OREM — Coach Davie Swenson of Mountain Crest knows that it is far from over in the 4A race for wrestling supremacy, but he is happy with what transpired on day one.
                        "You can't win it all on the first day, but you can lose it," he said. "The big points are still to come, but you can't get them if you're not there."
      The Mustangs are there.
      After the quarterfinals, Mountain Crest is out in front with 120.5 points. Box Elder is in second with 106, and Springville a close third at 99 points.
      "Everyone kind of expected a three-team race, and that is exactly the way it is shaping up," Swenson added. "It is going to really be interesting with a lot of the head-to-head matchups that we have between all of us tomorrow."
      The favorites coming in, Springville has seven wrestlers through to the semifinals while both Box Elder and Mountain Crest advanced 10.
      "We were hoping to get nine through, but seven is all right," said Red Devils coach Justin Judkins. "We were hoping for a couple of upsets, but we didn't get them. You have to look at the positive side of things, though, and we have guys going in half the weights. That's pretty good."
      All three schools have defending champions that have moved through to the semis and are expected to defend their crowns. Springville has Kolby Bradley and Jason Chamberlain. Mountain Crest has Jarrett Morrill and Ethan Lofthouse, and Box Elder's Riley Yeates pinned his first two opponents despite having a left shoulder that is so loose that he said it is not a matter of if it pops out, but when.
      "It is nerve-wracking," he said of knowing that it could go at any moment. "My opponents know that it is hurt, and it is not like I am an underdog coming in and can sneak up on people. I already have a target being a defending champion, but I still think I can do all my moves. I think I am still strong enough to win it all."
      Outside of the big three teams, Cyprus is fourth at 69.5, Lehi fifth with 55 and Olympus sixth at 51.
The 5A tournament is rounding out exactly how anticipated— the only real question is which team will finish second.
      Weber is running away with the meet with 107.5 points compared to second-place Viewmont at 73 points and third-place Pleasant Grove has 72.5.
      The Warriors entered last season's tournament as the favorites to win, but finished a disappointing second. But 125-pound wrestler and three-time defending state champion Shay Warren said there is a difference with this year's squad.
      "We are so much more united," he said. "There is a better attitude. Last year, if a guy lost, he kind of gave up. This year, if they lose, they aren't getting discouraged and they are still fighting hard for everything. Giving up is not a problem this year."
      Besides advancing nine wrestlers through to the semifinals, the Warriors did it with authority. Five of the nine had a pin in their quarterfinal match, and two had major decisions. Those bonus points received are something else that separates the team from the pack.
      "We work on it everyday in practice," said coach Jody Warren — Shay's father. "Last week at the Region 1 tournament I think we picked up about 50 extra points."
      The battle for second is tight, with both teams of Vikings getting six wrestlers to the semifinals, but Pleasant Grove's defending state champion, Mitch Sanderson— who advanced with two pins— feels the Region 4 champions are in good shape.
      "We're doing OK, but I think we can step it up," he said. "Second would be great for us. I don't think anybody really thought we would be here. A top-five finish for us would be good."
      The rest of the top six round out with Brighton at 53.5, Bingham 52 and Spanish Fork 51.5
      The tournament continues today with 2A and 3A getting things started at 10:30 a.m., and the 4A and 5A semifinals beginning at 7:30 p.m.