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PIN IT TO WIN IT
A recap of the 3A State Wrestling Championship
More stories from Nathan Feller
Senior Stetson Davis pins Douglas wrestler, Gabe Lopez, to the ground at the 3A State Championship. Davis was the state champion of the 220 lb. class.
The PHS Panther wrestling team returned from the Wyoming 3A State Wrestling Tournament with chips on their shoulders and something to prove.
The boys and girls finished 6th overall with seven placers. Freshman Gabriel Whiting and sophomore Wyatt Nicholson placed 3rd and 5th in the 106 lbs. class, senior Lannon Brazelton placed 6th in the 160 lbs. class, freshman Allison LeBlanc took 2nd in the girls’ 110 lbs. class and senior Yessenia Teague placed 5th in the girls’ 125 lbs. class.
Unfortunately, junior Jimmy Dees was robbed of a chance at the 195 lbs. state title after he was forced to forfeit due to a shoulder injury. Officially, Dees placed 6th.
“The team did okay at state,” head coach Nick Fulton said. “We had some very unlucky breaks that did not go our way… but I am not at all disappointed with their overall performance.”
While the Panther wrestlers didn’t perform as well as they might have hoped, the team got to travel home with the Wyoming 3A 220 lbs. State Champion, Stetson Davis.
“It felt good,” Davis said. “It all felt like it was in slow motion when I realized I had won.”
Davis recorded two pins and a technical fall (winning by more than 15 points) on his path to the championship match.
Facing off against returning finalist, senior Jace Grant from Cody, Davis wrestled his way to a 4-1 decision and a state title.
“Stetson is the epitome of hard work paying off,” coach Fulton said. “He has dedicated so much time into wrestling; it was great to see him achieve his goals.”
Davis plans on wrestling at the collegiate level, but is undecided with his commitment.
As another wrestling season concludes, the seniors step down to make way for the new talent on the Panther team.
Freshmen Allison LeBlanc and Gabriel Whiting both performed exceptionally well in their first state competition.
“It felt pretty great [to place 2nd],” LeBlanc said. “It was difficult, but I wanted to leave my heart out there since it was my last match of the season…I’m going to try my hardest and hopefully I’ll come out next season as a state champion.”