Wolves finish high at out-of-state tourney

The Wolf Pack is on a roll.

The Green River High School wrestling team showed once again last weekend they are one of the premier teams in the state.

The Wolves came away with a second place finish competing against 30 teams from Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming at the Tiger-Grizz Invitational in Idaho Falls. Green River finished with 215.5 points, just behind Bonneville, Idaho, who won the tournament with 221.5 points.

“It was nice to see the wrestlers compete very hard for the second week in a row. We wrestled with intensity, our technique has improved, and we are in pretty good shape,” head coach Marshall Rhodes said.

Cyro Montoya (106 pounds) and Cole Verner (120 pounds) both came away with first-place finishes at two day tourney. Verner was also named outstanding wrestler of the tournament.

“It was good to see Cyro get his first tournament win of the season, he has been working very hard,” Rhodes said. “Cole had another phenomenal weekend beating a nationally ranked wrestler in the finals on his way to another first place finish and was named the outstanding wrestler of the tournament.”

Green River senior Shandon Welsh finished second and Rhodes said it was his best tournament of the season.

“He is improving every match and is becoming a very legitimate state champion contender,” Rhodes said.

The Wolves had nine other placers at the Tiger-Grizz Tournament. Nathan McCann finished eighth. Gage Byers, Chase O’Melia and Hunter Hanks all finished fifth. Caleb Nathan ended up in fourth, while Colton Hopkins, Austin Waters and Jordan Tucker all finished seventh. Brendan Hopkins ended the tournament in sixth place.

Also competing and winning matches in the varsity division for Green River were Kaycee Cochrane, Eric Clingenpeel, and Edgar Alatorre.

Rhodes said Caleb Nathan wrestled in the varsity division for the first time this year and had an excellent weekend.

In the junior varsity division, Jared Flores picked up a first place finish.

“Jared had his first competition in a year and a half and will be ready to compete in the varsity lineup very soon, I am glad to have him back,” Rhodes said.

In other junior varsity results, Chance Anderson finished fifth, Zack Orr was fourth, and Gabe Bunderman placed sixth.

Dan Mondragon, Talbert Bowen, Devon VanValkenburg, Cameron Harmon, Derrik Erickson, Manny Lopez, James McCarter and Mikel Moser also competed in the junior varsity division.

Green River will host Star Valley in a dual Friday night at the high school and travel to the conference duals Saturday in Rock Springs.

“We only have five weeks left to fix things, but I am proud of the wresters at this point, we are making progress and fighting hard. We have conference duals coming up this weekend and I expect the wrestlers to continue to compete hard,” Rhodes said.