Lovell Bulldogs stay tough at the Battle in the Big Horns

This past weekend the Lovell Bulldog wrestling team traveled down to Worland to wrestle at the Battle in the Big Horns tournament. They wrestled as a team in a dual bracket, facing off against tough opponents from across Wyoming.

“We went into this weekend battered and banged up -- missing some athletes,” said head wrestling coach Ty Hecker, “so in a dual tournament a lot of underclassmen and new wrestlers had to step up into varsity roles.”

The varsity lineup for this week included Hudsen Mickelson (120), Jaxen Baxendale (126), Zayden Stahl (132), Mason Christenson (138), Chance Hatch (144), Hunter Krei (150), Owen Hill (157), Mikkel Klepp (165), Monte Blank (170), Rudy Hall (190) and Taevyn Gruell (215). 

On Friday, the Bulldogs were thrown into Pool B and wrestled against Rock Springs, Thermopolis, Wheatland and Douglas, South Dakota. After a long day of wrestling, the team managed to place fourth in the pool and landed a spot in the silver bracket for Saturday. 

On Saturday, the team faced off against several familiar teams in a dual bracket. Losing to the Worland Warriors as the first dual, Lovell was sent to work through the left side of the bracket and sealed fifth place. The team first met the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies, beating them 42-24. The team then faced off against the Shoshoni Wranglers, similarly defeating the Wranglers 42-24, as the Bulldogs ended the dual tournament in fifth place in the silver bracket. 

“We had some ups and downs, but everyone scored points and fought tough matches while catching some big wins in the process,” Hecker said. With several out of the lineup this weekend, Hecker mentioned a few of his wrestlers who fought tough on the mat. 

He pointed out junior Hill for his performance this weekend, stating, “Hill wrestled the best I’ve seen him wrestle in his high school career. He was heavy on top, was turning kids and putting them away when he got them on their back.”

Hatch, a sophomore, was also noted for powering through the weekend. “Hatch had the most mat time out of anyone probably in the tournament,” Hecker said. “Every one of his matches was a dogfight. When the going gets tough, Hatch turns it up.”

Klepp was also worked tough on the mat this weekend, Hecker said, noting, “Klepp had to step up into a tough weight class in a varsity role with only a limited amount of wrestling experience to come up with his first varsity win. With a lack of experience, he won a match with aggression and a beautiful cradle.”

Girls results

While the varsity boys were wrestling in duals, the girls wrestled round robin pools on Friday and were placed into brackets on Saturday. Four Lady Bulldog wrestlers managed to make it to a placing match.

“Our team captain girls, Danika Crumrine, Avery Layne, and Maecie Joy, wrestled very well, looking good on their feet,” Hecker said. “I believe all three’s best position is neutral and hand fighting, which is the most important position
in wrestling. We’ll be working more on hand fighting with them as the season goes on.”

On Saturday, Crumrine ended the tournament in third place in the 145-pound weight class while Layne ended in fourth place in the 155-pound weight class.

Freshman girls Kaylynn Mickelson and Harley Tillett also placed this weekend. Mickelson took fourth place in the 115-pound weight class while Tillett placed fourth in the 110-pound weight class.

“Kaylynn and Harley are wrestling tough and competitive. As we get through the season and fine tune our technique and gain more experience, I believe they have a bright future,” Hecker said. 

Wrestlers who competed in the JV matches this weekend picked up some mat time, as well.

“Tim Snell, Travis Asay, Porter Blau and Declan Mayes all wrestled JV and had a lot of matches. Winning some and losing some, the boys are improving mutually,” Hecker said. 

The Bulldogs are entering Christmas break this week looking to get ready for the next part of their season when they come back.

“I’m looking forward to Christmas break as we’re battling through illness and injury and need to rejuvenate so we can come back after the holidays well rested and hungry,” Hecker said. “The next tournament after the break will be the Shane Shatto, which is one of the toughest tournaments in the state. We’re going to need all hands on deck.”

The Shane Shatto Memorial Tournament will be held January 10-11 in Douglas. The Bulldogs will be headed back into the wrestling room to prepare for the tough tournament that lies ahead.