Keith leads San Juan to fourth place with first-ever girls state title

by Art Adair
Contributing Writer
San Juan High School history was made this past weekend at the 1A/2A Girls Utah State Wrestling Tournament when junior Khatira Keith became the first girl to win a state wrestling title for the Lady Broncos.
Keith entered the tournament ranked third out of eleven in the 170-pound bracket. In the quarterfinals she defeated her Enterprise opponent with a first-period fall.
In the semifinals she beat an Altamont opponent also by fall in the first period, earning a spot in the championship match where she would face the #1-ranked wrestler from Rich in Vivian Lopez.
Keith concluded her state tournament with another domination, securing a third-straight first-round fall to win the 170-pound state title.
Keith joined the San Juan girls wrestling team after the Christmas break and ends her junior season with an impressive 12-3 record.
All 12 of her wins were by fall and her state tournament performance helped the Lady Broncos bring home a fourth-place medal from their first-ever state tournament, besting 18 other teams along the way.
Saraeya Mills entered the tournament ranked third for San Juan and earned a spot in the 155-pound championship after beating her quarterfinal opponent by fall and #2-ranked Adriana Acosta of Enterprise by fall in 50 seconds in the semifinals.
In the championship match Mills faced off against #1 Nina Hillier of Rich in a very intense match. Down 5-2 in the final seconds, Mills went for a last-minute takedown that came up short. Hillier gained control, defeating Mills by decision 8-2.
Mills, a sophomore, will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years as she ends her first season with a record of 18-10.
The next placer for the Lady Broncos was Morgan Kaytso who began the tournament with a quarterfinal win by fall. In her semifinal match, Kaytso was defeated by the eventual state champion from South Sevier.
She wrestled back through the consolation rounds, earning a semifinal win by fall to earn a place in the consolation championship against Utah Military Academy’s Kaydence Reveles.
Kaytso wasted no time in the match, earning the third-place victory by fall in just over a minute. She ends her sophomore year with an impressive 15-9 record.
Freshman Kheirra Keith earned a fourth-place state tournament finish at 125 pounds. She was defeated in her quarterfinal match and had to battle back through the consolation rounds.
She earned two wins by fall to earn a birth in the consolation championship match against Altamont’s Dakota Williams.
Keith, who was suffering from an ankle injury sustained in the previous match, gave her best effort but was defeated. She was the first-ever San Juan girl to place at the state wrestling tournament with her solid fourth-place performance.
Rounding out the placers for the girls at 190 pounds was junior Saylor Dandy. One of the driving forces behind creating the SJHS girls wrestling team, Dandy was also defeated in her quarterfinal matchup.
She advanced through the consolation rounds, winning matches by 6-0 decision and by fall. In the consolation championship match, she took on Judyann Carballo, the same Parowan wrestler who defeated her by fall in the quarterfinal matchup.
Dandy battled hard but came up short, losing by 3-2 decision. Despite the disappointment, Dandy was outstanding and showed great improvement throughout the tournament.
Freshman Lyric Williams went 2-2 at the tournament, just missing the medal round. She earned two wins by fall and wrestled a very tough tournament. She also improved tremendously throughout the season and her coaches anticipate she’ll reach the podium next season.
Other wrestlers who helped the Lady Broncos to their fourth-place team finish were juniors Tyanna George and Nevaeh Sampson, and freshmen Kadie Palmer and Hannah Todachinnie. George earned one win by fall in the state tournament.
San Juan’s fourth-place finish ranked them behind returning state champion Duchesne, returning third-place Enterprise, and 2024 runner-up Rich. The Lady Broncos edged out numerous second- and third-year girls wrestling teams.
Many coaches commented on the sportsmanship and wrestling ability of all of the girls on the team. The San Juan girls not only made history this season, but also made a name for themselves in the wrestling community.
With no seniors on the team the Lady Broncos should return a very talented and hungry squad next season.
After the conclusion of their first season, San Juan Head Coach Art Adair and assistants Keshia Yellow, Tuff Adair, Shane Musselman, and Lehi Lacy all expressed their pride and gratitude for each of the girls and their commitment this season.
The coaches also wish to express gratitude to Principal Ryan Nielson, the San Juan High School Administration, the San Juan School District, all the parents, and the community for an exceptionally successful inaugural girls wrestling season.