The Woodlands HS Claire Guydon Wins UIL 6A Girls 155 State Wrestling Championship

Dominant 16–1 technical fall caps commanding state tournament performance as Guydon emerges among the nation’s top high school wrestlers

CYPRESS, Texas — Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, 7:30 p.m.

CYPRESS — Claire Guydon of The Woodlands High School captured the UIL 6A girls 155-pound state wrestling championship Saturday, defeating Leona Layne of Rockwall, 16–1 by technical fall in 4:21 at the Berry Center.

Wrestling in front of a sold-out crowd of nearly 10,000 spectators with standing room only, the Class of 2027 junior delivered a dominant performance that brought a state title back to South Montgomery County and drew strong support from families, teammates, and local fans in attendance.

Guydon opened the championship match with an escape and steadily widened the lead through takedowns in the first and second periods. She sealed the victory in the third period with another takedown and nearfall points to reach the technical fall threshold.

(A technical fall in high school wrestling is awarded when a wrestler builds a lead of 15 or more points, ending the match early because of the scoring margin.)

Throughout the tournament, Guydon demonstrated a technically sound, quick style and showed some of the best counter movement in the bracket. She has excellent balance, staying centered and difficult to move out of position, which allowed her to defend attacks and immediately create scoring opportunities. Rarely staying still, she remained active in every position, using opponents’ shots against them and turning those moments into takedowns and nearfall points.

She advanced to the finals with a 3–0 semifinal win over Yaretzi Espinoza (Arlington Houston) and an 18–3 technical fall over Jenelle Ramirez (Weslaco) in the quarterfinals. In the championship bracket opener, she pinned Leah Hall (Jersey Village) in 5:33.

Guydon began wrestling during her freshman-year freestyle season and returned to state competition with experience after finishing 2–2 at last year’s tournament.

Guydon trains under The Woodlands High School wrestling program led by Coach William Durning, a veteran educator and coach with more than 20 years of experience developing student-athletes at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels. Durning competed collegiately at King’s College in Pennsylvania, where he served as a team captain, and brings that background and technical emphasis to the Highlanders program.

Guydon next competition is the 2026 USA Wrestling Women’s National Championships, scheduled for April 9–12 in Spokane, Washington.

Byline: The Woodlands Student Center Staff