The Powell Panther girls’ wrestling team had a busy week on the mat, winning two of three matches in a dual against Thermopolis on Thursday before winning the Greybull Tournament on Saturday.

THERMOPOLIS DUAL

Starting with the Thermopolis dual on Thursday the Panthers were unable to get many matches in against the Bobcats, but made the most of it despite a shorthanded opponent.

“The dual on Thursday went well. The girls were excited to wrestle in front of our home crowd and came ready to compete,” coach David Holland said. “Unfortunately, Thermopolis had some illness sweep through their team and only brought three girls for the dual.”

The first dual of the night at 110 pounds was Allison LeBlanc, who jumped out to a quick lead against her opponent and held an 11-1 advantage after the first period.

She extended that lead to 17-4 after the second, and eventually pinned her opponent with 1:21 left in the third.

The second match came at 135 pounds, as Nalani Jordan also jumped out to an 8-2 lead after the first, before pinning her opponent with 1:42 left in the second.

The lone loss for the Panthers came at 170 pounds as Ellidi Joy was pinned with 1:16 left in the first.

GREYBULL TOURNAMENT

Eleasah Horsley was the first winner for the Panthers, going 3-0 at 115 pounds with all three wins coming via pin.

“Eleasah finished strong this weekend, saying it felt great to end the regular season with a tournament win,” Holland said. “She’s been wrestling really well, which is exactly what you want heading into the postseason. She works hard in the practice room and always seeks feedback on areas she can improve.”

The other winner was Caydee Eden, who went 2-0 at 100 pounds, with her first win by a 16-0 tech fall and the second by a 7-3 decision.

“Caydee had a fantastic tournament. She faced two opponents and came out prepared and ready,” Holland said. “I know she was thrilled to end the regular season with a first place finish.”

Jordan picked up a second place finish at 135 pounds, going 2-1 with both wins by pin before a loss via pin in the final.

LeBlanc went 1-1 at 110 pounds, winning her match by pin before losing via tech fall in the final 18-2.

Joy finished second, going 0-2 on two pins.

Harley Spindon was the final competitor for Powell, who went 0-2 at 115 pounds.

The Panthers finished first as a team, earning 64.5 points and finishing just under 10 points ahead of second placed Lovell which had 54.

“I’m proud of the girls for winning first place as a team in Greybull to wrap up the season,” Holland said. “This sends a clear message about what they’re capable of when they go out and wrestle with purpose. Always looking to score extra points for the team, whether by major decision, tech fall or pin. When they focus on getting those extra points, it boosts the team’s overall score. We had four girls reach the finals which contributed a lot to our team’s success.”

CODY DUAL

Heading into the final week of the regular season the Panthers will take on the rival Cody Fillies in a dual on Thursday night at home, with the dual currently scheduled for a 5 p.m. start, although it will likely take place just before the boys’ varsity dual.

“The Cody girls only have two competitors who will match up with our girls,” Holland said. “Duals have been a bit of a challenge for us this year, as many teams we’ve faced haven’t had enough girls to field a full team against us. Since girls’ wrestling is still growing, the duals have been a mix of results, but I’m hopeful that as the sport continues to develop, we’ll have more competitive matchups.”

Since the Panther girls do not have as many matchups on Thursday the rest of the team will turn their attention to the postseason, which will see the Panthers head on the road to Evanston for the 4A West Girls Regional Tournament on Feb. 21-22.

“As we prepare for regionals I’ve reminded the girls that we’re all 0-0 now. It doesn’t matter what the records say — what matters now is staying focused, making necessary adjustments, staying healthy and mentally preparing every day so we don’t become rusty. Every rep, every sprint along with getting enough sleep and eating the right things all matter from this point on. The girls have plenty of time to prepare and hopefully will be ready to make an impact in Evanston.”