BEAR RIVER HIGH - By Cari Doutre, Headliner Publisher, December 24, 2022
Only two and half points separated the Bear River High girls' wrestling team from this year's championship team at the 2022 Reno Tournament of Champions on December 17.
That's a big deal for a small rural high school in northern Utah. A really big deal.
With 48 high school girls' wrestling teams from across the country coming to compete in one of the biggest and most prestigious wrestling tournaments of the year, the Reno Tournament of Champions was unlike anything the Bear River High's girls wrestling team has ever seen before.
Varsity wrestlers boarded an Amtrak train headed to Reno to compete in this one-day tournament held at the Reno Event Center and when they headed home four of them earned an All-American title; seniors Sadie Hardy, Bretlee Potter and Abigail Trayhorn and junior Rachel Epling.
Taking on some of the toughest opponents they've ever seen on the wrestling mat, Epling and Trayhorn finished in 3rd place and Hardy and Potter finished in 4th place in their respective brackets.
"It built up the confidence of all these girls knowing they can compete against anyone," said Jason Bingham, Bear River High girls' wrestling head coach. "I'm so proud of them."
The Allen High School (Allen, Texas) girls' wrestling team took home this year's title at the Reno Tournament of Champions.
While the varsity wrestlers were in Reno, junior varsity girls took on the Jody Warren Tournament at Weber High School on December 17, where they took 2nd place overall as team and brought home plenty of top six placements as well. Full results can be found below.
Overall, it's been a busy season for the entire girls' wrestling team as they hosted their annual Bear River Duals on December 10, where they ousted the competition all together - Mountain Crest High included.
Four of the state's top six high school girls' wrestling teams attended the event including the Mustangs (4A state champions last year) and 6A's Copper Hills High (2nd place in state last year). Bear River High's two teams (varsity and junior varsity) dominated over six other schools there that day with the varsity wrestlers team taking 1st place. Full results can be found below.
Up next for the Bear River High girls' wrestling team is a Region 11 dual meet at Green Canyon High on January 3.
Bear River Duals (December 10)
Bear River Team 1 (varsity):
Bear River 51, Mountain Crest (Team 2) 27
Bear River 66, Ridgeline 17
Bear River 54, Syracuse 30
Bear River 63, Layton 18
Bear River 66, Blackfoot (Idaho) 17
Bear River Team 2 (JV):
Mountain Crest 72, Bear River 6
Northridge 48, Bear River 30
Bear River 54, Copper Hills 24
Copper Hills (2) 66, Bear River 12
West 30, Bear River 27
Team Results:
1st Place - Bear River 1
2nd Place - Mountain Crest 2
3rd Place - Layton
4th Place - Blackfoot
5th Place - Ridgeline
6th Place - Copper Hills 2
7th Place - Syracuse
Bear River Individual Results:
115 - Bella Gunderson, 5-0
125 - Samara Ward, 5-0
170 - Eve Allsup, 5-0
145 - Abigail Trayhorn, 4-0
235 - Bretlee Potter, 4-0
115 - Livia Meeds, 3-0
190 - Sydnee Nielsen, 2-0
125 - Jocephine Tanner, 4-1
130 - Janessa Esquivel, 4-1
145 - Emma Peterson, 4-1
155 - Rhees Hatch, 3-1
120 - Addison Call, 3-2
140 - Rachel Nelson, 3-2
Jody Warren Tournament (December 17)
1st Place - Emma Peterson
2nd Place - Crislyn Potter
2nd Place - Rachel Nelson
3rd Place - Hadley Carrigan
3rd Place - Livia Meeds
3rd Place - Hazlee Reeder
4th Place - Addy Doutre
4th Place - Makynlie Nelson
4th Place - Tabitha Hansen
5th Place - Dylan Randall
5th Place - Rylee Yeates
5th Place - Boston Harding
5th Place - Lexy Lund
6th Place - Chloee Reeder
6th Place - Payton Wood
6th Place - Ellie Rigby
Bear River 54, Northridge 28 (December 7)
100 - Sadie Hardy (Fall)
115 - Bella Gunderson (Fall)
120 - Addison Call (Fall)
125 - Samara Ward (Fall)
145 - Abigail Trayhorn (Fall)
155 - Rhees Hatch (Fall)
170 - Eve Allsup (Fall)
190 - Sydnee "Sydvicious" Nielsen (Fall)
235 - Bretlee Potter (Fall)
Photos by John Fronk, Lexy Lund and Drew Nielson
