Weston County Wrestlers Shine on Day 2 of Wyoming State Wrestling Tournament

Staff

(This story was prepared by NLJ Publisher Bob Bonnar with the assistance of artificial intelligence.)

The wrestlers of Weston County delivered strong performances on the second day of the Wyoming State Wrestling Tournament at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper. With the competition heating up, the Upton Bobcats and Newcastle Dogies made strides in the standings, with several athletes still in contention for medals heading into the final day.

Upton Bobcats Climb in 2A Rankings

The Upton Bobcats moved up a spot to seventh place in the 2A division, amassing 84.5 points—just two points behind Lingle-Fort Laramie for fifth place. The Bobcats still have six wrestlers competing, led by Haven Vrana and Trey Schneider, who both secured spots in the championship matches for their respective weight classes.

Upton’s Standout Performances:

Cayden Vrana (106 lbs, 24-14): Earned two wins by fall, scoring 13 team points.
Gavin Dollick (113 lbs, 20-25): Scored 2 points with a major decision win over Moorcroft’s Caden Cantu before falling in the third round of consolation.
Haven Vrana (120 lbs, 35-7): Advanced to the finals after an intense sudden victory (13-10) over Moorcroft’s Kade Haynes.
Jackson East (126 lbs, 36-7): Reached the semifinals but was defeated by Wind River’s Landon Rhyne.
Landon Norman (132 lbs, 35-10): Won both of his consolation matches, including a 35-second fall over Thermopolis' Kacey Mackay.
Trey Schneider (132 lbs, 42-4): Dominated his semifinal match with a fall over Big Piney’s Zavier Clifford (4:18).
Sam Bowen (144 lbs, 11-22): Earned a decision win over Benjamin Miller before falling in the second round of consolation.
Braylon Phillips (144 lbs, 11-19): Scored 3 points with a fall over Wright’s Tripp Isenberger.
Cullen Davis (150 lbs, 27-11): Won a pair of consolation matches and continues to battle for points and position today.

Newcastle Dogies Struggle but Show Promise

Despite tough competition, Newcastle remains in 16th place in the 3A division with 20.5 points. However, Scott Larson (138 lbs) kept the Dogies' medal hopes alive after a remarkable run in the consolation bracket. If he continues his winning streak, he could place as high as third.

Newcastle’s Highlights:

Troy Christensen (120 lbs, 19-21): Scored three team points with a fall over Rawlins’ Aaron Chico before falling in the next round.
Cayson Phillips (126 lbs, 13-22): Was eliminated after a loss to Powell’s Sean Lowe.
TJ Harrington (132 lbs, 10-22): Fell in the first round of consolation to Rawlins’ Maverick Valdes.
Scott Larson (138 lbs, 37-12): Earned three consecutive victories, including a quick fall (0:46) over Broc Frank of Powell.
Dane Crabtree (157 lbs, 17-19): Won a major decision over Andres Archuleta before being eliminated.
Noah Williams Gardner (175 lbs, 10-20): Lost a close decision to Lyman’s Lucas Chandler.

Newcastle Girls Make Big Moves in State Rankings

The Newcastle girls’ team had an outstanding Day 2, jumping 11 spots to tie for 22nd place with Thunder Basin. Leading the charge was Brylee Caster (140 lbs), who remains in contention for a third-place finish after three dominant wins in the consolation bracket.

Newcastle’s Top Girls Performers:

Sage Lichtenberger (100 lbs, 22-22): Scored six team points with two victories by fall before losing in the third round of consolation.
Harmony Sullivan (100 lbs, 13-23): Won by fall over Taylor Kimzey before being eliminated.
Courtney Matthews (120 lbs, 25-24): Earned a decision win in the first round of consolation before falling to Cheyenne East’s Viviana Soto.
Netanya Prell (130 lbs, 34-22): Earned seven points with a consolation win over Sundance’s Shyla Shoun.
Brylee Caster (140 lbs, 32-23): Won all three of her Friday matches, including a pin over Rawlins’ Kloey Walker (1:44).
Adelyn Bergstrom (145 lbs, 14-26): Eliminated after a close 1-0 decision loss to Thunder Basin’s Cheyenne Marshall.

Upton Girls Wrap Up State Tournament

The Upton girls’ team finished their state tournament in 44th place after their lone state qualifier, Alexis Savage (235 lbs, 5-15), earned a bye in the first round of consolation action but fell to Wind River’s Juana Hines in the second round.

Looking Ahead

As the tournament enters its final day, Upton’s Haven Vrana and Trey Schneider will look to bring home state titles in today’s championship bouts, while several of their teammates battle it out for their spots on the podium in the consolation bracket. Newcastle’s Scott Larson and Brylee Caster will also continue their push for podium finishes.