By Julie Johansen
Two Spartans and two Dinos were invited to the Beehive Invitational Wrestling Tournament held at Juab High School on Saturday. Competing for Emery was Monty Christiansen at 113 pounds and Easton Thornley wrestling at 285 pounds. Carbon’s Brax Tapia competed in the 132-weight class while Fortune Ward represented the Lady Dinos.
Christiansen received a bye in the first round as he was slated as number one. In quarterfinal round, he pinned Riverton wrestler Samuel Moody. Then, in the semifinal round, he won by decision, 5-0, over Layton wrestler Arden Bastain. This led Christiansen to the final championship match, where he took a 9-4 decision over Roy’s Kaleb Blackner. This gave Christiansen the gold medal and first place in the 113-pound class.
Thornley wrestled tough but fell to Pine View wrestler Caleb Patton with a 6-4 decision in the first championship round. In the first consolation round, Sky View’s Preston Smith defeated Thornley with a pin in the second round.
Brax Tapia went 4-2 for the tournament, winning four matches all in different ways. He had wins by decision, sudden victory, tech fall and he outwrestled his opponent eventually ending in a forfeit, giving him the fifth place podium.
Also receiving the high honors of being invited was Lady Dino Fortune Ward. Ward has been having a fantastic season thus far and was set to represent Carbon, but was unable to place in the tournament.
