With 10 seconds left in his 4A state quarterfinal match against defending state champion Ryan Hansen, of Maple Mountain, Olympus High wrestler Lukas Erickson was down by two points. He ended up scoring four points to win the match and went on to reach the finals and place second in the 138-lb. weight division Feb. 11-12 at Utah Valley University. The senior’s placement helped the Titans take 13th as a team.

“Lukas had a phenomenal year,” head coach Theros Johnson said. “We expected him to be in the finals all year. Not everything went his way during the match, but he did a great job.”

“My weight class was really stacked, and it was really tough, but my big goal was to make the finals, and I did,” Erickson said. “Of course, I wanted to be state champ but not everybody can be.”

Erickson also defeated Corner Canyon’s Greg Lamb and Mountain Crest’s Jake Hopkins to reach the championship match before losing to Rex Bowden, of Wasatch.

The son of John and Kris Erickson of Holladay has been steadily rising in the sport the past few years having placed fifth at state in the 120-lb. weight class as a sophomore and fourth a year ago in the 126-lb. division.

The senior followed his father, who was a wrestler at the University of Utah,  into the sport as well as his older brother, Zak, who helps as an assistant coach at Olympus. Erickson credits them and Johnson for his development in the sport.

Erickson was also the only wrestler in the 4A state finals who was also named as an Academic All-State recipient for his 4.0 GPA. 

“Wrestling has really taught me to have a good solid drive in everything I do,” he said. “I wouldn’t have a 4.0 if it weren’t for wrestling.”

Also at the 4A state tournament, Olympus’ Tyler Ringwood placed sixth with wins over Alec Trotter, of Timpanogos, before losing to Salem Hill’s Jaxon Bowden. In the consolation rounds, Ringwood defeated Ogden’s Victor Villanueva and Cyprus’ Brandon Hatch before losing to Corner Canyon’s Shaun Stockwell. In the fifth place match, Ringwood again lost to Bowden.

“We did really well this season as a team,” Johnson said. “We had a lot of younger kids but were able to take eight kids to state.”

Also competing at state for Olympus were Harrison Vasquez (106 lbs.), Zack Degraw (120 lbs.), Jordan Albretsen (152 lbs.), Nick Orme (152 lbs.), Aldo Chipana (160 lbs.) and Porter Baker (220 lbs.)

“During the season, we had a wrestler make the finals of every tournament with some going undefeated in those tournaments,” Johnson said. “We had a great season with some good accolades.”

The top eight wrestlers from the state tournament competed at the Utah High School Activities Association Super State Tournament Feb. 21 at Corner Canyon High School. Erickson placed fourth with wins over Bingham’s Cole Moody — to avenge a loss in his first match this season — and Maple Mountain’s Tristan Hellstrom while losing to Juan Diego’s John Manning and Lamb.

Albretsen earned a medal for sixth place at Super State in the 152-lb. weight class with wins over Pleasant Grove’s Josh Whitehead and Layton’s Austin Clem and losses against Manti’s Logan Sondrup, Roy’s Caden Kirkland and Hurricane’s Kolby Mills.