CASPER — Championship berths are secured, and Sweetwater County will be well represented under the lights Saturday at the Wyoming State Wrestling Championships.
Competing at the Ford Wyoming Center during the second day of the WHSAA State Wrestling Championships, Green River and Rock Springs combined to send four boys and three girls into title matches, while several others battled back through the consolation bracket to remain alive for third-place finishes.
On the boys side, Green River advanced two wrestlers to the championship round.
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At 113 pounds, Bentley Johnson continued his dominant run with a technical fall over Cooper Sessions of Star Valley in the semifinals. Johnson will face Michael Brody Keith of Natrona County in Saturday’s final.
Jeramiah Musbach joined him in the championship round at 126, earning a 5-2 decision over Wyatt Mason of Thunder Basin in the semifinals. Musbach will meet Sammy Sanchez of Cheyenne East for the title.
Rock Springs placed two boys into the championship finals.
Lincoln Young (132) secured his spot with a technical fall over Green River’s Green and will face Kimball Parry of Star Valley in the title match. At 144, Santiago Cruz needed just 28 seconds to pin Sheridan’s Logan Rager in the semifinals and will wrestle Tel Parry of Star Valley for the championship.
Green River’s other semifinalists dropped tight matches but remain in contention for third. Tavin Vendetti (120) fell by major decision to Lucas Stirling of Thunder Basin. Weston Green (132) was defeated by Rock Springs’ Young. Maddux Hintz (157) lost a 6-4 decision to Tripp Vigil of Cheyenne Central. Jaydon Walther (165) and Timothy Robinson (190) also came up short in the semifinals.
The Tigers also kept multiple wrestlers alive in the consolation bracket. Kaijun Powell (120) and Dane Arnoldi (150) each won two wrestle-back matches Friday and will compete for third place.
On the girls side, Green River’s Bianca Maez advanced to the championship at 130 pounds with a 10-8 semifinal decision over Oakley Hepworth of Star Valley. Maez will face Kaylea Mortensen of Pinedale in Saturday’s final.
Kayleigh Johnson (110), Payton Shantz (120) and Jocelyn Shantz (135) each fell in the semifinals but remain in medal contention. Raygen Bauers (125) and Faith Still (235) battled back with consecutive consolation victories and will wrestle for third.
Rock Springs placed two girls into championship matches.
Reigning state champion Rylin Plant (105) returned to the finals with a fall over Penelope Anderson of Saratoga and will face Peyton Arnhold of Shoshoni as she looks to repeat.
At 155, Sarah Eddy secured a spot in the championship with a 9-4 decision over Alix Sorensen of Thermopolis in a rematch of last year’s state final. Eddy will face Elizabeth Holloway of Greybull/Riverside on Saturday with a chance to claim the title.
Paige Tongate (130) and Kaydence Sander (190) both advanced through the consolation bracket and remain in contention for third place.
