PINEDALE – Pulling out all the stops, both the Pinedale High School (PHS) girls’ and boys’ wrestling teams roared into the final week of the regular season, winning two duals and crushing the competition at the Pinedale Invite on Saturday.

The action opened with the PHS boys trouncing Rock Springs, 54-27, in a dual on Feb. 6.

Maintaining the momentum, the Lady Wranglers dominated the Star Valley Braves’ Duals on Feb. 6, with Pinedale athletes winning one-on-one matches in nearly every weight classification.

The PHS girls’ team hosted Natrona County for a dual on Friday, Feb. 9. Despite fielding fewer athletes, Pinedale trounced Natrona County, 54-30.

The busy week of competition culminated with the Pinedale High School Invite on Saturday, with both the boys’ and girls’ teams snagging top-three placings in most weight classifications.

Star Valley Girls’ Duals

Sophomore McKinzie Mortensen secured first place in the 100-pound bracket, pinning Lyman’s Emalee Behling in 21 seconds before defeating Star Valley’s Carlee Angell by an 18-3 technical fall.

At 105 pounds, sophomore Kaylea Mortensen snagged first place after pinning Star Valley’s Carlee Angell at 3 minutes, 42 seconds and defeating Makayla Bird, of Star Valley, by fall in 26 seconds.

Junior Alexis Thompson won the 115-pound division, pinning Shaelyn Larkin, of Evanston, with 35 seconds to spare in the opening match before felling Star Valley’s Keston Johnson at 3:52.

Freshman Fatima Mata garnered first place at 235 pounds. In the first match, Mata pinned Star Valley’s Cashlee Hepworth 39 seconds into the third period. Mata went on to take down Evanston’s Lexi Matthews 14 seconds into the second period of the subsequent match.

Second-place finishes included sophomore Evelyn Shivers (110 pounds), junior Matazi Landers (115) and sophomore Malari Craig (135).

Freshman Makenna Hansen (130 pounds) and junior Ivy Heath (140) both took third place.

PHS girls vs. Natrona County

McKinzie Mortensen kicked the dual off by pinning Emmie Trujillo right before the buzzer in the first period.

Thompson defeated Piper Barnett by fall at 2:52 and Hansen pinned Joslynn Seyler 27 seconds into the second period at 125 pounds.

Craig won the 130-pound match by fall against Elaina Sausedo.

In the 135-pound match, junior Mya Swain pinned Carly Mares with two seconds to spare in the first period.

Sophomore Alicia Dexter defeated Kallie Bauer by fall at 3:32 in the 145-pound match.

Senior Katyana Dexter capped off the dual by pinning Marley Dickinson 57 seconds into the first period of the 235-pound match.

Pinedale Invite – boys

Sophomore Wylee Willson captured gold in the 127-133-pound bracket. He defeated teammate and sophomore Porter Kemp by an 18-1 technical fall and went on to pin Jacob Zamarripa, of Rawlins, with 17 seconds remaining in the first period.

Porter Kemp took second place in the 127-133-pound division, pinning Zamarripa 50 seconds into the match.

Senior Jake Hammer earned first place in the 133-140-pound bracket. Hammer battled Rawlins’ Zachary Covolo into the third period before he pinned his opponent with 23 seconds remaining in the match. In the subsequent round, Hammer pinned Seth Wazelle, of Rawlins, at 1:37.

Junior Garrett Haley picked up first place in the in the 157-173-pound bracket after pinning Rawlins’ Ezra Archuleta 11 seconds before the buzzer in the second period.

In the 177-185-pound bracket, sophomore Cale Dauwen achieved first place. Dauwen defeated teammate Alejandro Hernandez by a 17-2 technical fall before beating teammate and senior Austin Green by a 4-2 decision.

Hernandez placed second at 177-185 pounds after pinning Green at 1:04. Green took third place in the bracket.

Senior Viliami Dexter captured first place in the 283-287-pound bracket after pinning both Lucas Peterson, of Rawlins, and teammate and junior Cash McCann.

McCann placed third in the 283-287-pund bracket.

Sophomore Landon Fornstrom took third place in the 157-163-pound classification.

Pinedale Invite – girls

McKinzie Mortensen won the 99-103-pound bracket, winning the first two rounds by technical fall. Mortensen squared off against Emmie Trujillo, of Natrona County, in the third round and won by fall at 3:50.

Kaylea Mortensen garnered first place in the 107-113-pound bracket, pinning her first two opponents before taking down teammate Evelyn Shivers at 2:56 in the third round.

Shivers took second place in the 107-113-pound division.

In the 113-117-pound bracket, Thompson secured first place, pinning both opponents in the opening rounds. The third round pitted Thompson against teammate and sophomore Allison Rodriguez. The opponents fought into the third period with Thompson winning by an 8-7 decision.

Rodriguez placed third in the 113-117-pound bracket.

Craig earned first place in the 128-132-pound bracket, after pinning Rawlins’ Yoscelyn Garcia in the opening round and defeating teammate and junior Samantha Brannan. In the third round, Craig took down Natrona County’s Elaina Sausedo.

Brannan came in second place in the 128-132-pound division.

Swain captured first place in the 132-127-pound bracket. She pinned Aliyah Maes and Carly Mares, both of Natrona County, before defeating Rawlins’ Bri Liard by fall at 4:32.

Katyana Dexter won the 199-211-pound bracket, pinning Marley Dickinson, of Natrona County, 44 seconds into the first round and defeating teammate Fatima Mata by a 23-15 major decision.

Mata placed second in the 199-211-pound bracket.

Alicia Dexter came in second in the 142-156-pound bracket. Landers, Hansen and Heath each took third place.