TORRINGTON – Twelve young athletes from Goshen County captured hardware at the Midwest Classic National Tournament hosted by USA Wrestling in Kearney, Nebraska on March 29-30.
Local grapplers competed in Kearney as members of the Torrington Wrestling Club, a club sport affiliated with USA Wrestling and open for boys and girls from elementary school to high school.
Torrington garnered 15th place out of more than 200 teams competing at the Midwest Classic Nationals.
Kaysen Grant (pre-K) clinched first place in his age and weight classification at Kearney.
Eighth-grader Catherine Hendricks took second place in her division.
Third-place finishes included second-graders Kashtyn Grant and Jordan Green and fifth-grader Areson Green.
Torrington High School juniors Tyler Nicolay and Kaden Romig both secured fourth place in their respective classifications at the high school level.
Second-grader Cayson Gurney rounded out podium finishers by placing sixth.

Each of the athletes above earned All-American status through USA Wrestling.
Torrington’s roster at Kearney also included Skylen Teague, Brandt Eichenberger, Barrett Eichenberger and Jaeden Ruiz.
“The kids all wrestled well at Kearney,” coach Cody Grant said. “This is a great opportunity for both high school and youth wrestlers to see tough competition and compete against a more diverse group of opponents at all levels than they may see in Wyoming. Kearney is a good challenge for them in the offseason.”
The Midwest Classic Nationals featured athletes from across the region, including Wyoming, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri, Grant added.
“This is an excellent tournament for kids of all ages to go to,” coach Cindi Blevins said. “The kids wrestled well and we are very proud of them – they wrestled their hearts out.”
In addition to national events, USA Wrestling sponsors tournaments in Wyoming, culminating with the upcoming state tournament in Casper at the Ford Events Center from April 12-14.
The wrestling lifestyle
The wrestling season for athletes in the Torrington Wrestling Club can span most of the school year.
Older grapplers typically participate in USA Wrestling before and after the official high school season in the fall and spring. Wrestlers cannot compete in both USA Wrestling and wrestling sanctioned by the Wyoming High School Activities Association at the same time, Blevins explained.
Blevins’ children are involved in youth wrestling through the Torrington Wrestling Club and typically begin competing in tournaments as early as October before USA Wrestling picks up in January. The athletes are still going in the spring, making for a long season.
“Wrestling is a lifestyle during the school year,” Blevins said. “We all become one family. I love the fact that my kids get to know other athletes from all over the region.”
Coach Grant grew up in Torrington and participated in USA Wrestling. Coming back to the program as a coach was an opportunity for Grant to return the favor to a new generation of athletes.
“USA Wrestling gave so much to me while I was growing up,” Grant said. “Coaching is a way to do what I can to give something back to the program. I enjoy helping out.”
Grant is also the head coach for the Torrington High School Blazers and Lady Blazers wrestling teams. USA Wrestling and the Torrington Wrestling Club benefits the high school squad by getting kids involved in the sport at a young age and preparing them for varsity competition.
Events like the national tournament in Kearney offer a “different level of competition for athletes willing to challenge themselves,” Grant said.
USA Wrestling tournaments typically include three different formats – folkstyle, freestyle and greco-roman.