Green River's dedication to sports in 2023

Boys Swimming

The Green River High School Boys Swimming and Diving team had a successful season. The Wolves took second place at 3A West Conference Championships and third place in the 3A State Championship.

Leading the team were Swimmer Brady Young and Diver Braxton Cordova, who consistently finished first in their events. Young earned All-State honors, tied for the Athlete of the Year award, and set the new State record in his event. Cordova set a new Conference record in diving and was the One Meter Diving 3A State Championship for the third year in a row. Rick Barker, the GRHS diving coach, was also named Assistant Coach of the Year once again.

"They worked hard all season and they all deserve the accolades they got," Head Coach Colleen Seiloff said.

Wrestling

The Green River High School Wrestling program had a history-making year as the boys brought home the 3A State Championship and the girls hit the mat for their inaugural season.

The boys team saw success throughout the season, from hosting the Thoman Memorial Wrestling Tournament and taking second to barely missing the championship at the Ron Thon Memorial Tournament. The team went on to win the 3A West Regionals Tournament before taking home the State championship.

"Through all the blood, sweat, and tears of the season the team kept their focus and kept grinding," Head Coach, and 3A Coach of the Year, Josh Wisniewski, said.

GRHS also introduced a girls team this season. with the Lady Wolves finishing in 13th place out of 30 teams at the first Wyoming Girls State Championship.

"They will always be known as the first GRHS Lady Wolves Wrestling team," Coach Wisniewski said.

Boys Basketball

The Green River High School Boys Basketball team fought hard through a tough season. With only two wins during the season and no wins during conference games, their season ended early at the 4A West Regional Tournament.

Still, some individual team members did well throughout the season. During conference games, three team members were ranked in the Top 10 Conference players for the West Region. Head Coach Laurie Ivie was especially proud of the senior players this year.

"They always put their teammates first, and showed courageous leadership all season long," Coach Ivie said. "Nobody better symbolizes the best of what our basketball program stands for than our seniors."

Indoor Track and Field

The Indoor Track and Field team had a good season, seeing consistent improvement. The team held their own in large events and set several Personal Records.

During the State competition in Gillette, Green River had 16 boys and girls compete and nine of them place. All but one of those that did not place had at least one P.R. The girls took 13th overall and the boys took 11th overall out of 21 teams in the 3A division.

Head Coach Dan Hansen noted that the team members were "moving up the charts in 3A" throughout the season.

Girls Basketball

The Lady Wolves had a strong basketball season. The team did especially well at the 4A West Regional Tournament in Star Valley, where they ended up taking second place. Despite their success, the Lady Wolves had a tough end to the season with no wins at State. Still, several players earned All-Conference and All-State honors, and Head Coach Rick Carroll was happy with the progress the team made.

"I am just really proud of the girls," he said. "We've gotten better in all aspects of the game."

Boys Soccer

The Wolves soccer team had a successful season under the leadership of new Head Coach Josh Webb.

The team started off strong with a 10-0 victory over Pinedale. They also had a winning streak towards the end of the season with nine victories in a row, ranking them second in the 3A West Conference. They finished as the Consolation Champions at the State tournament, and several players received All-State Honors and All-Conference Honors.

Head Coach Josh Webb said he is very excited for next year. He said the development he has seen in the boys has been amazing and he feels they play with grit and heart and he "couldn't ask for a better team."

Girls Soccer

While the Lady Wolves soccer team's season ended earlier than they wanted, the team still saw success and made improvements.

With several returning players and Coach Matt Robles taking on his second season as coach, the team was optimistic starting out. But they also faced new challenges, including moving from a 4A team to be a 3A team.

The team got off to a good start, including an exciting 8-0 victory over Pinedale. After a back and forth of wins and losses, the Lady Wolves were eliminated from their chance to go to State. They finished the season ranked fifth in the 3A West Conference.

"The season had a lot of positives, we won more games this year than we did last year," Coach Robles said. "We pushed ourselves to be better and I think it was a good starting place for us. I think next year we will continue to grow."

Girls Softball

In Green River High School's third season of fast-pitch softball, the team worked hard to keep making improvements.

The season got off to a rough start with practices and games being canceled due to snow and mud, but once the girls were able to get going they didn't give up. They celebrated victories against teams like Worland and Natrona, earning a spot at State. Even with losses at State, the games were often "closer than the score portrayed," Head Coach Blair Aimone said. Coach Aimone explained the team was young this year and she was satisfied with how they played as a team.

"Sometimes we have to measure success without the win and loss record, and these girls are getting better every single day," Aimone said at the end of the season.

Track and Field

This year the Green River High School Track and Field team saw one of the largest turnouts in years with approximately 70 athletes signing up. The team set P.R.s through the season, had individual athletes finish within the top 10 at several meets, and ended up with 14 athletes qualifying for State.

Chris Wilson had an especially strong year, taking first and second in multiple events at multiple meets. He had the leading jump in the State this year in the Long Jump and received All State honors in the 300 Meter Hurdles.

Head Coach Dan Hansen was proud of his team's effort all season and at State, noting the staff was "impressed by the way our kids competed."

Knights Baseball

The Green River Knights Baseball team from American Legion Post 28 put up a fight throughout the summer.

While they struggled to get a win for the first few games of the season, they got their first win against the Lander Legends, and saw several more victories in the following weeks. The players' teamwork just kept improving throughout the season, leading to more victories, a first-place seeding for the district tournament, and a spot in the American Legion State Tournament.

Head Coach Ben Lail was pleased with the performance of the players, especially since it was an extremely young team this year.

Golf

Green River High School's Golf team had a strong season as each athlete continually pushed to improve.

At the beginning of the season, Head Coach Karly Eyre noted that the veteran team members among the girls added leadership and drive to the team, while the new and younger boys added eagerness.

Among the girls, Isabell Salas, Mylie Mele and Taylor Jenny had especially strong seasons. Salas went undefeated in the regular season for the second consecutive year and got second at State, finishing her high school career "as the most decorated female golfer in the history of Green River High School Golf," according to Assistant Coach Danielle Salas. Salas and Mele both also got All Conference honors during the Regional Championship hosted in Green River.

"This season was successful in our book and we look forward to seeing continued growth throughout the next few seasons," Coach Salas said.

Volleyball

While Lady Wolves Volleyball had a mixed season with a young team, the athletes pushed hard to achieve several victories.

The season started with a few wins and losses, but the team gained momentum after beating Rock Springs and went on to beat Evanston for their first conference win. Eventually the Lady Wolves ended their season at the Regional tournament hosted in Green River after losing some close sets.

"The girls are starting to feel comfortable in a new rotation and everyone is stepping up and really doing a good job of fulfilling their roles on the team," Head Coach Jessica Demaret said during the season.

Football

A new era for Green River High School Football started as the Wolves played their first season under the direction of new Head Coach Blaine Christensen and a coaching staff full of new assistant coaches.

The team got off to a good start with an exciting win against Lander. The rest of the season was more difficult and saw a series of losses, ultimately ending with a loss to Evanston that kept the Wolves out of the playoffs. The Wolves consistently demonstrated a "never say quit." The defense did especially well through the season, and the offense saw continual improvement.

Coach Christensen said he's proud of the team and they need to keep building, but he and the staff are "extremely excited for what the future of Green River Football has to offer."

Tennis

With a team made up of several returning girls and mostly new boys, the Green River High School Tennis team fought hard through the season. The girls saw several victories, while the boys gained experience and got a few wins.

During the Regionals tournament in Cheyenne, the girls finished fourth out of seven overall, while the boys placed sixth out of eight teams. At State, the team competed with 16 other teams. The girls finished in 10th place, with the boys finishing in 13th.

Head Coach Phil Harder said that "It was a building year for the Wolves, but they learned a lot and I know they will get out between now and next fall to get better and improve on their skills."

Cross Country

The Green River High School Cross Country team had a full team this year, with lots of veteran girls and lots of new and young boys competing.

The girls had a strong season, finishing second overall several times and having sisters Isabelle and Madison Murdock come in the top ten in multiple meets. At State, the girls came in fifth overall, finishing only two points away from fourth place.

The boys were able to build on their skills and gain good experience. Freshman Jesse Kimble stood out with an impressive first year, finishing second in Lander and 20th out of 82 runners in Evanston.

Next year, the cross country team will jump up to compete in 4A, so Head Coach Craig Leavitt hopes the athletes will be able to "step up their game" even more.

Girls Swimming

The Lady Wolves swam away with the competition as they dominated in the pool all season long before ultimately bringing home the 3A Championship title.

For the majority of the season, the Lady Wolves dominated in every meet, often winning by more than double the points of the second-place team. They also beat Lander, the previous champions, in multiple Dual events.

When Green River hosted the 3A West Conference Championships, the Lady Wolves took first in eight out of 12 events. The Lady Wolves went on to not only win the 3A Swimming and Diving State Championship but to also receive multiple important recognitions. Tavia Arnell was awarded Athlete of the Year, Tanith Smith and Tavia Arnell tied for Athlete of the Meet, and Head Coach Colleen Seiloff was awarded Coach of the Year.

"I was so excited for them and I could just see how excited they were," Head Coach Colleen Seiloff said of the Championship win. "There were all kinds of emotions."