Wrestlers outscore several teams

Thermopolis wrestlers came back to earth at the Lander Valley Invitational Friday and Saturday. Finishing eighth of 19 teams was not what they had in mind, but on the other hand they were by far the leading 2A team at the tourney, outscoring seven 3A teams in the process.

Scoring 73.5 pts. for the Bobcats was Austin Ireland, 21 pts.; Chase White, 10; Jon Harvey, 4; Jon Hagen, 5; Riley Shaffer, 6; Chance Watt, 11.5; and, Logan Cole, 16 pts.

Several Bobcats distinguished themselves by winning their way to tournament places: a second place by Ireland at 113, a third by Cole at 220, a fifth by Watt and a sixth by White.

Ireland's 21 points included a pin, a technical fall, and a major decision on his way to the finals. Against Worland's Dominic Hartly, Ireland was evenly matched. In the second period while attempting to stop a stand up by the Warrior, Austen fell prey to a well-set head-and-arm and was unable to avoid the pin.

"Austin came out firing from the first match on. He got caught in the finals, but everyone who wrestles (at a high level) has had that exact same experience," Coach McDermott pointed out.

In accumulating 16 points for the Bobcats, Cole lost passage into the championship finals on a disputed and controversial technical violation in the semi-finals which decided the match. Contesting for third, Cole wrestled perhaps his best match of the season in dominating Wyatt Crane of Wheatland. The score (3-0) makes the match closer on paper than it really was on the mat.

Coach McDermott also was complimentary to Cole. "Logan was good enough to win the tournament, but I'd like to see him attack more frequently. He is certainly able to be more active, and while close matches don't bother him, running out of time and losing because of it are terrible experiences,"

McDermott continued, "Chance (Watt) wrestled hard in placing. There were times it would have been easy to quit. He didn't; he wrestled through those tough situations." He continued, "Chase White has had little mat time this season, but he has wrestled well as shown by his finish in this tournament."

Tournament champion Star Valley and runner-up Powell finished far ahead of the other 17 teams with 264.5 and 204 respectively.

Next up for the Bobcats is a quadrangle featuring three 3A teams - Douglas, Buffalo, and Worland on Thursday. Starting time scheduled at 4 p.m. Friday will find Thermopolis wrestlers headed for the most important all-class tournament in the state, the Ron Thon in Riverton.