Bulldog wrestlers wrap up regular season in Buffalo

The Lovell Bulldogs wrapped up their regular wrestling season at the Buffalo Duals last Friday.

“We showed up to Buffalo for the annual Buffalo Duals sick and broken, leaving nine wrestlers behind at home,” said head wrestling coach Ty Hecker. 

The Buffalo Duals threw teams into small pools of round robin duals, and official dual scores weren’t recorded. The Bulldogs faced off against Burns/Pine Bluffs, Buffalo and Wheatland.

“I believe we wrestled tough with what we had,” Hecker said. “We put up a good fight against the teams we wrestled and won all three duals.”

Coach Hecker highlighted a few wrestlers for their performances this weekend. 

“I was very impressed with Zayden Stahl. He is finally getting some confidence at the right time,” Hecker said. 

He also noted Mason Christenson, mentioning how Christenson “went undefeated this weekend with three wins. He is closing in on potentially getting his hundredth career win as a junior.”

Coach Hecker also brought freshman Monte Blank to light this weekend, noting, “Blank had to step up into a tough weight class as a freshman this weekend. He is a good kid that wrestles tough, and I really appreciate him for stepping up.”

The girls also managed to get a few varsity matches this weekend, being placed into their own sets of round robins.

“The girls picked up some wins and left some that we should’ve won,” Hecker said, “but all in all they supported each other and looked tough.

“Avery Layne had her best match of her year, beating a state ranked opponent and avenging a loss from the Ron Thon. She battled through adversity and with good positioning and hand control broke the will of her opponent and pinned her in the second period.”

Regional tournaments

Officially wrapping up their regular season, the Bulldogs are looking to make a run at Regionals this weekend. The boys team will compete at the 3A West Regionals this Friday in Pinedale, starting at 9 a.m. Meanwhile, the girls team will head to Evanston to compete at the all-class West Girls Regionals on Friday and Saturday. Bulldogs who place in the top eight of their bracket will lock in a spot to compete at the state tournament.

“This week we are looking at focusing in on our final push of the season to go get the glory that we deserve,” Hecker said. “We don’t have a choice but to compete while still sick and hurt right now. We will prepare hard and show up to Evanston and Pinedale with a chip on our shoulders ready to take on whatever is thrown at us.”