RAWLINS – The Pinedale High School Wrangler and Lady Wrangler wrestling teams knocked their rivals off the mats at the annual Rumble in Rawlins on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4-5.

The combined boys’ and girls’ team won four out of five duels, defeating the host school, 48-28 in the first match. Evanston bested Pinedale, 46-27, in the second duel.

Refusing to yield any more space on the mats, the Wranglers went on to trounce Torrington, 59-18, defeat a team of athletes from Lyman and West Grand High School in Colorado, 69-12.

Pinedale then topped the action off with a resounding 54-28 victory against Moffat County, Colorado.

Winter weather in southeast Wyoming caused road closures and weather-related cancelations by several teams, so team scores were not kept, said Head Coach Kendall Horrocks.

Only 21 athletes, including 10 from Pinedale, competed in the girls’ division due to cancelations.

Regardless of numbers, the Lady Wranglers got in between two and three matches and “did very well,” said Horrocks.

Three Wranglers posted undefeated records in the duels – junior Jake Hammer, senior Ian Cantu and sophomore Ryan Nutt.

“We are very happy with their performances,” noted Horrocks.

Junior Dustin Larsen, senior Ethan Kemp, sophomore Cash McCann and sophomore Garrett Haley each tallied 4-1 records.

On Tuesday, Pinedale traveled for a duel against Rock Springs. The score remained neck-and-neck until Rock Springs pulled ahead by a single match to take the win, 39-36.

Girls’ tournament

Senior Maddox Gehlhausen earned gold in the 115-pound bracket. She pinned Lyman’s Neveah Major in the quarterfinals and defeated Sidney Liechty, of Evanston, by fall at 1 minute, 48 seconds in the semifinals.

Progressing to the final match, Gehlhausen grappled teammate and senior Rhonda Auradou through three close periods. Gehlhausen pulled out the win by a 10-8 decision.

Auradou took second place in the bracket, pinning both Sidney Liechty and Neveah Major.

Senior Morgan Grossman secured second place at 145 pounds. She pinned Evanston’s Marty Dick in the second period of the semifinals.

In the 130-pound division, sophomore Mya Swain snagged second place after defeating Karlee Lumpkins, of Rawlins, by fall.

Sophomore Samantha Brannan placed second at 125 pounds following a close final match against Evanston’s Leah Larkin.

Freshmen Alicia Dexter and Malari Craig both placed third in their respective brackets.

Boys’ tournament

Pinedale handily defeated Rawlins, 48-28, in the opening duel. Hammer, Larsen, Ethan Kemp, Nutt and Cale Dauwen each won by fall. Austin Green, Cantu and McCann won by open forfeit.

Evanston proved a tougher opponent to crack, with the Red Devils taking the win, 46-27. Hammer, Ethan Kemp, Haley, Cantu and Nutt all pinned their opponents.

Pinedale rallied to rout Torrington, 59-18. Larsen, Ethan Kemp, Haley, Dauwen, McCann and Hammer pinned their rivals. Garrett Madole defeated his opponent by technical fall. Green, Cantu and Nutt won by open forfeit.

The Wranglers went on to take down Lyman-West Grand, 69-12. Pins included Haley, Tucker Kelly, Green, Cantu, Porter Kemp, Nutt, Madole and Larsen. Ethan Kemp won by a 13-3 decision and Hammer beat his opponent by a 16-0 technical fall. McCann and McKinzie Mortensen both won by open forfeit.

The final duel between Moffat County ended with Pinedale on top, 54-28. Cantu, Nutt, Hammer and Larsen all defeated their rivals by fall. Haley, Kelly, McCann, Mortensen and Porter Kemp won by open forfeit.