Wyoming High School Wrestling 2022-23 Season Preview
This weekend marks the start of the new high school wrestling season in Wyoming.
The first practice took place on November 21, and now we are set for the first matches of the year. There is a lot of upcoming action, starting officially on Thursday and extending into the weekend. See more information about the schedule on this week's scoreboard in the link below.
First, the big news from last spring was the addition of a girls' division for the first time, officially. We're excited to see how that goes, as word around the state has around 200 girls wrestling in the inaugural season.
Second, there has been a change in the classes this season. Star Valley has moved up to 4A and Evanston has dropped down to 3A.
State Wrestling will be February 23-25, 2023, at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper. Regionals will take place on Feb. 17-18, 2023, at six different sites according to class and division.
A quick recap of last season: Natrona County, Star Valley, and Kemmerer all won their respective classes. Read our state wrestling story below to learn more about last year's winners in each weight class.
As for this season, in 4A, there are ten returning champions, including three for Thunder Basin. The Bolts seem to be the favorite this year with many returning wrestlers, plus they took second place at the state tournament last year. Other teams to watch throughout the season would be Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Natrona County, and Kelly Walsh, who all have returning champions. And while Star Valley is new to the class, they could surprise some at state.
3A will crown a new champion in the absence of the Braves. The class also has only six of 14 champions returning. The overall favorites heading into the season are Douglas and Green River, who took second and third at the state tournament last year. Cody could also be a team to watch out for, as they have numerous wrestlers returning in their lineup.
For 2A, all but one defending champion returns to wrestle for their school. Kemmerer may have a shot at back-to-back championships, with three returning champs and more young talent coming back for the season. There are many other teams to watch, but be sure to keep an eye on Moorcroft and Lusk as other favorites in this class.