Miners digging in for State Tournament

Old Man Winter may be trying to take Wyoming to the mat, but that didn’t stop the Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) Miners from heading to Casper for the State Wrestling Tournament this weekend.

Head Coach Robert Riddle will be taking all of his matmen—and matwomen—to Casper. The Miners are down to just five wrestlers with three boys and two girls.

Anthony Solaas in the 106 pound class placed 3rd in regionals and is looking good according to Riddle.

“He did very well and in order to get in, he had to wrestle Anthony Campbell who he has lost to several times this year,” Riddle said. “It went into overtime and Anthony did it. It was great to see him do so well just before going to State.”

The other two boy wrestlers Sam Ramirez and Jared Nelsen, who are both in the 145 pound class, placed 7th and 8th to earn their shot at State. Ramirez is a freshman and Nelsen a sophomore. 

“Jared didn’t make State last year, so this is exciting for him,” Riddle said. “He wrestled well at regionals and it was good he made State. He is in a tough weight class to begin with and with him being a bit tall and lean, there isn’t as much body mass as many of his competitors.”

Riddle said Ramirez going into regionals he was seeded 5th, but the freshman was up against wrestlers who not only had experience, few losses too.

“He had a couple rough spots, but he ended up making State. He has made a lot of progress,” Riddle said. “Getting all the boys to qualify for State was great since we are such a small team right now.”

The girl grapplers for HEM will also be going to State.

Riddle said this year the girls wrestling didn’t have the traditional wrestling matches the way it did for boys.

“I think this year they were quite expecting the number of girls they got,” Riddle said. “Rather than doing a traditional regionals for them, they took the girls overall record for the season, strictly girl matches, and they did the win percentages and placed them in State.”

Both McKaylee Widdison, at 105 pounds, and Alaina McNees, at 115, had records which punched their ticket to State. Riddle said both girls had good placings.

Riddle said he is hopeful the wrestlers leave early this week due to the snowstorm predicted.

“This happens so much at this time of year,” Riddle said. “In the 15 years of my coaching, I think maybe three times the weather cooperated. We just have to do what we can to get the kids up there.”