RIVERTON – The Pinedale High School Wranglers’ and Lady Wranglers’ wrestling teams charged into the postseason with a bang at both the 3A West Regional Tournament for boys and the 4A (all-classification) West Regional Tournament for girls in Riverton on Feb. 16-17.

The Lady Wranglers defeated 24 teams to achieve second place with 112 points.

In the boys’ tournament, the Wranglers captured second place with 209 points, outscoring Cody, Powell, Evanston, Riverton, Lyman, Lander and Mountain View.

Nine Lady Wranglers and 14 Wranglers qualified for the upcoming State Wrestling Championships in Casper by placing in the top eight at regionals.

Three Lady Wranglers and three Wranglers snagged regional championships.
In the girls’ tournament, senior Katyana Dexter secured the regional title at 235 pounds. Sophomore McKinzie Mortensen won the championship at 100 pounds and fellow sophomore Kaylea Mortensen garnered gold at 105 pounds.

Senior Jake Hammer clinched the 3A boys’ championship in the 138-pound weight classification. Junior Ryan Nutt achieved gold in the boys’ 120-pound division and sophomore Wylee Willson bagged the championship at 126 pounds.

Girls’ Regional Tournament

McKinzie Mortensen pinned Big Piney’s Kaydence Guest 1 minute, 53 seconds into the quarterfinals at 100 pounds. Squaring off against Sage Smith, of Star Valley, in the semifinals, McKinzie Mortensen won by fall.

Stepping up in the first-place match, McKinzie Mortensen battled Kemmerer’s Riley Meyer through three periods to win by a 5-3 decision.

In the 105-pound division, Kaylea Mortensen won the quarterfinals against Natrona County’s Charlie Wilkinson. Advancing to the semifinals, Mortensen pinned Bianca Maez, of Green River, 18 seconds into the second period.

The championship round pitted Kaylea Mortensen against Star Valley’s Kenna Merritt. Mortensen maintained the initiative through three periods to beat Merritt by a 15-2 major decision.

Katyana Dexter pinned Natrona County’s Marley Dickenson with 43 seconds remaining in the first period of the 235-pound semifinals. Moving up to the first-place match, Dexter defeated Aaliyah Martin, of Dubois, by fall three-quarters of the way into the first period.

Freshman Fatima Mata picked up third place in the 235-pound bracket, pinning Marley Dickinson with 3 seconds to spare in the second period of the third-place match.

Fifth-place finishes included freshman Maelie Snell at 105 pounds, sophomore Evelyn Shivers in the 110-pound bracket and junior Alexis Thompson at 115 pounds.

Sophomore Alicia Dexter earned seventh place in the 145-pound division and junior Mya Swain qualified for state with an eighth-place finish at 135 pounds.

Boys’ Regionals

Nutt kicked off the finals with a quarterfinal victory by pin against Powell’s Braxton Batt in the 120-pound bracket. Progressing to the semifinals, Nutt won by fall over William Wood, of Cody, at 5:12. Facing off against Cody’s Ty Peterson in the first-place match, Nutt got a pin at 4:43.

At 126 pounds, Willson defeated Green River’s Brayden McMullan by a 17-2 major decision in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Willson found himself on the mat opposing Kolby Hamilton, of Evanston. Following three close periods, Willson won by a 9-5 decision.

The first-place match came down to the wire, with Willson defeating Cody’s Trey Smith by a 5-3 decision.

Hammer secured a pin against Conner Smith, of Green River, in the 138-pound semifinals. Advancing to the semifinals, Hammer won by fall against Lyman’s Timber VanGieson with 21 seconds remaining in the first period.

Hammer fought teammate and senior Fisher Vance into the third period of the first-place match, with Hammer winning by a 16-0 technical fall.

Vance took second place in the 138-pound bracket after defeating Cody’s Gabe Grant by a 15-3 major decision in the semifinals.

At 165 pounds, junior Garrett Haley obtained second place, pinning Evanston’s Cole Robinette at 3:05 into the semifinals.

Sophomore Cale Dauwen snagged second place at 175 pounds, taking down Mountain View’s Carson Eardley by fall in the semifinals.

Third-place finishes included senior Dustin Larsen at 150 pounds. Larsen won the third-place match against Micah Grant, of Cody, by a 5-3 decision.

Sophomore Landon Fornstrom secured third in the 157-pound bracket, pinning Green River’s Jaydon Walther 58 seconds into the third-place match.

In the 190-pound bracket, senior Austin Green took third place, winning the third-place match by fall against Riverton’s Jordan May.

Senior Viliami Dexter came in third place at 285 pounds after he pinned Johnathan Harms, of Powell, at 1:53 in the third-place match.

In the 285-pound division, senior Cash McCann came in sixth place. Senior Bodie Jensen finished seventh at 132 pounds. Sophomore Porter Kemp earned eighth place in the 132-pound bracket. Junior Garrett Madole placed eighth at 144 pounds.