Riley Rayome of The Woodlands wins state wrestling gold for third year in a row

CYPRESS, Texas (KTRK) -- The final day of the Texas High School State Wrestling Championships at the Berry Center in Cypress saw plenty of Houston area high school athletes earn gold as the best in Texas.

Wrestling is so physically and mentally demanding that it takes a different level of toughness to compete and succeed as one of the state's best.

One of the toughest high school athletes Reporter Joe Gleason has ever covered in over 30 years at ABC13 is The Woodlands' Riley Rayome.

Rayome won her third straight state wrestling championship and completed her second straight undefeated season.

In her 4-years competing in high school wrestling, Rayome has an overall record of 215-5. Winning over 200 matches in a high school career is a very rare accomplishment. The last time she lost was in December 2020.

She shares this year's state championship moment with her dad, Jeff, who is also her coach.

"I feel weightless," Rayome said. "I think this has been such a big moment building up for a very long time now for me, and now that it's done, it's freeing. I know it was a lot of work to get here, and I don't think it's hit me yet that I actually did it just because I felt so relaxed," she said.

Katy's Emily Beltran completes a perfect season with gold in the 107lb weight class.

"It still hasn't even hit me," Beltran said. "I can't believe it. Like, I wouldn't even think it'd be myself."

A couple of wrestlers from The Woodlands College Park College won gold on the girls' side.

Anna Vogt (41-2) beat Haley Pitts of Katy for 1st lace in the 132lb division. Sophomore Landri Von Gonten (38-1) beat Daniela Hernandez of El Paso Eastwood for her second gold in as many years.

On the boys' side, College Parks Logan Milsaps beat Dominic Wilson in overtime to earn gold in the 150lb weight class.

Clear Creek junior Jared Remington (40-1) made it to the final and finished second in 157lb.

One of the best stories comes from Langham Creek junior Saul Gutierrez, a judo champion, who grew up in Cuba. He has only been wrestling for three months and finished 5th place at state.