Miners learn at Carbon County Invite

The Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) Miner wrestling team went to Saratoga on February 10 to face 13 teams.

“The kids wrestled really tough and showed me some good things,” Head Coach Robert Riddle said. “We just didn’t go quite as far as I would have liked.”

Riddle said only Anthony Solaas didn’t have a win at the the invite.

“Anthony is wrestling 106 and he is 8 pounds lighter than that,” Riddle said. “That almost 10 pounds of difference in that weight class is really hard. Anthony gives it all and his technique is quite good.”

Riddle said he could see from the results on Friday, the team will have to continue to work on strengthening.

According to Riddle, the other four wrestlers were just short in the placing rounds.

Tom Wagner, in the 145 weight class, just missed out but Riddle said an old football injury reared up back at the Green River Invite that made Wagner careful about how hard he pushed himself.

“We didn’t want the injury to get worse just as regionals start, so although Tom looked great and did well, he took it easy and was careful to injure himself further.”

Howard Bame at 132 weight has only been back from injury two weeks and did won a match.

“Howard looked good and given he was out for so much of the season, he did really well,” Riddle said. “He wrestled tough and well, but he still needs some strengthening.”

The one girl wrestler, MacKaylee Widdison, who wrestles in the 106 class did win a match.

“She had some wins, but strength was against her going up against some of he boys she did,” Riddle said. “MacKaylee does some good things on the mat.”

Jared Nelsen, who wrestled at 138, won a couple matches but he couldn’t get past the semis.

Riddle said four of the wrestlers went to the semis but it ended there for all the Miners.

“It was good for me to see what the other side of the state has out there and that is what we got to see at the Carbon Invite,” Riddle said. “I think we will be able to compete, but it all depends on our draw at Sundance.”

Riddle knows injuries could play a big factor on how the wrestlers go.

The Miners leave for Sundance on Thursday to go to the 2A East Regionals.