Orem • Before Wasatch High senior Zak Kohler walked onto the wrestling mat at the UCCU Center of Utah Valley University on Thursday morning, he felt like he could hardly breathe. He’d been there three consecutive years prior, but this one felt different.
“I feel like I had an elephant sitting on my chest all morning long,” Kohler said.
But once he stepped on the mat, ready to defend his three 5A state wrestling championships, a calm came over him. He pinned his semifinal opponent and outlasted his counterpart in the final round to win his fourth straight 5A title.