Wyoming Wrestlers Turn in Strong Performance in Virginia Beach

The 32nd annual NHSCA National Wrestling Tournament was held over the weekend in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Wyoming had a large contingent to take part in the event.

As it turns out, six Wyoming wrestlers earned All-American honors by finishing in the top 8. In the senior division, Kelly Walsh's Analu Benabise placed 6th at 145 pounds going 4-3 in the tournament. He is a four-time state champion for the Trojans in Class 4A. Sheridan's Reese Osborne earned All-American status taking 7th place at 138 points with 5 wins in the tournament. Osborne was the 4A state champion at 138 this past season. His Sheridan teammate Hayden Crow also was an All-American with a 7th place finish at 160 pounds with a 4-2 record in the tourney.  He was the 4A runner-up at 170 in 2021.

Also in the senior division, Natrona's Kyler Henderson went 0-2 at 132 pounds. Cash Christensen of Rock Springs went 2-2 art 152 pounds. At 160, Kaleb Bigelow from Pinedale went 1-2. Another Pinedale grappler, Keegan Gehlhausen went 2-2 at 170 and he is the 3A state champion at the weight. Campbell County's Colten Rankin went 0-2 at 285 pounds.

Get our free mobile app

A couple of juniors from Wyoming earned All-American honors in Virginia Beach. Lyman's Sefton Douglas who is the 3A state champion at 113, placed 8th at that weight with a record of 4-3 at Nationals. Pinedale's Cody Phelps was another All-American with an 8th place finish at 132. He is the defending 3A state champion at 138. Natrona's Billy Brenton had a good tournament going 6-2 at 138 pounds.  Also in the junior division, Kelly Walsh's Noah Home won two and lost in Virginia Beach with  Tate Tromble of Natrona, Colt Welsh of Campbell County, Tristan Haley of Pinedale, Laramie's Fisher Hawkins, Brock Steel of Sheridan, Cael Porter, and Dylan Skilling of Thunder Basin all went 1-2. Laramie's Conner Hobbs went 1-2 as well.

One sophomore from Wyoming was an All-American and that was Lane Ewing from Douglas at 145 pounds. He wrestled 7 matches in Virginia Beach and won 5 to finish 7th in that weight class. Ewing won the 3A state championship at 145 back in February. Also in the sophomore division. Sheridan's Kolten Powers had a good outing going 4-2 at 113 pounds.  Colson Coon and Aiden Selcher of Sheridan went 1-2 with Sheridan's Landon Wood and Laramie's Bridger Smith going 0-2.

In the freshman division, Pinedale's Jake Hammer had a nice tournament in Virginia going 3-2 at 113 pounds. Thunder Basin's Antonio Avila and Jais Rose along with Dylan Goss of Sheridan went 1-2. Sheridan's Cody Dunham went 2-2 at 106. Laramie's Porter Trabing and Liam Knerr also won 1 match and lost 2. Kaden Orr from Natrona and Cole Reiser of Sheridan went 0-2.

In the girl's division, Alleynah Ronnau from Cheyenne East earned All-American status by placing 8th in the 120-pound division. Ronnau went 2-3 in the tournament. She wrestled for the T-Birds for four years and was 21-21 this season at 106 pounds, going 1-2 in the 4A state tournament.

In 2019, this national tournament in Virginia Beach drew over 4600 wrestlers but the competitor amount was capped this year.

UPDATE!

Here's more of the Wyoming results from the National Tournament in Virginia Beach.

Dylan Brenton of Natrona, Colton Gehlhausen of Pinedale, Dane Steel of Sheridan and Seamus Casey of Thunder Basin all went 2-2.  The following wrestlers went 1-2; Hunter Goodwin of Sheridan, Dylan Catlin and Jeric Igo of Thunder Basin, Cyruss Meeks of Natrona, and Lucas Hill from Campbell County. Rudy Osborne and Nahir Aguirre of Sheridan went 0-2.