Returning state qualifiers lead G-R into opener

When last season ended, the Greybull-Riverside wrestlers were celebrating their best state tournament finish since 2020.  Led by then-senior and 175-pound champ Ty Strohschein, the Hound Dogs captured eighth place in the 2A field.

While Strohshein has moved on, the nucleus of that fast-closing group returns for the 2024-25 campaign, which begins like they all do in Wyoming, with two days of highly competitive tournament action later this week in Powell.

Coach Rob Nuttall’s roster of 23 includes 10 with state tournament experience, headed by returning state placers Curtis Strohschein and Loomis Alexander. Strohschein placed third at heavyweight while Alexander claimed fifth at 138 pounds.

“We expect big things from both of them,” Nuttall said. “Curt, he’s a gamer, a three-time state placer who I know will rise to the challenge, and he has done a good job as a leader.  

“As for Loomis, he put in a ton of work in the offseason, went to some big camps and really put himself in a position to be successful this year.”

The other state qualifiers last year on the boys side included 126-pounders Bennett Sanford and Jesse Brown, 144-pounder Reece Whisenant, 150-pounder Caiden Sorensen and 157-pounder Garrett Wiggins gained valuable experience.

While the eighth-place finish as team represented an improvement, Nuttall believes his team left some meat on the bone in Casper.  

“We should have had a few more guys on the podium down there,” he said.

All those qualifying non-placers are expected to take steps forward this year, Nuttall said, describing Whisenant as “a kid with big potential who could beat anyone on any given day,” Sorenson as “a high-motor kid and very hard worker” and Sanford as being motivated to improve on bowing out in the “blood round,” one match away from placing, in Casper.

Other boys on the team include seniors Michael Bassett (who wrestled for Rocky Mountain last year) and Payton Hoffman; juniors Ben Mendenhall and Camden Schriner; sophomores Carter Peasley, Daniel Baker and Corbyn Godfrey and freshmen Nikoah Sorenson and Levi Cochrane.

“Ty was a big loss for us,” Nuttall said in sizing up his team, “but we knew we would have a lot of kids coming back who were in the thick of it last year and that we would be able to put together a competitive roster.”

Nuttall said the team “certified well” at the end of last week, and with the two-pound holiday growth allowance, should settle into weights nicely heading into January.  “We’ve been fortunate the last couple of years since I start to have had some good individuals we knew would be in the thick of it for a state title, but this year, moreso than in years past, I think we have more talent and more potential top to bottom than we’ve had collectively.

“I’m feeling really good about our team. We’ll struggle to fill some of the lower weights, but from 126 up to heavyweight, we should be pretty solid.” 

Girls team

There are six wrestlers on the girls team: senior Gabby Dowling, sophomores Ellie Holloway, Tawny Bertolini and Rhianna Gaytan, and freshmen Kahlua Woolsey and Makenna Schell.

Dowling, Bertolini and Holloway are returning state qualifiers.  Dowling placed third at 135 pounds, and while neither Bertolini, at 130, nor Holloway, at 140, placed, each of them won at least a match in Casper.

“My expectations of them are high — all three are capable of doing great things” and potentially finishing in the top three at state, Nuttall said.  Gaytan, Woolsey and Schell, meanwhile, “are getting their bearings and doing everything a coach hopes. They’re listening, taking advice and working hard.”

This weekend’s tournament will feature pool wrestling and bracketed tournaments in the varsity boys, varsity girls and junior varsity boys divisions.  The girls will actually wrestle in Cody; the boys will be in Powell.

Nuttall’s assistant coaches this year are Brant Ogg and Mark Sanford.