BEAR RIVER HIGH – By Cari Doutre, Headliner Publisher, January 14, 2023
The Bear River High girls’ wrestling team is showing no mercy on the wrestling mat this season and the competition is starting to notice it too. As the Bears kicked off the new year and the beginning of the Region 11 season last week, they are showing little to no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Their latest domination on the wrestling mat took place at the Rockwell Rumble tournament January 13-14, in Herriman. One the most competitive tournaments of the season, this year 43 schools from Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming and Arizona wrestled the best of the best with Bear River High at the top of that list.
The Bear River High girls' wrestling team finished in second place overall not far behind tournament champions Grand Junction Central High from Colorado. Individually, the Bears had seven wrestlers make it to the podium with two of them earning a spot at the very top of the podium.
Bella Gunderson, a junior at Bear River High and a returning 4A state champion, defeated her teammate sophomore Kate Bunce (Fall 0:20) in the finals at 115. Senior Abigail Trayhorn took first place at the Rockwell Rumble at 140 defeating Hailey Pigg from Westlake High School (Fall 1:08) in the finals - the same opponent she faced in the All-Star Duals earlier in the week. But more on that later.
Finishing the Rockwell Rumble in the top eight in their division from Bear River included:
Bella Gunderson (115) - 1st place
Abigail Trayhorn (140) - 1st place
Kate Bunce (115) - 2nd place
Bretlee Potter (235) - 3rd place
Sadie Hardy (100) - 5th place
Rachel Epling (105) - 7th place
Sydnee Nielson (190) - 7th place
Bear River vs. Mountain Crest (January 11, 2023)
When it came time for the Region 11 dual of the season against Bear River and Mountain Crest High on January 11, it wasn't a surprise that it came down to just three points separating the two teams. In a close back and forth matchup between 4A’s top two teams host school Bear River fell short and the defending state champions from Mountain Crest went home with the win, 42-39.
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Individually, the Bears faced some of their toughest opponents in 4A that night with the following wrestlers securing a win Wednesday night:
100 – Sadie Hardy (Fall 1:16)
115 – Bella Gunderson (Fall 0:47)
140 – Abigail Trayhorn (Forfeit)
145 – Rhees Hatch (Fall 0:57)
155 – Eve Allsup (Fall 2:37)
190 – Sydnee Nielson (Fall 0:32)
235 – Bretlee Potter (Dec 7-0)
Missed out on the exciting dual against Bear River and Mountain Crest? Don’t worry, Bear River Live has you covered! Watch their coverage of the dual that includes guest commentators coaches Jeff Smart and Gene Wilcox from the Bear River High boys’ wrestling team, on the links below.
2023 Ross Brunson Utah All-Star Dual - January 10
Last week started out with five members of the Bear River High girls’ wrestling team, along with three younger wrestlers with the Bear River Jr. High wrestling program, that were selected to participate in the 2023 Ross Brunson Utah All-Star Dual held January 10, at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Representing Bear River High girls’ wrestling at the All-Star Duals were seniors Bretlee Potter, Abigail Trayhorn and Sadie Hardy. Hardy is a returning 2022 4A state champion and Trayhorn took second in state last year for Sky View High. Also selected to compete that night were sophomores Rhees Hatch (also a defending 4A state champion) and Sydnee "Sydvicious" Nielson, who also just happens to be the very first female football player ever at Bear River High.
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Potter defeated her opponent Maitae Cardenas from Canyon View High (Fall 3:52) and Trayhorn defeated her opponent Hailey Pigg from Westlake High (Fall 2:30).
Wrestlers for the Bear River Jr. High wrestling program selected to compete in the All-Star Duals included Ameris Koch, an 8th grader at Bear River Middle School, along with Londyn Gamble and Brook Misrasi, both 7th graders at Alice C. Harris Intermediate School. Unfortunately, the three wrestlers lost their matches at the All-Star Duals but still came home with the honor and experience of competing in the prestigious event.
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MC Filly Invitational - January 7, 2023
The Bears took on the MC Filly Invitational, hosted by Mountain Crest High, for a quick one-day tournament on January 7. Bear River finished the tournament in second place with 138 points behind Mountain Crest finishing in first place with 179.5 points.
Here’s how the varsity and junior varsity wrestlers stacked up at the MC Filly Invitational:
VARSITY:
Sydnee Nielson (190) – 1st place
Sadie Hardy (100) – 2nd place
Rachel Epling (105) – 2nd place
Bretlee Potter (235) – 2nd place
Kate Bunce (115) – 5th place
Samara Ward (120) – 5th place
Eva Allsup (155) – 7th place
Livia Meeds (110) – 8th place
JUNIOR VARSITY:
Dylan Randall (110) – 2nd place
Addy Doutre (115) – 2nd place
Emalee Farnsworth (135) – 2nd place
Arissa Carter (120) – 3rd place
Boston Harding (125) – 3rd place
Tabitha Hanson (125) – 4th place
Abby Larsen (140) – 5th place
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Bear River vs. Green Canyon - January 3, 2023
A trip to Green Canyon High started the new year off right for Bear River when they easily defeated the Wolves, 70-12, in region action on January 3.
The following Bears bringing home a win that night included:
100 – Chloe Reeder (Forfeit)
105 – Hadley Carrigan (Forfeit)
110 – Livia Meeds (MD 10-2)
115 – Kate Bunce (Forfeit)
120 – Addison Call (Fall 3:22)
130 – Boston Harding (Forfeit)
135 – Emalee Farnsworth (Forfeit)
140 – Abigail Trayhorn (Fall 1:44)
145 – Abby Larsen (Forfeit)
155 – Rhees Hatch (Fall 1:35)
190 – Sydnee Nielson (Fall 0:25)
235 – Bretlee Potter (Fall 3:43)
Next up for the Bears will be a dual against Green Canyon High on Tuesday, January 17, where the Bear River High girls’ wrestling team will also be honoring their graduating seniors for Senior Night prior to the start of varsity matches beginning at 7 p.m.
The last home match of the season for the Bear River High girls' wrestling team will be against Union High on January 20, with junior varsity matches starting at 5:30 p.m. and varsity following at 7 p.m.
Bear River vs. Mountain Crest (January 11, 2023)
Photos by John Fronk
Bear River vs. Green Canyon (January 3, 2023)
Photos by John Hurley and Tymer Yeates
MC Filly Invitational (January 7, 2023)
Photos by Tymer Yeates
