STATE CHAMPION: Erik Prado second JCC wrestler to claim title this week

One of the best lightweight wrestlers in this part of the state for the last few years has his championship: Johnson County Central junior Erik Prado captured the first state title of his career in the Class C 113 bracket this week at CHI.

Now a three-time medalist, Prado placed sixth in 106 as a freshman and then fifth in that weight as a sophomore before jumping up to 113 this year and claiming the title.

His victory came in impressive fashion: Prado didn't permit a point in any of his first three matches - two first-period pins and a 5-0 decision - and then the field's top seed outlasted Jace Martin of Wood River in a 4-2 decision in the title fight. Prado recorded the match's only takedown; the other points were scored on either escapes or stalling warnings as the Thunderbird junior dictated the match in his eventual win.

He becomes the first Thunderbird boy to win a boys wrestling state championship and follows the recent incredible standard of success at the lightweight level set over the last few years by the JCC girls, especially over the last few years by Jocelyn Prado, Erik's older sister, Alejandra Reyes, and Haylee Trew, who won her first state title earlier this week.