HUNTINGTON – The University High School wrestling team left no doubt in Huntington over the weekend at the 2025 WVSSAC state wrestling tournament.
The Hawks won wire-to-wire to capture their second-consecutive Class AAA wrestling state championship with 225.5 points. UHS led the competition from start to finish and even mathematically wrapped up the title before the beginning of the championship rounds on Saturday night. Parkersburg took second with 195, and Beckley placed third with 173.5.
“This weekend was crazy, but it was so much fun,” UHS head coach Ken Maisel said. “I told the team earlier in the week that our goal isn’t to just win, it’s to win by 30 and we won it by 30.5. We have such a great group of kids. We don’t worry about behavior, grades, anything like that. The team GPA is around 3.8. For people like that to do well and accomplish their goals is really great.”
Seniors Pepper Martin and Brock Kehler, and freshman Brody Kehler captured individual state titles to accompany the team championship.
Martin won his second straight state title with an 18-3 technical fall victory in the finals of the 113-pound weight class and celebrated with a backflip, capping an impressive career for the Hawks.
“Pepper Martin is a kid who was on junior varsity his freshman season, and who really had to work to earn his spot at the top,” Maisel said. “It kind of came full circle with him. In fact, the person he beat in the finals was someone he lost to when he was a freshman.”
Freshman Nico Maisel took second place overall at 132 pounds after an impressive weekend at his first state tournament. Senior Carter Pauley also finished as the state runner-up in the 144-pound weight class.
UHS senior Bailey Emery won the state title in the 126-pound weight class in the girls’ tournament with a pinfall in the second period.
Brody Kehler earned his spot in the 165-pound title bout by way of a one-point victory in the semifinals. He repeated the result to win the championship and complete an outstanding freshman year on the mat.
“I’m very proud of Brody,” Maisel said. “To have the attitude Brody had to win the state title against the opponent he faced. The goal in his match was simply to win with toughness, and I think he did that. As a testament to that, he’s getting a few stitches in his head this morning after that one.”
His older brother, WVU signee Brock Kehler, became the 27th wrestler in WV High School wrestling history to finish his career with an individual state championship in four consecutive seasons with a pin in the first period of the 285-pound championship bout. Kehler earned an opening-round pin in all of his matches at the state tournament and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler.
“Brock has brought so much pride and recognition to our program,” Maisel said. “Everybody knows our program now, everybody know Brock Kehler being a full-time state champion and all the things he’s brought to our program both on and off the mat.”
The future Mountaineer suffered only one loss in four seasons with UHS and was unbeaten in three straight seasons dating back to the beginning of his sophomore year. In his four appearances at the state tournament, Kehler never allowed a single point scored against him.
Preston High saw two athletes with their hands raised as state champions in brother/sister pair Ava and Cole Turner.
Ava, only a freshman, capped an impressive 22-1 season with a state championship in the girls’ tournament at 132 pounds.
Her older brother Cole, a senior heading to Fairmont State to wrestle in the fall, battled to overtime in the 175-pound championship. He earned a takedown midway through the extra period to break the tie and capture his first state title.
“It felt surreal when it first happened,” Cole said. “I got the takedown and remember looking up to my parents and everybody watching, and I just couldn’t believe it. I remember hugging my coaches and running to the stands to hug my parents. I won this for myself, but I also won this for everybody there watching and supporting back home.”
PHS sophomore Brayden Miller took sixth overall at 157 pounds.
