ETV News stock photo by Dusty Butler
The mats are out, signaling it is time to get back to work as the Spartans gear up for a new season. Emery set a number of school records last year, including taking third at state, its highest placement as a unit. The young men in gold and black have their sights set even higher and bring back a number of state qualifiers and a two-time state champion.
Unfortunately, Hayes Dalton is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in football, but the state champ is hoping to return at some point to defend his title. Other returning state qualifiers include Byron Christiansen, Sid Christiansen, Maddex Christman, Merritt Meccariello and Kayden World, to name a few.
“Studs,” as head coach Kirk Christiansen put it, fill up with weight classes up and down the roster. In fact, several classes will be heavily contested throughout the year. “It will be a knock down, drag out battle for a varsity spot,” added Christiansen.
Competition will certainly push each wrestler to grow and hone his skills, and it will also better the collective group. There are a couple underclassmen that will come in and make some noise as well, including freshman Taven Allred.
Really, the only two question marks on the team will be the 138 and 144 weight classes. Some young grapplers will need to fill those holes, but with many experienced returners in the ranks, there are plenty of examples to follow. Given all the talent and experience on the team, there are no limits to what the Spartans can accomplish.
“We will push Juab for a state title.” Christiansen concluded, “It’s going to be fun.”