Proving they belong among the top programs in the state, the Powell High School girls’ wrestling team made a statement in Casper this past weekend. The Panthers finished third to win the program’s first trophy, placing all five wrestlers and crowning an individual champion in the process.

“It’s super fantastic,” coach Jeriah Horsley said. “I’ve been hyped since Friday, going like ‘hey, we got five for five.’ These girls are fantastic. They pushed hard, they fought all season to end it this way and get all five of them placed at state, super awesome.”

Powell was led by senior Allison LeBlanc at 110 pounds, who earned a first round bye before dominating the competition with two straight pins in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

Repeating her success from a week before, LeBlanc defeated Pinedale’s McKinzie Mortensen, earning a 3-1 decision to become the first individual to win a girls’ state title in school history.

The Panthers had another senior in the finals on Saturday, as Nalani Jordan advanced with three equally impressive rounds with pins in all three to reach the championship bout at 140 pounds.

Unfortunately for Jordan, she fell to the now three time defending state champion in Kaylie Julander of Kemmerer, who capped off a 50-0 season with an 18-1 tech fall of Jordan in the final.

“I think she wrestled her fantastic, she didn’t get pinned,” coach Horsley said. “That’s a testament to how good Nalani is, that she is willing to go out there, put everything out there and just have fun doing it. Then they’re (Julander and Jordan) friends anyways, at the end of it it just shows the caliber that Nalani is as a person, let alone a wrestler.”

Placing third for the Panthers was junior Caydee Eden, who started with a pin in her first match before a 14-1 major decision in the quarterfinals.

She fell in the semifinals to the eventual champion in Ellie Bouzis of Campbell County via an 11-6 decision, as Bouzis defended her state title at 100 pounds.

“It’s always hard when they lose. The thing I like about these girls is they’re passionate,” coach Horsley said. “They all kept their heads in the game. They came in, they kept pushing hard … Just super fun to be with these girls and watch them do it all. Disappointment or not, these girls held their heads up high.”

Eden rebounded with a pin in the consolation semifinals before a 14-8 decision in the third place match.

Junior Eleasah Horsley was another  placer, as she started with a pin and 16-1 tech fall to reach the semifinals, before falling via pin in the semifinals to the eventual runner up in Kinsey Hooper of Rawlins.

Horsley rebounded with a pin in the consolation semifinals on Saturday before losing in the third place match via a 3-0 decision.

Avery LeBlanc was Powell’s final placer, capping off a strong freshman season with a fifth place finish.

She started with a 17-7 major decision before falling in the quarterfinals.

LeBlanc battled back with two pins on Friday to reach the consolation semifinals Saturday, losing via a 14-2 decision in that match before earning an 8-7 win to take fifth with a late escape.

Overall as a team the Panthers prevailed in a tight race despite having the fewest wrestlers in the top five teams, earning a third place finish with 100.5 points. Powell was just ahead of Rock Springs in fourth with 97 points, Green River was second with 110.5 and Star Valley won the team crown for a fourth straight season.

“I’ve said from the very beginning of the season ‘you girls are a championship team, and you’ve gotta believe in yourself, and we’ve gotta keep fighting for it,’” coach Horsley said. “Our shirts this year for state said ‘tackling giants.’ It wasn’t just about the individual ones. It was us going up against these teams with 20 girls on them, and we have five here. That just highlights how good these girls are.”

Horsley is hopeful this trophy will help encourage others to come out and wrestle for the program, continuing to grow the program while showing that despite small numbers the Panthers are here to fight and contend with those at the top.

“This next year we hope to pick up where we left off … We’ve also got some young girls coming up into the program that are going to be some hard hitters as well,” coach Horsley said. “I’m just hoping that it really opens up the eyes to the young ladies back home too. This is a legit sport, and we’re ready to take any girls that will try it. What these girls did here this weekend should show them all that they’re all capable of doing it. If they want to come out and try it, that’s really what we want to do, is keep building the program.”

STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team scores — 1. Star Valley 167.5, 2. Green River 110.5, 3. Powell 100.5, 4. Rock Springs 97, 5. Pinedale 92, 6. Thermopolis 91, 7. Sheridan 84.5, 8. Thunder Basin 80, 9, Evanston 77.5, 10. Natrona County 65, 11. Cheyenne East 61, 12. Kemmerer 57.5, 13. Campbell County 54, 14. Glenrock 53.5, 15. Cody 52, 16. Riverton 51, T17. Lander and Torrington 44, 19. Rawlins 39.5, 20. Kelly Walsh 38, 21. Cheyenne Central 34, 22. Shoshoni 33.5, 23. Wheatland 33, 24. Worland 29, 25. Wind River 27, 26. Burns/Pine Bluffs 26, 27. Hulett 25, 28. Greybull/Riverside 24, 29. Upton 23, 30. Saratoga 21, 31. Newcastle 20.5, 33. Lingle-Ft. Laramie/Southeast 18, 34. Lovell 17, 35. Douglas 16, 36. Lyman 15, 37. Hanna Elk Mountain 14.5, 38. Moorcroft 11, 39. Rocky Mountain 10.5, T40. Laramie and Cheyenne South 6, 42. Big Piney and Wright 4, 44. Tongue River 3, 45. Niobrara County 2, 46. Sundance 1

Caydee Eden (100) — 3. Eden def. Erin McMullan (Green River) by fall 5:47; Eden def. Constance Peterson (Star Valley) via MD 14-1; Ellie Bouzis (Campbell County) def. Eden via decision 11-6; Eden def. Kailyah Bento (Cheyenne East) by fall 2:24; Eden def. Hailee Cooper (Riverton) via decision 14-8

Avery LeBlanc (105) — 5. LeBlanc def. Cerenity Quintana (Worland) via MD 17-7; Penelope Anderson (Saratoga) def. LeBlanc by pin 1:37; LeBlanc def. Ariana Posten (Lingle-Ft. Laramie/Southeast) by fall :32; LeBlanc def. Shaylee Loveland (Campbell County) by pin 1:45; Carlee Angell (Star Valley) def. LeBlanc via MD 14-2; LeBlanc def. Cerenity Quintana (Worland) via decision 8-7

Allison LeBlanc (110) — 1. LeBlanc def. Isabella Hetzel (Thermopolis) by fall 1:41; LeBlanc def. Kayleigh Johnson (Green River) by fall 4:19; LeBlanc def. McKinzie Mortensen (Pinedale) via decision 3-1

Eleasah Horsley (115) — 4. Horsley def. Emellia Winfrey (Tongue River) by fall 3:16; Horsley def. Kaylin Dines (Douglas) via tech fall 16-1; Kinsey Hooper (Rawlins) def. Horsley by fall 4:23; Horsley def. Aspen Beutler (Wind River) by fall 2:11; Saraval McGregor (Kelly Walsh) def. Horsley via decision 3-0

Nalani Jordan (140) — 2. Jordan def. Jenica Steely (Lingle-Ft. Laramie/Southeast) by fall 1:12; Jordan def. Brylee Caster (Newcastle) by fall 4:35; Jordan def. Love Potter (Cheyenne East) by pin 4:31; Kaylie Julander (Kemmerer) def. Jordan via tech fall 18-1