North Big Horn Rams secure first at state wrestling

The North Big Horn Rams wrestling club wrapped up their final week of the season in Casper at the 2024 WAWA State Championships. The team wrestled tough on the mat from Friday to Sunday, facing opponents from forty-five other wrestling clubs across the state of Wyoming. 

The Rams left a lasting impression with their stellar performances across the Folkstyle, Freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions, making their mark on the wrestling scene.

The team took first place in the small team division for the folkstyle portion of the tournament. The boys also placed third as a small team in freestyle the next day. 

With only five girl wrestlers competing as Rams at the tournament, the girls’ team managed to place second in the small team division for freestyle. 

James Love was also awarded the 2024 Triple Crown award at the tournament for reigning over all three styles of wrestling in the heavyweight division. After sealing the state title earlier in the season for high school state wrestling, Love secured first place in both Freestyle and Greco at Junior State to claim the triple crown status. 

Folkstyle

In a spectacular display of skill and determination, the North Big Horn Rams clinched the #1 spot in the small team’s division during folkstyle on Friday. Ten out of fourteen Rams wrestlers stood out with their remarkable achievements, capturing multiple placements on the leader board. 

Kali Jameson was the team’s highest placer in folkstyle, coming in second place of the 8U girls 62-pound division. She ended the tournament staying tough on the mat and holding a 3-1 record overall.

Hawk Hecker took third place for folkstyle in the 10U 53-pound weight class. Though losing to a tough opponent earlier in the tournament, which sent him to the left side of the bracket, he wrestled tough to end with a record of 3-1.

Dino Delacruz wrestled tough on the mat to end in third place in the Junior 132-pound division.

Vada Schmidt worked through the left side of the bracket after a loss earlier in the tournament to take third place with a 2-1 record in the 14U girls 121-pound division.

Cayden Dickerson entered the 10U 56-pound weight class with twenty other tough opponents. Dickerson went 3-2 overall, placing fourth in his bracket. 

Hadley Henton took fourth place in the 10U girls 90-pound division after a tough day of wrestling.

Hayden Harshman took fifth place in the 12U 86-pound weight class with a record of 5-2. 

Braxton Layne competed in the 12U 108-pound division, taking fifth place by the end of the tournament with a 3-2 record. 

Lillyan Hansen wrestled in the 10U girls 80-pound division and ended up taking fifth place. 

Other wrestlers on the state mats were Bradley Abraham 2-2, Carter Slater 0-2, Cotey Smith 3-2 and Jace Jameson 3-2.

Freestyle

During the Freestyle tournament on Saturday, the Rams continued to shine as they competed in both the boys' and girls' divisions. 

The girls' team secured an impressive second place in the small teams division, while the boys' team showcased their skills and resilience, claiming third place also in the small teams division.

Standout performances were evident as ten out of fourteen Rams wrestlers earned well-deserved hardware. 

Kali Jameson again finished in seond place in the 8U Girls 62-68 division going 3-1 and Martinez took home the gold medal with first place in 8U Girls 74 defeating the only other competitor 2-of-3 times.

Hecker and Dickerson both finished in sixth place in their brackets while Harshman, Layne and Schmidt resulted in fifth place honors.

Hansen split with her opponents to come out in second place in freestyle and both Henton and Delacruz came home with bronze medals finishing in third place.

Other wrestlers were Bradley Abraham 0-2, Carter Slater 0-2, Cotey Smith 2-2 and Jace Jameson 1-2.

Greco-Roman 

Despite the challenging Greco-Roman tournament on Sunday, the Rams showcased their tenacity and wrestling prowess, securing a commendable 15th place in small teams in the Greco tournament with three out of five wrestlers that competed placing.

Kali Jameson capped off the weekend with her third second place finish in the Greco tournament. 

Dickerson ended up taking fifth place in the 10U 56-pound division and Layne competed in the 12U 108-pound division to take sixth place overall.

Other wrestlers who participated in Greco were Hecker 0-2, Harshman 1-2 and Jace Jameson 0-2.

In addition to wrapping up the season, after 11 years as the club president, Russell Wilkerson will be wrapping up his role as leader of the North Big Horn Rams club. 

Wilkerson has spent countless hours and multiple weekends volunteering his time for the betterment of the young athletes in this area. 

As president, Wilkerson has grown the program and helped many young grapplers find a passion for wrestling. He will be greatly missed, and the North Big Horn Rams are thankful for his years of service.