TMS wrestlers at nationals

Two Thermopolis Middle School wrestlers represented their hometown last week when they traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete in the 2016 Lee Pamulak Amateur Athletic Union Middle School National Duals.

Logan Cole qualified for the event through school. He wrestled undefeated at conference, and was encouraged by coaches to go to Middle School State at Green River, under the USA Wrestling banner. He took second place, and an automatic invitation to the national scene.

Riley Shaffer also wrestled at the State competition, but didn't make first or second place to get an automatic invite. Instead, fueled by his passion for the sport, he applied to be an alternate and was able to go.

At the two-day competition March 26 and 27 at Des Moines, Cole wrestled for the Wyoming Silver team, which won its bracket after defeating South Dakota Red No. 2 54-28, Iowa White 40-38 and Indiana Outlaws Silver 48-30.

Shaffer noted both he and Cole came with Team Wyoming. While Cole was on the Wyoming Silver team, Shaffer wrestled for the All-Stars, made up largely of alternates. Though the All-Stars did not place, Shaffer said, Wyoming Silver took ninth and Wyoming Gold took sixth.

Cole said he had a lot of energy going into the competition, noting the rounds come so quickly it's important to have a good warm up and set up in order to do well. The arena he described as "ginormous," with nine mats lined up next to each other on each side.

Shaffer said he thought the arena was going to be a bit bigger. Though still in the events center, he said, it was a smaller part of the building and he hoped there would be more seating.

Before the weekend was out, each would see a total of eight matches. Shaffer won two of eight, and Cole won five of his, earning an All American award. Cole's mother, Kelly, noted wrestling gives her son the goal of relying on himself for his accomplishments.

The final match, Cole added, was a bit tough. While still in his weight class, Cole's opponent had quite a height advantage. "That kid was tall," Cole said, the amazement still in his voice. When he was competing, Cole was nervous, but didn't feel intimidated, which focused him even more.

As for his transportation to and from the competition, Cole said two busses were used. Shaffer added one bus was for high school students, while the other was for middle school. They left from Thermopolis Thursday morning, and stops were made in Buffalo, Casper and Cheyenne to pick up more kids. The Cheyenne stop also afforded some time for a team practice.

Shaffer said after crossing into Nebraska the students stayed at North Platte before continuing on Friday to Des Moines. Once there, they had another night's stay before the competition.

The ride back had a small hiccup, as around 1 a.m. Monday the middle school bus broke down due to regular fuel being put in the vehicle's diesel engine. Everything was dark, Cole said, and he had no idea where he was. Fortunately, the second bus arrived in about 15 minutes and all the kids were able to pack into it, though a bit tight. Cole said when they got to Cheyenne, several wrestlers got off and he had enough room to get some sleep. He didn't wake up until Casper.

Shaffer didn't have to endure the dark stay in Nebraska, and the resulting packing of the bus, as he rode home with his parents, grandparents and sister. He said they stopped along the way for snacks and gas, and took a hotel at Ogallala before continuing home.

As a seventh-grader, Cole's already planning to go to nationals next year. His passion for wrestling began with a competitive attitude in third grade, and after taking a challenge from the wrestlers he joined USA Wrestling for two years. A broken toe his first match in fifth grade kept him from finishing the season, but not from joining the middle school team the next year.

In eighth grade, Shaffer plans to continue wrestling into high school, having 10 years experience under his belt already; he started with USA Wrestling when he was four or five. When not wrestling, He's busy hitting the weights in the summer and exercising to get ready for the next season. Additionally, for the past six years he's been hitting the turf as a football player.

For future wrestlers, Shaffer recommends they pursue the sport if it's something they truly want to do. He added they should hit the weight room in the summer, and run at least a mile a day to stay in shape. Cole advises those joining wrestling to "never give up."