Powell Wrestling Club hosts tournament

Powell’s youngest wrestlers took it to the mat on Saturday and Sunday as they locked horns with 120 wrestlers from across the state at Powell High School gym.

Braxton Batt, Tyler Wenzell and Stetson Davis of the Powell Wrestling Club each won all three styles — freestyle, Greco-Roman and Folkstyle. Greco-Roman relies on upper-body moves such as arm drags, bear hugs and headlocks. Folkstyle is the equivalent of what is used at the high school and college wrestling level.

Powell has about 125 kids wrestle freestyle, 45-50 in Greco-Roman and 161 in folkstyle.

“We had like 40 kids sign up,” said head coach George Laughlin. “All of our guys wrestled well and had a lot of good effort.”

Participants ranged in age from 4 years old on up to 16 — Powell’s oldest is about 14, Laughlin said. Teaching the 4-year-olds to wrestle takes a lot of patience, he said.

“They do a really nice job and most of their dads wrestled so they have been around the sport, but usually they hug and fall over,” Laughlin said. “We try to get a foundation laid so the kids can enjoy it and get an introduction and set up a basic understanding so they can be successful in middle school and high school.”

For some of Powell’s wrestlers this was their first tournament where they got a chance to try out the double-legs and half-nelsons they had learned in practice and they did well, Laughlin said.

Some of the bouts pitted a Powell wrestler against a Powell wrestler, such as when elementary-aged Talon Nuss and Braxton Batt faced each other.

“They are pretty close, but Talon gives him a run for his money,” Laughlin said. “There was lots of good action. Talon stays on him and Braxton does a good job of defending and staying in good position — he is always in good position, that is how he wins matches, actually.”

Some of the bouts were done in an instant, while others lasted much longer.

When Powell’s Lane Coble, 8, took on Greybull’s Brayden Schriner, 9, the duo were locked in for three rounds in a row where they continuously flip-flopped. First Lane had Brayden pinned, then Brayden escaped and pinned Lane, then Lane escaped and on and on. At the end of it, both boys were winded.

“It was a hard fought battle, a good battle,” said Cory Nuss, one of the Powell coaches.

With the younger guys, it’s all about having fun and wrestling safely so that they’ll be ready to step up to the middle and high school teams later in life, Laughlin said.

“I’m a proponent of being in as many sports as you can,” Laughlin said. “You get a well-rounded exposure to a lot of things. Guys who want to play football or baseball, the better the athlete you will be.”

Many former Powell USA wrestlers returned to officiate the tournament.

“Can’t wrestle without officials,” Laughlin said, thanking the parents for taking their kids around to all the tournaments and practices. “Especially with the little guys, getting them to practice and taking them places is key.”

Up next, Powell’s wrestlers are heading to Cody this weekend for yet another tournament.

Freestyle Results for Powell Wrestling Club

PeeWee 35: Lukas Jones 2nd 

PeeWee 40: Jonathan Haney 5th 

PeeWee 45: Ethan Ely 3rd, Auzzy Carter 4th, Alex Werner 5th 

PeeWee 50-55: Jayden Stanonik 1st 

Bantam 45: Jonathan Hine 2nd

Bantam 50: Braxton Batt 1st, Tanner Seifert 2nd, Talon Nuss 3rd, Steven Mattson 4th 

Bantam 55: Tyler Wenzel 1st, Colten Bitton 4th, Hoyt Wells 5th, Brayden Benander 6th 

Bantam 60: Cody Fisher 2nd 

Bantam 65-70: Esai Betancourt 1st 

Intermediate 55: Chevy Hill 1st 

Intermediate 60: Wyatt Nicholson 1st, Jaxton Matthews 4th 

Intermediate 65: Cody Seifert 3rd, Patrick Haney 4th 

Intermediate 87-95: Jacob Eaton 2nd, Lane Coble 4th 

Novice 65-75: Case Bradish 1st, Clayson Checketts 2nd, Alex Jordan 4th 

Novice 80-85: Hadley Mehling 2nd, Merced Jordan 4th 

Novice 90-95: Keenan Wenzel 1st, Javin Lopez 4th 

Novice 100: Stetson Davis 1st

Greco-Roman Results for Powell Wrestling Club

Bantam 50: Braxton Batt 1st, Tanner Seifert 2nd, Talon Nuss 3rd, Channing Wenzel 5th, Steven Mattson 6th 

Bantam 55: Tyler Wenzel 1st, Hoyt Wells 2nd, Brayden Benander 5th, Renzy Matthews 6th 

Bantam 60: Cody Fisher 1st 

Intermediate 55-60: Wyatt Nicholson 1st, Chevy Hill 3rd, Jaxton Matthews 4th 

Intermediate 65-70: Cody Seifert 4th

Intermediate 87: Lane Coble 1st 

Intermediate 95-103: Jacob Eaton 2nd 

Novice 65-80: Hadley Mehling 2nd, Alex Jordan 3rd 

Novice 90-95: Keenan Wenzel 2nd, Javin Lopez 4th 

Novice 100: Stetson Davis 1st 

Folkstyle Results for Powell Wrestling Club

PeeWee 35: Lukas Jones 2nd 

PeeWee 40: Jonathan Haney 3rd 

PeeWee 45: Ethan Ely 2nd, Auzzy Carter 3rd, Chanse Lopez 6th 

PeeWee 50: Jayden Stanonik 2nd

PeeWee 55: Matthew Braley 5th 

Bantam 45: Jonathan Hine 3rd 

Bantam 50: Braxton Batt 1st, Talon Nuss 2nd, Tanner Seifert 3rd 

Bantam 55: Tyler Wenzel 1st, Colten Bitton 2nd, Hoyt Wells 3rd, Brayden Benander 5th

Bantam 60: Cody Fisher 2nd 

Bantam 65: Esai Betancourt 3rd 

Intermediate 55: Chevy Hill 2nd, Wyatt Nicholson 3rd

Intermediate 60: Jaxton Matthews 6th 

Intermediate 65: Cody Seifert 2nd 

Intermediate 87: Lane Coble 1st 

Intermediate 95: Jacob Eaton 2nd 

Novice 75: Case Bradish 2nd 

Novice 80: Hadley Mehling 5th 

Novice 85-90: Javin Lopez 4th 

Novice 95: Keenan Wenzel 3rd

Novice 100-105: Stetson Davis 1st 

Schoolboy/girl 128-136: Seth Horton 1st