McQueen finishes 2nd in 5A race, crowns 3 champions

SLAM wins team title by triple digits

WINNEMUCCA – SLAM Nevada ran away with the 5A state wrestling title in Winnemucca, but Northern Nevada programs carved out their own foothold with a series of podium finishes across the two‑day tournament.

McQueen led the region with 114 points and a runner‑up team trophy, a performance built on consistency across multiple brackets rather than a single breakout moment. 

The Spartans’ 247.5 points and nine individual finalists overwhelmed the field, leaving the rest of the state to fight for position behind them. For Northern Nevada teams, that meant focusing on podium opportunities, maximizing consolation points and finding ways to break through in brackets where SLAM Nevada often occupied multiple semifinal spots.

The Lancers opened their weekend with a tone‑setting championship from 113‑pounder Cooper Sandoval, who pinned SLAM Nevada’s Kash Moore in 4:31 to secure the first Northern Nevada title of the tournament. Sandoval’s win gave McQueen early momentum, and the Lancers kept stacking results as the rounds tightened and the stakes rose.

Abe Coronado added McQueen’s second championship at 126 pounds, pinning Sierra Vista’s Aidan Hernandez in 3:55 to cap a dominant postseason run. Coronado’s finish gave the Lancers their only multi‑champion lineup of the weekend, a distinction no other Northern Nevada team matched. McQueen also pushed two more wrestlers into the finals, with Zaiden Hill finishing second at 120 and Cael Staggs taking second at 138. Those four medalists formed the backbone of the Lancers’ surge to second place, giving them the deepest Northern Nevada presence in the championship rounds and the clearest claim as the region’s top team.

Reno found its spark early when 106‑pounder Arjun Mediwala reached the finals and battled SLAM Nevada’s Vander Tran before falling 6‑1. Mediwala’s runner‑up finish helped the Huskies climb into the top half of the standings, and Reno added another podium when 190‑pounder Owen Layfield secured fourth.

Spanish Springs delivered one of the most balanced Northern Nevada performances, placing three wrestlers in the top four and showing strength across multiple weight classes.

At 106, Emery Lewallen fought through the consolation rounds to finish fourth, giving the Cougars their first medal of the weekend. The momentum continued at 157, where Brady Porter battled through a deep bracket to take third. Spanish Springs closed the tournament with its most dramatic match when heavyweight Elijah Gustavson reached the 285‑pound final before dropping a 7‑4 decision to Liberty’s Braiden Armstrong. Gustavson’s runner‑up finish gave the Cougars their highest individual placement and helped them secure 70.5 team points, the second‑best total among Northern Nevada schools.

Reed added a podium finish of its own when 190‑pounder Oscar Casarez powered through the consolation bracket to take third. Casarez’s placement was crucial for the Raiders, who finished 12th overall with 24.5 points. Reed didn’t have the depth to match McQueen or Spanish Springs, but Casarez ensured the Raiders left Winnemucca with a top‑four medal and a foothold in one of the tournament’s most competitive upper‑weight divisions.

Galena’s weekend was highlighted by 150‑pounder Manakai Kirn, who secured third after navigating a bracket loaded with Southern Nevada contenders. Kirn’s placement gave the Grizzlies their lone medal and pushed them to 24 team points, just behind Reed. Hug also reached the podium when 120‑pounder Brian Bernabe Verdin earned fourth, giving the Hawks a state placer and helping them finish with 21.5 points. Both programs relied on single medalists, but each made their presence felt in brackets dominated by SLAM Nevada and Bishop Gorman finalists.

Carson added to the region’s total when 215‑pounder Ethan Linehan finished fourth, giving the Senators their only top‑four result. Linehan’s placement helped Carson reach 10.5 points and stay ahead of several Southern Nevada programs in the lower half of the standings.

Reno’s Layfield and Carson’s Linehan were the only Northern Nevada placers in the upper weights, where SLAM Nevada, Green Valley and Bishop Gorman controlled most of the championship spots.

Damonte Ranch, Bishop Manogue, Douglas and North Valleys did not record top‑four finishes.

NIAA 5A State Wrestling Top 4 Finishes