Smithson Valley senior Bryce Palmer officially secured back-to-back UIL state championships Saturday at the Berry Center in Cypress. Palmer defeated Amarillo’s Drezdyn Ballard in a 4-1 decision for the title. Palmer, the reigning Express-News Boys Wrestler of the Year, went undefeated in his junior and senior seasons and will wrestle for Air Force in college.
New Braunfels Long Creek junior Cruz Morales also took home first place in the 5A boys 150-pound weight class. Last year, Morales finished in fourth place in the 138-pound weight class.
The San Antonio area also had Pieper’s Gillian Eckert finish as the state-runner up in the 5A girls 140-pound weight class and Steele’s Asaiya Golphin finish as the state runner-up in the 6A girls 190-pound division. Golphin placed third in 2025…