Bulldog wrestlers tune up for regional tournaments

The Lovell Bulldogs high school wrestling team secured three team wins Friday at the Buffalo Duals, defeating Wheatland, Buffalo and Thermopolis in the final event before Regionals.

Lovell opened the duals with a close 28-24 win over Wheatland, showing resilience against the tough competition. The Bulldogs then came out with a strong 36-21 victory against Buffalo, staying aggressive throughout the dual. They finished the event with another hard-fought win, defeating Thermopolis 30-24.

Head coach Ty Hecker said the Buffalo Duals meet was an important opportunity for the team to prepare for the postseason.

“This is the end-of-the-year duals before Regionals and State. We try to fine tune our mind and body and finish aggressive,” Hecker said. He added that the team “was tough and in good shape” and focused on wearing out opponents by controlling the pace of the matches.

The Bulldogs will send a full group of wrestlers to Regionals. Boys competitors include Zavier Heater and Evan Rusch (113), Hudsen Mickelson and Jayden Hunder (126), Tyler Wilkerson and Brayden Harris (132), Mason Christenson and Oscar Garcia (138), Travis Asay and Jaxen Baxendale (144), Zayden Stahl and Issac Blau (150), Porter Blau and Hunter Krei (157), Owen Hill (165), Monte Blank and Christian Garcia (190) and Taevyn Gruell (285). On the girls side, Harley Tillett and Emalie Gonzalez (105), Kaylynn Mickelson (115) and Vada Schmidt (120) will represent Lovell.

This week, the team is preparing for Regionals, with the boys competing at the 3A West Tournament in Cody Friday at 10 a.m. and the girls competing in the all-class West Regional in Powell this Friday at 1:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. Practices have focused on live wrestling, conditioning and recovery as the team prepares for the postseason.

“We are getting injured wrestlers back this week to make the final push into Regionals,” Hecker said. “I coach with an intense and aggressive style, and I believe they are embracing that approach and looking good going into the weekend.”

The Bulldogs are approaching Regionals with strong momentum as they compete for opportunities to advance to the state tournament.