Wrestling Club hosts home tournament

The Town of Thermopolis was loaded with travelers this past weekend, folks who had come from all around the state to attend the Thermopolis Wrestling Club's annual wrestling tournament. The Wrestle-opolis event is one of the largest under 16 tournaments in Wyoming and was held at Hot Springs High School on Friday and Saturday last week.

This year, the event drew 550 wrestlers and 32 teams who all came to compete. The Thermopolis team finished the tournament in first place with a total of 923 points, followed by Casper Wrestling Club with 871.5 points and Riverton Wrestling with 754 points. The Thermopolis team also earned the most pins by any team with 124, the most technical falls by any team with 54.

The Thermopolis Wrestling Club (TWC) operates under the umbrella of USA Wrestling, and has been in existence for more than twenty years, providing children and parents with an opportunity to check out the sport of wrestling, to perhaps, give it a try and to possibly, lead to a career in wrestling at the middle school and high school levels. As well as being a terrific competitive event, Wrestle-opolis is the organization's major fund raiser and serves to keep the organization thriving.

This outstanding organization generates a huge local interest in the sport of wrestling, with many of its talented wrestlers making their way onto the current, and former, Bobcats and Lady Cats wrestling teams.

As the tournament progressed, a sea of humanity overflowed in the gym at HSCHS. Both the east and west stands in the gym were packed with the stands in the mezzanine being equally crowded. With over 500 competitors, the three mats on the main gym floor sported back-to-back matches throughout the two-day event – sometimes with as many as four matches taking place, concurrently, on the north side of the gym.

While the event was, most assuredly, sporting in nature, it was also a chance to observe the humanity of people who come together, with a common interest or purpose. As spectators looked on, the competitors battled, the referees did their thing, and the parents smiled – seeing their pride and joy give wrestling a try. Fathers demonstrated how adept they had become at staunching bloody noses, mothers made memories shooting video with the latest smart-phone technology, and grandparents sat in the stands trying to keep their heads from spinning, with all the action.

As a spectator, if you looked closely, you could observe wrestlers so young they required the ref's assistance to affix their velcro ankle band, but nonetheless, not too young to want to give it their all to win a match. You might, perhaps, see facial expressions that went from the elation of achieving a take-down, to disappointed tears at having lost the match. When a match concluded you would be likely to see hand-shakes and even hugs between the grapplers when the final whistle blew. It was a fun event to attend even if you weren't especially an aficionado of the sport of wrestling.

Interviewed for this story, TWC Head Coach Leif Polson, commented, "We really have great kids. They are a lot of fun to coach, and it is enjoyable to see their progress as wrestlers. Wrestle-opolis is our big event each year and could not be accomplished without the amazing people of Thermopolis. Local businesses help out with sponsorships. Parents lend a hand with whatever needs doing, and the school district is really helpful – providing a venue to hold the event which is second to none. We are all very thankful."

Individual results for Thermopolis wrestlers include:

Greco

6U 43-49- Carter Enis, 1st

10U 59 - Nash Bowker, 1st, 29 points; Taysen Neef, 3rd

10U 67-71 - Halen Lahoe, 1st

10U 57-62 Girls - Cooper Enis, 2nd

12U 63-67 - Gabriel, 1st

12U 70-74 - Aksel Polson, 2nd

12U 78-82 - Hayden Robinson, 1st

12U 160 - Kade Enis, 2nd

14U 96 - Tanner Myers, 1st, Hailey Robinson, 2nd

14U 105-115 - Trenton Enis, 1st, 28 points; Braxton Delay, 3rd

14U 126 - Samuel Johnson, 3rd

16U 132 - Dyllan Myers, 2nd, 17 points

Girls 12U 64-75 - Roxy White, 2nd

Girls 12U 87 - Hayden Robinson, 1st

Girls 14U 90-100 - Hailey Robinson, 1st, 26 points

Girls 14U 120 - Briar Lahoe, 1st

Girls 14U 135-150 - Jessalyn Blair, 2nd

Folkstyle

6U 40 - Ridge Deromedi, 5 points

6U 43 - Odin Galovich, 1st; Levi Gard, 6 points

6U 45 - Caden Metz, 3rd, 14 points

6U 49 - Carter Enis, 1st; Tytus Bowker, 2nd

6U 53-56 - Cooper ORourke, 3rd, 17.5 points

8U 40-43 - Konnor Simpson, 4th, 13 points

8U 45 - Erik Polsen, 3rd, 12 points; John Ryan, 4th

8U 49 - Carter Enis, 1st, 29.5 points

8U 53 - Greyson Hill, 4th, 20 points

8U 56 - Aiden Extension, 7 points

10U 49 - Xavien Palu, 4th, 6 poins

10U 59 - Taysen Neef, 2nd; Nash Bowker, 3rd

10U 67 - Kanon Bomengen, 10 points

10U 71 - Halen Lahoe, 3rd

10U 93 - Holden Loden, 1st, 26 points

10U 105 - Boden Deromedi, 1st, 20 points; Elijah Hill, 2nd, 12 points

12U 67 - Gabriel Ryan, 1st; Fletcher Lewis, 4th

12U 70 - Aksel Polson, 1st

12U 82 - Hayden Robinson, 2nd

12U 74 - Aksel Polson, 1st

12U 98 - Ike Marvel, 4 points; Joshua Haddix, 3 points

12U 108 - Timothy Miramontes, 4th, 9 points

12U 160-167 - Kade Enis, 1st, 22 points

14U 96 - Tanner Myers, 1st; Hailey Robinson, 2nd; Fischer Lewis, 4th, 6 points

14U 105 - Braxton Delay, 2nd, 16 points

14U 115 - Trenton Enis, 1st

14U 120 - Trenton Enis, 1st; Samuel Johnson, 2nd

14U 132-144 - Jack Morningstar, 1st, 18 points; Kade Enis, 2nd

16U 138 - Tanner Delay, 1st, 16 points

Girls 6U 40 - Noel Ryan, 1st, 18 points

Girls 6U 49-56 - Irelynn O'Connor, 1st, 22 points

Girls 8U 46-50 - Cabre Mayer, 2nd, 16 points

Girls 8U 55-62 - Ilene Galovich, 2nd

Girls 10U 53-57 - Hazel White, 1st, 19 points; Cooper Enis, 2nd

Girls 10U 67 - Elise Galovich, 3 points

Girls 12U 60-69 - Roxy White, 2nd, 22 points

Girls 12U 756-81 - Hayden Robinson, 1st

Girls 12U 102-109 - Kiowa Pruitt, 2nd, 15 points

Girls 14U 100 - Hailey Robinson, 1st

Girls 14U 120-25 - Briar Lahoe, 1st

Girls 14U 130-135 - Kylie Geis, 2nd, 14 points

Girls 14U 150 - Amelia Strickland, 2nd, 10 points

Girls 14U 180 - Jesalyn Blair, 1st, 19 points

Girls 16U 115-120 - Briar Lahoe, 2nd

Freestyle

6U 43-45 - Odin Galovich, 1st, 35 points

6U 49-53 - Carter Enis, 1st; Tytus Bowker, 2nd, 21 points

8U 43 - Konnor Simpson, 3rd

8U 45 - John Ryan, 2nd, 17 points; Erik Polson, 4th

10U 59 - Taysen Neef, 2nd, 25 points; Nash Bowker, 3rd

10U 67 - Jake Ohrt, 3rd, 14 points

10U 71-73 - Halen Lahoe, 1st, 33 points

12U 63-67 - Gabriel Ryan, 1st, 27 points; Fletcher Lewis, 2nd, 20 points

12U 70-74 - Aksel Polson, 1st, 30 points

12U 82 - Hayden Robinson, 1st, 29 points

12U 108 - Timothy Miramontes, 4th

12U 160 - Kade Enis, 2nd

14U 92-96 - Tanner Myers, 1st, 27 points; Hailey Robinson, 2nd

14U 100-105 - Braxton Delay, 3rd

14U 115 - Trenton Enis, 1st

14U 126-132 - Samuel Johnson, 4th 19 points

14U 155 - Jack Morningstar, 2nd, Kade Enis, 3rd

Girls 8U 62 - Ilena Galovich, 1st, 23 points

Girls 10U 53-57 - Cooper Enis, 1st, 21 points

Girls 12U 69 - Roxy White, 2nd

Girls 12U 75-81 - Hayden Robinson, 1st

Girls 14U 100 - Hailey Robinson, 1st

Girls 14U 120-135 - Briar Lahoe, 1st, 26 points