Minimizing Mistakes Set as New Wrestling Goal

The SMHS wrestling team travelled to the Lander Valley tournament last weekend. Coach Rusty Arnold quipped that the competition was ‘super tough, with mainly 3A and 4A schools attending.’ Competing at this level helps immensely and Rusty was pleased that ‘everyone is showing improvement.’ The team has continued its tough training and hopefully that work will pay off as they move into the heart of the wrestling season.

Three wrestlers competed in the varsity tournament in Lander, and the remainder of the team were placed in the JV tournament. The coaches design the season this way in hopes of wrestlers gaining valuable mat experience. This extra mat time increases experience which is invaluable going into the regional and state tournaments next month. The entire team will be competing at the varsity level going into the regional competition.

106 pounder Ace Arnold is currently ranked first in the state and he had another visit to the podium, this time for third place. Coach Rusty mentioned that Ace placing third ‘wasn’t what he was hoping for’ but he had a ‘very solid weekend.’ Arnold first pinned Schneider from Kemmerer before losing by decision in the semifinals to Evanston’s Moon. Arnold then pinned Nuss (Powell), followed by a tech fall over McWilliams (Lander) for the third-place victory.

The next two varsity wrestlers were Kanean Roberts at 144 and Skyler Wood wrestling 150. Coach Rusty said both of them ‘wrestled well but they just have to minimize mistakes.’ Roberts lost both of his tournament matches, first to Symons (Kemmerer) and Visocky (Powell). Wood had a 1 and 2 weekend, losing first to Albaugh (Torrington) before scoring a win by decision against Rawlins’ Wazelle. Skyler’s final match of the tournament was a loss to Lander’s Nachazel.

The boys on the JV side wrestled ‘really well’ and Coach declared, ‘we gained a lot of confidence’ and it is his hope ‘to carry that on to Ron Thon.’ The JV wrestlers were Tate Zeller at 113; Hayden Suttee at 132; Ben Miller at 150; and Carson Everett at 175.

Zeller lost his first match to Aguilar (Thunder Ridge) before dispatching Williams (Natrona) and Kibler (Thunder Ridge). Zeller again faced Aguilar in the consolation semis, only to lose by tech fall.

Ben Miller was 2 and 2, first losing to Lozano (Rawlins). He won his next two in decisive fashion versus Chamberlain (Douglas) and Miller (Worland). Ben lost in the consolation semis to Asay (Lovell).

Carson Everett had a great outing, winning four matches for a top-of-the-podium finish. All four victories were pins. Carson beat Belnap (Thunder Ridge); Lopez (Douglas); Klepp (Lovell); and won first place against Martinez (Natrona County).

This weekend unveils the Ron Thon Tournament in Riverton. It is an exciting time of the season, as witnessed by the fact that most of the hotels in the Riverton area have been sold out for months. Coach Arnold stressed that he hopes the Panthers ‘will practice very hard this week and get our minds and body right for the weekend.’ The SMHS grapplers should field a near-complete team this weekend at Ron Thon as members return from various illnesses and minor injuries.