BEAR RIVER HIGH - By Cari Doutre, Headliner Publisher, February 27, 2023
The Bear River High girls' wrestling team just keeps getting better and better and this season was no exception.
With seven wrestlers in the 4A state championship finals this year, three went home with the title while the Bears took second place overall at this year's tournament held February 17-18, in Richfield at the Sevier Valley Center.
Seniors Sadie Hardy (see her article on the link below) and Abigail Trayhorn, along with sophomore Eve Allsup, topped the 4A state podium in their individual weight classes.
Trayhorn finished the season with an impressive overall record of 31-2. She defeated her opponent Lucy Harris from Deseret Hills High in the 140-pound weight division by outscoring her with a major decision, 9-0. Trayhorn took second place in 4A the year prior as a member of the Sky View High girls' wrestling team before transferring to Bear River.
Watch video highlights of Trayhorn's finals match, including an interview with BRVNEWS.com, courtesy of Bear River Live below.
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Allsup's approach to wrestling this year was quiet and steady and it wasn't until the latter half of the season that she really started to turn heads. It was a far cry from last year's 4A state wrestling tournament where Allsup failed to place in the tournament. Taking first at 155 in the 4A divisionals tournament the week before, and being named Outstanding Wrestler, she came into the 2023 state championships tournament ready to win and dominate.
And that's exactly what she did. Allsup pinned Payton Graham, a freshman from Snow Canyon High, in the 4A state finals capturing her first state title.
Watch video highlights of Allsup's finals match, including an interview with BRVNEWS.com, courtesy of Bear River Live below.
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Making it to the finals is an achievement all in itself. Four wrestlers from Bear River who all had a successful season on the mat, fell just short of title and took second place in their weight division.
Junior Rachel Epling (105) lost to Keagan Grange from Ridgeline High, 7-2. Sky Thompsen, also a junior, fell to Moutain Crest High's Mattee Turnbow (Fall 3:04) in the 110-pound finals match. Junior Samara Ward, nursing a serious knee injury, was defeated in the 120-pound finals match by her opponent, Jacie Shock (Fall 1:01) from Moutain Crest.
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Bear River High senior Bretlee Potter, with an outstanding 30-6 overall record this season, faced Kalie Jensen, also a senior from Moutain Crest, in the finals at 235. Jensen pinned Potter with 34 seconds left in the match.
Read more about Potter's wrestling journey in a previously posted article by BRVNEWS.com below.
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This year the Bears finished in second place in state behind Mountain Crest (now 3-time state champs) with 353 points. The Mustangs scored 399.5 points to capture the title while Crimson Cliffs High (103.5 points), Green Canyon High (98 points) and Ridgeline High (93 points) finished the top five in 4A.
Individually, the Bears had the following wrestlers take their places on the 4A state podium this year.
1st place:
100 - Sadie Hardy, Sr.
140 - Abigail Trayhorn, Sr.
155 - Eve Allsup, So.
2nd place:
105 - Rachel Epling Jr.
110 - Sky Thompsen, Jr.
120 - Samara Ward, Jr.
235 - Bretlee Potter, Sr.
3rd place:
110 - Livia Meeds, So.
115 - Bella Gunderson, Jr.
135 - Tassie Hatch, Sr.
145 - Rhees Hatch, So.
190 - Sydnee "Sydvicious" Nielson, So.
4th place:
115 - Kate Bunce, So.
140 - Emma Peterson, Jr.
5th place:
130 - Hazlee Reeder, Sr.
170 - Crislyn Potter, Sr.
6th place:
100 - Hadley Carrigan, So.
105 - Dylan Randall, So.
120 - Addison Call, So.
135 - Rachel Nelson, So.
Topping off the state tournament, Bear River High girls' wrestling head coach Jason Bingham was named 4A Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year. Bingham was instrumental in starting a girls' wrestling program at Bear River High shortly after the announcement had been made by the Utah High School Activities Association that girls' wrestling would be a sanctioned sport starting in 2020.
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Bingham isn't new to wrestling or coaching the sport at Bear River High. Not only did he wrestle for the Bears while he was a student, but he also began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Bear River High boys' wrestling team in 1995.
Watch an interview with Bingham with BRVNEWS.com after this year's 4A state finals courtesy of Bear River Live below.
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Next year the Bear River High girls' wrestling team will return a group of talented wrestlers to the mat, many of whom will bring varsity experience.
Photos by John Hurley, Drew Nielson, Melanie Smith and Shelley Wilcox.
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