishes lead Fremont

Finishing 11th overall, Fremont welcomed two runner-up performances between Kamren Wolff (175 pounds) and Ridge Lindley (215 pounds) in their championship matches.

Wendell Maw (120 pounds), Kale Xorn (132 pounds), and Ryder Wade (165 pounds) all fell short in consolation.

Barker, Jones lead Weber; Warriors bested in early rounds

No Warrior made it beyond the quarterfinals but Karter Barker and Andrew Jones left their mark on the consolation bracket after accepting early exits in the quarterfinals.

Barker fell to Syracuse’s Perry Fowler by fall (1:27) in the 113-pound quarterfinal and later dropped the second-round consolation match with Layton’s Easton Pace by fall. Falling shy of Copper Hill’s Coleton Tobler in the 126-pound quarterfinal, Jones rebounded against American Fork’s Tyler Garrett in an 8-1 decision before falling out in the third consolation round.

Korth brings home sole title for Morgan

The team runner-up in 3A, Morgan brought home the individual 144-pound title courtesy of Drew Korth in a technical fall victory over South Summit’s Zane Winter. The latter program had its vengeance in the 175-pound championship as Chase Allen fell to Ben Smith (3:45).

Luke Woolsey (150 pounds) and Skyler Crowther (157 pounds) each claimed bronze medals in the consolation bracket. Woolsey battled back from a semifinal defeat and rose above Canyon View’s Nathan Nicoll by a 12-8 decision; Crowther hung an 8-0 major decision over Grantsville’s Ryker Jones in the third-place match.

Additional Trojan medalists include Ryler Jorgensen (4th, 132 pounds), Simoron Wardell (4th, 138 pounds), Joseph Belinski (4th, 165 pounds), Tagg Rich (4th, 190 pounds), Gabe Toone (4th, 215 pounds), and Tyson Pace (6th, 150 pounds).

Centeno’s fourth-place finish carries Scots

Ben Lomond exited the 3A championships with just one medalist, sophomore Evan Centeno, who finished fourth individually in the 106-pound division.

Centeno opened the tournament winning first-round and quarterfinal matches over Samuel Woolsey (Morgan) and Killian Olsen (North Sanpete). Carbon’s Jantz Greenhalgh defeated Centeno by a 6-2 decision in the semifinals and Centeno later fell to Delta’s Kyler Jenkins for third place in consolation.

The Scots finished 13th overall.

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.