Meridian wrote their name in the record books this winter.
The Warriors accomplished a feat no team has ever done in the 47-year history of the IHSAA 5A state wrestling tournament. In February, Meridian won a fourth-straight team title in Idaho’s highest classification at the state tournament in Pocatello.
They sat comfortably ahead of the rest of the field, finishing with 273.5 points. Post Falls came in second place with 206.5 points.
Their recent team success has been building ever since head coach Brad Muri took over the program in 2012. Together with his brother Jon, they fortified the program, starting at the youth level. Jon is the middle school head coach, laying the foundation for what they can expect from Brad at the high school level.
That continuity between programs has been a pillar of Meridian’s success.
“I think I’ve done a good job of building a good coaching staff, surrounding myself with awesome coaches,” Brad Muri said. “Awesome men and characters that are invested in these kids. … We have a thriving kids club. It all came together.”
Not only have they created a great youth program, but the number of coaches at their disposal at the high school level has been highly beneficial.
“Brad has helped get a ton of great coaches into our room so he’s had a great influence on everybody,” Meridian senior Jason Mara said. “Helping out more individuals than just having three coaches in a room full of 70 kids.”
Mara has been one of the leading wrestlers on the team over the years. Since moving to Idaho as a freshman from California, he’s dominated on the mat. He too made history at the state tournament, winning a fourth-straight individual title, becoming the 11th wrestler in 5A history to win four in a row.
He’s been one of many wrestlers to thrive in Meridian’s program.
“He’s been like a father figure to me in Idaho,” Mara said of Brad Muri. “He’s had a great influence on my high school career, helping me achieve the goal that I set in high school to be a four-time state champion.”
Along with Mara, three other Warrior wrestlers won a state title, with each defending their title from last season. Jeremiah Gonzalez won at 113 pounds, Hudson Rodgers took the title at 182 and Carson Gooley at 195.
But it takes more than just having wrestlers at the top end. In each of the past four seasons, the Warriors have brought at least 24 wrestlers to the state tournament. Everywhere you look across state tournament results, you’ll see Meridian pop up more often than not.
“The work ethic we put in. Everything we put in, is hard work every practice,” Meridian senior Matthew Papa said, who finished in third place in the 126-pound bracket at state. “Even our light practices, we get our work done. We’ve got a mindset.”
Fourteen of the 24 wrestlers that competed for the Warriors at the state tournament placed.
They were aware of the history they could make by winning four state titles in a row ahead of the season, but that wasn’t a main focus for them.
“You can think of it as having a lot of pressure to win four state titles, we can think about it as going out there and competing how you should compete with how much time we spent on the mat during the season,” Mara said. “It’s not anything special this tournament, it’s just another tournament ahead of us so we shouldn’t compete a different way. We should be competing how we train.”
Everyone, from coaches to athletes, know as long as they continue to improve in practice, the results will come.
"We don't talk much about trying to make history or winning another state title," Muri said. "That's most peoples goal. If you're stepping out there to compete, everyone wants to win. We do a good job of getting these kids chasing it the right way and believing."
In addition to a championship mindset, they’ve embraced being part of a team in a sport where individual success takes priority more often than not. They encourage and motivate each other through training and how they perform.
"Everything starts with culture for us," Muri said. "We're always trying to build a positive (environment). We always say 'good vibes only.'"
One area that Mara says that has shown up in is at dual meets. Win or lose, the baton is passed after each match with the whole team behind them.
“We have each other’s backs throughout duals,” Mara said. “Personally, if somebody I care about gets beat up in a match, it lights a fire under me.”
It's been nothing but good vibes for Meridian over the last four years — setting the standard for future wrestlers to carry on.
OTHER NOMINEES
Owyhee baseball has yet to taste defeat in the state tournament.
The Storm won its third-straight state championship in May in its third year of existence, defeating Rocky Mountain 5-4 in the title game. It was also the perfect ending to head coach Russ Wright’s career, one that spanned 38 years in the dugout. This last title was the 11th he won in Idaho, spending time with Payette, Minico and Fruitland.
Speaking of streaks, Rocky Mountain continued their dominance in boys track & field, barely. The Grizzlies finished two points ahead of Boise at the state track & field meet, winning their eighth-straight team championship. It came down to Rocky Mountain’s 4x400 relay of Porter Carlson, Matthew Stevens, Cody Lucas and Braden Ankeny, who beat Post Falls and Boise by under a second to win the race, giving them just enough points to extend their streak.
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