High School

Top Texas wrestlers expected to make noise at UIL State Tournament

High School on Sports Illustrated highlights boys and girls championship contenders for the UIL State Wrestling Tournament

Levi Payton

High school boys compete in the District 1-6A wrestling tournament finals on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Pebble Hills High School in El Paso, Texas.
High school boys compete in the District 1-6A wrestling tournament finals on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Pebble Hills High School in El Paso, Texas. / GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the Texas high school boys and girls wrestling regular season winding down fast - districts just concluded and regionals set to begin Feb. 8 - High School on SI and SBLive decided to highlight a variety of wrestlers to keep an eye on during this postseason.

This list has many returning state champions and is stacked with returning state medalists, district and past regional winners - each of whom is a great bet to at least find their way onto the medal stand this year.

The UIL State Wrestling Tournament is slated for Feb. 14-15 inside the Berry Center of Northwest Houston.

Please note this is not a rankings list.

Isaiah Deleon, Corpus Christi King, sr.

Weight class: 106

After taking third place at state in Class 5A at 106 pounds as a junior, Deleon is coming off a UIL Boys District 15-5A championship at 106. He took the crown on Jan. 30 when he scored a 15-2 major decision over Esteban Vela (33-7) of Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial.

Hailey Delgado, El Paso Eastwood, fr.

Weight class: 100

Delgado hasn’t lost a match since April 14, 2024. Since then, the 2024 Women’s U17 43 National Champion has gone 38-0 during her young varsity career. She cruised to the UIL Girls District 1-6A championship on Jan. 30. She has won all of her matches this season by pin or tech fall.

Nathan Reilly, Cedar Park, soph.

Weight class: 113

The reigning UIL boys 5A state champion at 106, Reilly improved to 31-1 on Jan. 29 when he won the UIL Boys District 12-5A championship at 113. So far this season he's won the Capital Classic, Randall Ruckus, Pin-a-Palooza and the district title. After going 51-2 on his way to district, regional and state crowns last season, Reilly is now 82-3 in his career as he enters regionals on Feb. 8.

Riley Rayome, Conroe The Woodlands, sr.

Weight class: 114

Rayome is one of the best, and most dominant, girls high school wrestlers in the country. A two-time UIL girls state champion, Rayome has gone 191-5 in her varsity career and has won 132 consecutive matches. She hasn’t lost a varsity match since Dec. 17, 2022. She went 49-1 that season – her sophomore campaign – and won the 6A title at 107 pounds. She was 54-0 as a junior, winning the 6A state title at 114. She’s currently 40-0 this season and is eyeing a repeat at 114 pounds.

Michael ‘Mikey’ Ruiz, Canyon Randall, jr.

Weight class: 125

A two-time 5A state champion, Ruiz won the 2025 UIL Boys District 3-5A championship at 125 pounds on Jan. 30 to improve his season record to 23-2. As a sophomore he went 41-0 and won the 113-pound state title. He went 51-5 and won the state title at 106 as a freshman.  

Grace Romans, Allen, jr.

Weight class: 114

After taking third in state in Class 6A at 100 pounds as a freshman, Romans bounced back at 107 as a sophomore last season and won her first varsity state championship. She went 44-6 as a sophomore, winning a thrilling 2-0 decision in the finals. Eyeing more hardware this season, Romans currently is 26-4 and just won the UIL Girls District 6-6A title on Jan. 31.

Aiden Baker, Mission Sharyland, jr.

Weight class: 126

A returning state medalist, Baker has shown steady improvement throughout his varsity career. After taking fourth at 5A state at 113 pounds last season, Baker is currently 38-2 after winning the UIL Boys District 16-5A championship at 126 on Jan. 30.

Vanessa De La Cruz, Conroe Woodlands College Park, sr.

Weight class: 120

A three-time district champion and two-time state medalist, De La Cruz went 46-8 last season and finished second at UIL girls state at 114 pounds, losing to Riley Rayome in the final. As a sophomore she went 41-8 after going 34-8 and placing fifth in state as a freshman.

Yusuf Uribe, Frisco Centennial, soph.

Weight class: 126

He’s 35-1 and the 2025 UIL Boys District 8-5A champion. As a freshman, Uribe went 39-6 and took fourth in the state at 120 pounds. Aside from districts, Uribe has also won the 2024 Rumble at the Rock, Santa Slam and Highway Five Invitational Boys tournaments this season.

Kailin Sebert, Allen, soph.

Weight class: 126

Sebert has only lost one time in her varsity career (75-1). The 2024 UIL girls 6A state champion at 120 pounds as a freshman, she is 31-0 this season, having won the Ladies Talon Tournament, Texas Women’s Classic, Texas Ladies Outlaw and the UIL Girls District 6-6A at 126 pounds. To date, Sebert’s only varsity loss came in the finals of the Texas Women’s Classic on Dec. 9, 2023 – only the fifth varsity match of her career at the time.

Jackson Shipley, Dripping Springs, jr.

Weight class: 113

He placed second last season in the 6A UIL Boys State Championship at 106. He’s 24-2 this season after a 17-1 tech fall victory over Braiden Bartlett (Austin Lake Travis) on Jan. 30 allowed him to claim the UIL Boys District 14-6A title.

Emma Heaton, Canyon Randall, sr.

Weight class: 185

After winning the 5A state championship at 165 pounds last season, Heaton hasn’t skipped a beat at 185 – as she improved to 23-0 while winning the district 3-5A crown on Jan. 30. After taking fifth in the region as a sophomore, Heaton bounced back to go 53-1 as a junior en route to district, region and state titles.

Tyler Yancey, Azle, fr.

Weight class: 132

A 2024 U16 national Duals Greco All-American, three-time Greco state champion, two-time freestyle state champion and three-time national team qualifier, Yancey has made his presence felt on the varsity level this season. The freshman improved to 40-3 with a tech fall over Shafa Nawabi (Fort Worth Chisholm Trail) to win the UIL Boys District 4-5A title on Jan. 31.

Anna Vogt, Conroe Woodlands College Park, sr.

Weight class: 132

Vogt is 33-2 this season after winning the 8-6A district championship on Jan. 30. She went 40-1 last season and took second in state at 138.

Enrique Uribe, Frisco Centennial, jr.

Weight class: 132

A two-time state medalist, Uribe is chasing his first state championship this season at 132 pounds. He took third in 5A state as a sophomore at 113 and took second at 113 as a freshman. Now at 132, Uribe is 29-2 and has won the Santa Slam, Highway Five Invitational Boys and the district tournament this season.

Landri VonGonten, Conroe Woodlands College Park, soph.

Weight class: 138

She made a splash as a freshman, going 39-2 and winning the 5A state championship at 132 pounds. Von Gonten is 30-1 this season, winning the Texas Ladies Outlaw at 145 pounds and won the Cavalier Clash and Reece’s Warrior Invitational at 138.

Hunter Bogner, Dumas, sr.

Weight class: 138

A three-time state champion, Bogner is 141-6 in his career. He went 44-3 as a freshman and won Class 5A state at 113 pounds as a freshman, went 35-1 and won state at 126 as a sophomore and finished 29-1 and won state at 132 as a junior.

Bogner is 33-1 this season, his only loss coming to Colorado’s Roman Lerner (Air Force Prep) in the championship match of the Western Colorado Open (Open 141) on Jan. 10. He has won the Dumas Takedown, Randall Ruckus, Paul Aubrey Christmas Tournament, Tucumcari Rattler Invite and UIL Boys District 2-5A this season.   

Mackenzie Blue, Northwest, sr.

Weight class: 145

The two-time state medalist, Blue is 35-1 this season and chasing her first state title. She went 45-5 and finished third in Class 5A at 132 pounds as a junior, and was 49-8, placing second at 132, as a sophomore.

Chase Yancey, Azle, jr.

Weight class: 138

At 45-3 overall this season, Yancey has won War Games, Bring the Hammer and the UIL Boys District 4-5A title. He took second at the Talon Tournament and Nest Invitational and placed third at Texas Outlaw. He went 53-8 and took third place in 5A at 132 pounds last season.

Hadyn Stine, Prosper Rock Hill, sr.

Weight class: 152

A 2024 state champion in 6A at 145 pounds and a two-time state medalist, Stine is 32-0 this season after winning the district 6-6A title at 145 on Jan. 31. She went 40-2 during her championship run last season after going 34-12 and placing sixth as a sophomore.

Thomas Pacheco, Amarillo Tascosa, sr.

Weight class: 144

A three-time state medalist, Pacheco took first place in the district 2-5A tournament at 144 on Feb. 1 to improve to 36-1 this season. He went 37-5 as a junior and won the state championship at 144 pounds. He took third in state at 132, going 53-5 as a sophomore. As a freshman he went 40-3 at 132 and took second in state.

Rylee Ferranti, Klein Oak, sr.

Weight class: 185

Despite a late start to her final varsity season, Ferranti has still managed to win the two tournaments she’s competed in so far. She won the Tiger Classic on Jan. 18 and followed up by winning the UIL Girls District 7-6A tournament at 185 pounds on Feb. 1 to improve to 6-0. Ferranti went 42-3 as a junior and won the 6A state championship at 185 pounds.  

Mariah Dillard, Azle, sr.

Weight class: 114

The reigning 5A state champion at 120 pounds, Dillard is 35-0 this season. She has won the Ladies Talon Tournament (120 pounds), The Nest Invitational (120), Women’s War Games (114), Texas Women’s Classic (114), Bring The Hammer (115), and UIL Girls District 4-5A (114).

Honor Trevino, Lubbock Estacado, sr.

Weight class: 157

Trevino won the UIL Boys District 3-5A championship on Jan. 30 to improve to 21-0 this season. A two-time state medalist, Trevino placed third last season in Class 5A at 150 pounds.

Madison Pena, Lubbock, sr.

Weight class: 120

The 5A state champion last year at 114 pounds, Pena has made easy work of the competition at 120 pounds this season. She is currently 37-0 having won the Dumas Takedown at 126 pounds and the Lady Randall Ruckus, Lady Horns Classic and the District 3-5A title at 120.

Jadyn Johnson, Melissa, sr.

Weight class: 165

He went 32-4 last season and won the Class 5A state championship at 150 pounds. Competing at 165 this year, he’s 29-0 and has won the Arlington Invite, Reece’s Warrior Invitational, Rumble at the Rock, KC Stampede and the UIL Boys District 9-5A tournament.

Akeelah Moore, Melissa, sr.

Weight class: 120

She’s 37-1 this season after winning the UIL Girls District 9-5A championship on Jan. 29. She’s also won the Ladie NYE Scuffle, Lady Cougar Classic, Texas Women’s Classic, Rumble at the Rock, Reece’s Warrior Invitational and Panther Girls Invitational. Moore placed second at state last season at 114 pounds.

De’Andre Richardson, Carrollton Creekview, sr.

Weight class: 175

Richardson went 29-13 last season and finished fourth in state at 175 pounds. Competing again this season at 175, Richardson is 15-4 overall.

Roman Nino, Corpus Christi Carroll, jr.

Weight class: 190

What a year it’s been for Nino. After going 47-9 and failing to place at state last season, Nino is putting the extra work he put into the offseason to good work this time around. He’s currently 47-2 and just won the UIL Boys District 15-5A title on Jan. 30. Nino also has wins at the Cypress Ridge Classic, Maverick Stampede, Boys Pin-A-Palooza, Rumble in the Jungle and Top Gun BV.

London Woods, Frisco, sr.

Weight class: 132

A three-time district champion and state medalist at 132 as a sophomore, Woods looks to avenge last season’s misfortunes at the state tournament. After taking fourth in 5A state as a sophomore, Woods went 40-4 but failed to place last season. She’s 33-1 so far as a senior with wins at the Panther Girls Invitational, Richardson Ladies Roundup and UIL Girls District 8-5A tournament.

Chidumbei Ugwoegbu, North Richland Hills Birdville, jr.

Weight class: 215

The talented junior has shown vast improvement this season, going 23-4 with wins at the Warrior Wrestling Championships and Birdville Bash. He also took second at the Frank Halloran Rangers Classic and third at the EMS-ISD Boys tourney. He placed second in districts last season.

Taylin Silco, Lubbock Cooper, sr.

Weight class: 145

She just won the district 3-5A championship at 145 pounds on Jan. 30 to improve to 15-1 this season. Silco went 34-4 and placed second in state at 145 as a sophomore.

Jaxon Johnson, Amarillo Tascosa, sr.

Weight class: 285

He just picked up his second district title to move to 33-2 overall and now sets his sights on regional and state titles in 5A. He placed second at state last season competing at 215 pounds, finishing 39-4 overall.

Kayla McLearen, Lubbock Cooper, sr.

Weight class: 185

Luck of the draw hasn’t been particularly kind to McLearen the past two seasons. She took second at districts this year after running into Canyon Randall buzzsaw Emma Heaton in the district 3-5A final on Jan. 30. She took second in state as a junior competing at 235, falling to undefeated Ariana Chavez in the final. McLearen is 29-4 this season.  

Ariana Chavez, Borger, sr.

Weight class: 235

All she does is win. Chavez went 44-0 last season to win the 5A state championship at 235. The two-time state medalist placed third in 2023. She is 39-0 this season, winning the district 2 title, Haltom City Stampede, Lady Horns Classic, Tucumcari Lady Rattler Invite, Texas Women’s Classic and Lady Randall Ruckus.

Brodie Bedford, All Saints Episcopal, jr.

Weight class: 165

He is 27-4 this season, placing third at Reece’s Warrior Invitational, Rumble at the Rock and the Trojan Classic. Two of his losses this season are to Melissa’s Jadyn Johnson. He won the TAPPS Texas State Tournament last season at 165 pounds and finished the season 38-6.

Jayda Fulps, Fort Worth Country Day School, sr.

Weight class: 145

A two-time Texas state champion at 145 and 132 pounds, respectively, Fulps is 9-2 this season. She most recently won the Girls Trojan Classic on Jan. 11.

Dylan Ota, Southlake Carroll, jr.

Weight class: 106

The top-ranked junior at 106 in the country by Flowrestling, Ota is 41-3 after winning the district 4-6A title on Jan. 30. A two-time state medalist, Ota went 45-3 last season and won the 6A state title at 106 in a 6-3 decision over Jackson Shipley of Dripping Springs.

Nicholas Zamora, Arlington Martin, sr.

Weight class: 157

The reigning 6A state champion at 144 pounds, Zamora is 30-3 this season after winning the district 3 title at 157 on Jan. 29 and is one of the top-ranked varsity wrestlers in the country.

Dominic Wilson, Rockwall, jr.

Weight class: 150

One of the top-ranked wrestlers in the country by Flowrestling, Wilson is 24-3 this season after winning the district 5-6A title on Jan. 30. He also won the Texas Outlaw on Jan. 4.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

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