Three varsity wrestlers place in Lander

Curtis Strohschein won the heavyweight division, Ty Strohschein captured second at 175 and Loomis Alexander took third at 138 pounds to lead the surging Greybull-Riverside wrestling squad to a ninth-place finish at last weekend’s Lander Invitational.
The tournament attracted 26 varsity boys teams, with the majority being either 3A or 4A.  The only 2A teams that topped G-R’s 80 points were Thermopolis, which took seventh with 113, and Kemmerer, eighth with 111.5.
“We wrestled a heck of a tournament,” said Coach Rob Nuttall.
He may not have seen it coming.  Sickness has been ravaging his team of late — to the point where G-R entered just six in varsity, three in JV and one girl. “We left a bunch of kids home ... hopefully they start feeling better for the final stretch.”
Gabby Dowling, G-R’s only female competitor, got the most out of her time on the mat, pinning three straight opponents to claim the 135-pound title.
“One of the girls she beat is ranked third in the state, so that was a huge win,” said Nuttall.
Curtis Strohschein provided the highlight on the boys’ side, pinning all four of his opponents.  Even more impressive, each of his opponents were ranked among the top seven heavyweights in 3A, with Zaryc Prosser of Riverton topping that chart.  Strohschien pinned him in the semis, then took care of Doug Bettger of Powell in the final.  
Strohschein had wrestled each of them previously, but he’s a better wrestler now than he was a month ago, according to Nuttall. “Curtis has always been known for his ability, being a great competitor and a hard worker in practice,” said Nuttall. “The biggest change in him that we’ve seen has come in the mental aspect. He’s wrestling smarter, staying patient in matches and taking calculated risks.  He’s grown a ton and knows what he needs to do to win.”
Ty Strohschein also stood up tall to 3A’s best, pinning Pinedale’s Cale Dauwen (#6) and decisioning Mountain View’s Carson Eardley (#4) by a 3-2 score before losing to Sage Lonn (#2) in the finals.  The end came on a pin, but Strohschein was leading 4-1 and controlling the match at the time.
“He just got caught in a goofy position, but I love the way he’s wrestling, with a great motor and attention to detail,” said Nuttall.
Alexander went 5-1 in one of the tournament’s toughest brackets, losing only to Jake Hammer of Pinedale who entered with a 29-1 record.  “The guy is just that - a hammer,” said Nuttall. “But Loo’s ability to come back in the wrestlebacks (where he defeated Gabe Grant (#7 in 3A) and Weston Einest of 4A Laramie) should not be overlooked.”
While they didn’t place, G-R’s other varsity wrestlers won matches to help the team. Caiden Sorensen went 2-2 at 150 pounds while Braxdon Patterson, at 132, and Reece Whisenant, at 144, posted 1-2 marks.
“I was pleased with everyone on the varsity side,” said Nuttall. “You go into a tournament like this knowing full well what it is ... not only did everyone win some matches, but we also showed we could compete with anyone.”
G-R entered three wrestlers in the JV. Sy Schlattmann went 0-2 at 126, Ben Mendenhall went 1-2 at 132 and Camden Schriner went 1-2 at 190. “Most people only see wins and losses, but as coaches, we can see these young guys doing so many little things better and getting closer to the success we want them to find.”
The squad heads south against this weekend for the annual Ron Thon Invitational in Riverton. It’s an all-class affair and traditionally the most competitive tournament of the season.  “This is the big show, right?  For me, it’s just one more opportunity for us to see where we are and where we need to go.  There’s no better indicator than how we compete against in the state.”
While the boys wrestle for “bragging rights” since there are three classifications in the sport’s postseason structure, it’s a little more important on the girls’ side where there is only one.  In that way, it’ll provide a   preview of next month’s state tournament.