The 2022-23 sports season wrapped up with State events in Casper and Sweetwater County over the weekend with Kelly Walsh High School once again hosting State Track and Field.
SVHS is now firmly in the 4A ranks and came away with some impressive performances over the three-day event. The Lady Braves scored 69.5 team points to place fifth. Kelly Walsh was fourth with 78. Cheyenne Central continued their dominance of the 4A Girls with their fifth straight team title and 131 points. Natrona County was second with 113 and Sheridan rounded out the podium with 103.
The Lady Braves had a pair of event championships as Kammi Merritt broke the school’s 300-Meter Hurdles record with a time of 43.97. Merritt was also part of the 4 x 100-Meter Relay squad with Grace Collins, Ava Morgan and Valerie Jirak who broke their own school record for the third time in the last month and won the event with a time of 48.79. Jirak finished second in both the High Jump and the 400-Meter, earning All-State status in both events. She also placed third in the 100-Meter dash. Merritt added another top-three finish by placing third in the 200-Meters.
Senior Ava Morgan broke her own school record in the Triple Jump and placed fourth in a very deep field and she also earned All-State status by placing second in the 100-Meter Hurdles.
The Natrona Mustangs took the top spot for the 4A boys with 115 team points as they pulled away from second place Central’s 95-point total. The Cody Broncs were third with 77. The Star Valley Braves scored 30 points and placed ninth in the 14-team field.
The Braves got an individual state championship from Habtamu Wetzel who won the 3200-Meter event with a time of 9:34.86. He also earned All-State status with a second-place finish int he 1600-Meter event.
The other top finish came from Colt Sotelo who finished third in the Discus.
• State Soccer
The Braves returned to the State Soccer Tournament for the third straight season and for the second consecutive year they faced off against Cheyenne Central. The Indians peppered the Braves in a 7-0 final and eventually went to the finals where they eventually lost 1-0 to Thunder Basin.
The Braves were not quite ready to go home in the Consolation Bracket after scoring a goal in the 72nd minute to defeat the Natrona Mustangs, 1-0.
The win put them in a rematch with rival Jackson who were thwarted in their effort for a fourth straight team title by the eventual champion Bolts. The Broncs defeated the Braves for the Consolation trophy, 6-1.
In the 4A Girls Bracket, Kelly Walsh defeated Jackson Hole 2-0 to win the team title.
