PARK CITY — A short memory and a focus on the long game served Salina Central senior Abram Owings well in his bid for a second straight state championship.

Just one week after losing by fall to Andover’s Dresden Beard in the regional final, Owings turned the tables when it counted most Saturday, scoring a decisive third-period takedown in the closing seconds to claim the Class 5A 175-pound title at Heartland Credit Union Arena.

“Last high school match, go out with a bang. It’s awesome,” said Owings, who won the 165-pound championship as a junior.

As for facing Beard again so soon after the regional loss, Owings simply redoubled his efforts in the practice room leading up to state.

“All through this week, my main goal was to get to the finals, wrestle my best and get the job done,” said Owings, who owned a head-to-head overtime victory against Beard during their regular-season dual. “I wrestled sluggish (last week).

“I needed to be quicker on my feet, more aggressive, faster in my ties.”

Owings scored first with an escape in the second period, but Beard returned the favor early in the third to tie it. But with less than 20 seconds left, Owings came through with the critical takedown for a 4-1 lead. He then held his hand out, counting down the final seconds.

“I was looking at the clock there, hearing the crowd and all my buddies yelling,” he said. “It was great.”

Owings was one of two state champions for Central, with senior Julian Glover closing out the tournament by beating Maize South’s Maxwell Kerr, 8-3, in the 150-pound final for his first title in the last match of his high school career.

“It feels awesome. I’ve worked so hard for it,” said Glover, a three-time state placer who took second last year at 138. “Things went pretty good (this weekend). It was pretty dominant.

“It’s pretty awesome to end the night on a good note.”

Salina Central and Salina South combined to place four wrestlers in the finals. South sophomore Heero Franco was runner-up in the boys tournament at 113 pounds, while Central freshman girl Natalia Garcia was second at 120.

In the girls consolation finals, Central sophomore Abbie Slothower finished third at 125 pounds, Mustang senior Kodi Waite fourth at 155 and South senior Jenny Nguyen fourth at 100. The other Salina placer was Maddox Girard in sixth place at 165 pounds.