Widdison grapples her way to bronze

It was a tough season for the Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) Miner grapplers on their road to the 2A State Championship. While HEM began with several wrestlers, by the time they made the trip to Casper the team had been reduced to just five.

Fortunately, all five punched their ticket the week prior during the regional tournament. Not just that, but grappler MacKaylee Widdison took 3rd place in the 105 pound weight class in the inaugural girls wrestling state tournament.

“She did really well,” Riddle said. “She was put down by the number one girl who took the title in State.”

Riddle said for others to understand the accomplishment, they had to recognize that the tournament wasn’t split up by conference division. Instead, all three divisions were competing for the same goal.

“This was the first tournament for the girls and they wrestled 2A, 3A and 4A together,” Riddle said. “She got past a couple of the 3A and 4A girls. Many of them had more matches than she did. Some of these girls had wrestled as many as 30 matches. MacKaylee went into State having only wrestled nine matches. She did really well.”

His other girl wrestler had a tougher time of it.

“Alaina (McNees) won her first match, but she ended up getting dinged up,” Riddle said. “Going into the other matches she couldn’t wrestle to where she had to in order to go further in the tournament. It was a back injury and, when that happens, you just don’t have that core strength and ability to move the way you need to in order to win.”

Riddle said Anthony Solaas, at 106 weight class, also did well.

“Anthony went as far as the blood round,” Riddle said. “This is the round before placing rounds. He beat some good kids on the way to the blood round, but he didn’t get past it.”

Riddle said the weather made it difficult for Solaas also.

“Because of the weather, the officials were letting kids wrestle a pound heavier because so many didn’t make it to the tournament,” Riddle said. “They were letting wrestlers in the 106 come in at 109. Anthony was giving up 15 pounds to some of those kids. The storm kind of threw it all off, but it is what it is and you have to wrestle with what you are given.”

HEM had two boys wrestling at 145.

“Both Sam (Ramirez) and Jared (Nelsen) had tough draws and were up against some tough competition,” Riddle said. “Sam won his first match, which was very impressive. In the second match he got beat by experience, not by technique or skill, and he tweaked his arm. His third match, he could not hardly use his arm and he went out.”

Nelson started out well, too.

“Jared came out in his first match and beat his kid by digging down and really working hard,” Riddle said. “He really wanted to win that first match and looked really good. I was hoping he would continue with that drive in his other matches. He is young and is still learning.” 

Ramirez is a freshman and Nelsen a sophomore.

“I consider we had a successful season considering all the injuries and what the kids had to face,” Riddle said. “The kids did well and I was very proud of them all,”