The Lady Braves Wresting team used superior depth to pull away for the team’s second team championship in Wyoming after winning the state’s first sanctioned title last year. This season the team continued to not only get better but did so from top to bottom as they won tournaments in multiple states and capped it off in Casper. The team finished with 163.0 team points. Pinedale was runner-up with 101.0 team points and Sheridan was third with 100.0 points. Kemmerer was just out of the top three with 96.0 points, just one in front of Wind River who rounded out the top five. 

Overall, the girls had nine placers. Paisley Smith (115) and Remington Aullman (135) both advanced to the finals where they placed second and earned All-State honors. Smith lost to Lilly Quintanilla of Thermopolis who finished an undefeated season at 35-0. Aullman battled Paityn Covolo of Sheridan to the end of the match in a 6-5 decision. Cara Andrews stepped into the 145 pound weight class and won the championship after placing second last season. Andrews defeated Lynsie Julander of Kemmerer with a third period pinfall at 5:02. Finally, Shaely Kunz wrestled up at 170 pounds and advanced to the finals where she finished as the runner-up to Ashten Hubbs of Cody in a pinfall with just five seconds left in the match, at 5:55. 

The Braves placed fifth overall as a team in a logjam of team standings with 175.5. Rock Springs finished just in front of the Braves with 182.. Cheyenne East was just barely in front of both squads for third place at 183.5. Last year’s champions, the Sheridan Broncs, finished second with 194.5 points. But nobody was catching Thunder Basin who pulled away for the 4A team title with 260.0 points. 

Star Valley had seven state placers and were paced by a trio of State champions. Kimball Parry claimed the championship at 106 pounds as a freshman to follow what his older brother, Tel, did a year ago. Kimball won by pinfall at the 5:06 mark in the third period over Sam Smith of Cheyenne Central. The path to a potential four-time title winner continued for Tel who claimed his second State title at 132. Tel won with a dominating performance of 11-0 over Andrew Gonzales of Cheyenne Central to win by major decision. Finally, Kooper Burk capped off his career with a State championship at 157 pounds. Burk defeated Layne Warburton of Cheyenne South by decision, 6-0. 

Star Valley Girls State Placers

105: Carlee Angell 5th

105: Kenna Merritt 6th

115: Paisley Smith 2nd (All-State)

120: Keston Johnson 4th

130: Lynsey Lawson 4th

135: Remington Aullman 2nd (All-State)

145: Cara Andrews Champion (All-State)

155: Brooke Schwab 6th

170: Shaely Kunz 2nd (All-State)

Star Valley Boys State Placers

106: Kimball Parry Champion (All-State)

126: Malachi Patterson 3rd

132: Tel Parry Champion (All-State)

150: Porter Merritt 4th

157: Kooper Burk Champion (All-State)

165: Kal Burk 4th

190: Grant Thomson 5th