The Powell Panther girls’ wrestling team finished ninth at a difficult regional tournament in Evanston, sending five wrestlers to the state tournament with three Panthers placing in the top four.

The highest Panther placer was Eleasah Horsley at 115 pounds, who pinned her way through her first three opponents to reach the championship bout, including a difficult win in her semifinal match against Wind River’s Lily Hill.

“Her opponent was well-prepared for a rematch from the Greybull tournament and wrestled Eleasah very tough,” coach David Holland said. “She [Hill] controlled much of the match, but Eleasah kept fighting. At one point, Eleasah found herself on her back in a double wing, but she bridged hard, staying on the top of her head. She managed to wiggle one arm free, fought her way back to her belly and took control from there. That was a true display of never giving up.”

Winning that match sent Horsley into the championship bout against Kemmerer’s Laynee Walker, where Horsley ultimately fell short via a pin in 1:14.

“While she came up short of the top regional spot by losing to Walker from Kemmerer, her resilience was impressive,” Holland said.

One of two Panthers who placed fourth was Caydee Eden, who fell in the quarterfinals via an 8-5 decision after a first round bye and battled her way back to a state spot.

She won her first consolation match via a 17-6 major decision, before two straight pins put her into the third place match.

She fell to Worland’s Cerenity Quintana via a 9-6 decision in that third place match.

“Caydee wrestled tough all weekend,” Holland said. “Caydee’s tenacity at 100 pounds makes her a serious contender, she’s capable of beating anyone at that weight.”

The other Panther taking fourth was Allison LeBlanc, who received a first round bye before two straight pins set her up in the semifinal.

She fell via a 17-0 tech fall to Pinedale’s Kaylea Mortensen, but rebounded with a pin in the consolation semifinals to reach the third place match.

LeBlanc lost via a 7-3 decision to Evanston’s Sidney Liechty to take fourth.

“Allison had a tough bracket at 110, which is a deep weight class this year,” Holland said. “We’ll make some adjustments this week, and I believe Allison is more than capable of being a top contender at state.”

Another Powell athlete heading to state will be Nalani Jordan, who battled through a tough weekend to go 3-2 and advance in the top eight at 135 pounds.

“Nalani had a tough regional tournament. Last year, she was close but fell short of qualifying for state. This year, she was able to shake that off and earn her spot. She wrestled with the stomach flu, which made it even harder,” Holland said.

The final Panther who qualified for state was Ellidi Joy, who went 0-2 but was able to advance in the top eight at 155 pounds.

“I was thrilled for Ellidi. She comes into practice every day and gives it her best,” Holland said. “As a freshman, I’m excited for her to experience state.”

Powell also had two additional competitors at regionals, as Harley Spinden went 1-2 at 115 pounds and River James went 1-2 at 120 pounds.

As a team Powell finished ninth with 63 points, while Star Valley ran away with the team title with 227 points.

“What a great weekend for the girls at regionals,” Holland said. “Overall the girls did great and I’m incredibly proud of them.”

The Panthers now head to Casper to take part in the state tournament starting Thursday at noon, followed by start times of 10:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

“I want them to take each match one period at a time, no opponent should be overlooked at state because anyone can pull off an upset. If the girls stay focused, push the pace and dictate their matches, I’m confident we’ll have a great tournament,” Holland said. “They’ve put in the hard work all season, and now it’s time to finish strong and give it their all.”

STATE MATCHUPS

100 pounds — Caydee Eden vs. Michelle Henman (Kelly Walsh)

110 pounds — Allison LeBlanc vs. Olivia Remacle (Wind River)

115 pounds — Eleasah Horsley vs. Shaelyn Larkin (Evanston)

135 pounds — Nalani Jordan vs. Sydney Rozell (Moorcroft)

155 pounds — Ellidi Joy vs. Lainah Blankenship (Thunder Basin)