The Kemmerer High School wrestling teams once again had a memorable showing at the Ron Thon Memorial Tournament in Riverton over the weekend, with the Rangers and Lady Rangers combining for four individual champions, one runner-up and six total trips to the podium. The Lady Rangers placed fourth overall as a team — its best finish in program history — while the Rangers finished 13th.

KHS senior Roany Proffit made history at 138 pounds, becoming just the fifth wrestler to win four Ron Thon titles. Proffit finished with a 5-0 record, four of the wins by pin.

Fellow Ranger senior Owen Barton won the title at 190 pounds, posting a 5-0 record; it was his first Ron Thon championship.

On the girls’ side, Riley Meyer posted a 5-0 record en route to the 100-pound championship, winning all five of her matches by pin. Fellow Lady Ranger Kaylie Julander — last year’s Ron Thon champion at 140 pounds — successfully defended her title at 140, with four pins and a decision.

Rangers

After pinning his first three opponents in the first round — Lance Johnson (Natrona County), Lincoln Kemp (Pinedale) and Jason McGrath (Star Valley) — 126-pound champion Roany Proffit squared off against Evanston’s Kolby Hamilton in the semifinals, winning a 14-6 major decision. Proffit went on to pin Andrew Gonzales (Central) in the third round to win the championship.

“Winning Ron Thon for the fourth time felt like a dream,” Proffit said. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. It’s just a surreal feeling.”

At 190 pounds, Owen Barton opened the tournament with back-to-back pins over Hadley Hudson (Thunder Basin) and Cristian Mendoza (Jackson Hole). After beating Michael Swan (Natrona County) by a 17-4 major decision in the quarterfinals, Barton survived a scare in the semifinals against Cinch Dalton (Cody), winning in sudden victory.

The win over Dalton earned Barton a spot in the 190-pound championship match against Cale Dauwen (Pinedale), a rematch of the 190-pound title match at the Lander Invitational the previous weekend. Dauwen won that match by pin, but Barton earned a measure of revenge, winning this match — and the Ron Thon championship — with a decisive 10-3 decision.

Other Rangers that scored team points included Abel Jiminez at 113 pounds (2-2), Austin Ruvalcaba at 126 pounds (1-2), Graison Kelley at 165 pounds (3-2) and Braxton Pope at 175 pounds (1-2).

Lady Rangers

On the girls’ side, Star Valley finished in the top spot with 232.5 points, followed by Pinedale with 153.5 and Cheyenne East, with 137.5. Kemmerer (123.5) and Sheridan (121) rounded out the Top 5.

At 100 pounds, Riley Meyer’s first three matches didn’t make it out of the first round, as she made short work of Taylor Kimzey (Laramie), Sage Lichtenberger (Newcastle) and Michelle Henman (Kelly Walsh).

Meyer earned a spot in the championship match with a pin of Cerenity Quintana (Worland) in the semifinals; squaring off against Hailee Cooper (Riverton) for the title, Meyer won by second-round pin.

Looking to become the Lady Rangers’ first back-to-back Ron Thon champion, Kaylie Julander at 140 pounds took a similar route as teammate Meyer, pinning her first three opponents — Olivia Kile (Lingle-Ft. Laramie/Southeast), Alexis Thompson (Pinedale) and Rachel Gertsch (Central) — in the first round. A 7-2 decision over Andie Gibson (Lander Valley) in the semifinals propelled Julander into the title match against Gabby Dowling (Greybull/Riverside); the match went late into the third round before Julander claimed the match — and the championship — by pin.

Laynee Walker — the Lady Rangers’ first-ever Ron Thon champion back in 2023 — finished second at 115 pounds, earning a spot in the championship match by virtue of four nstraight pins over Maddi Carlson (Glenrock), Kam Hineman (Douglas), Sophia Pourkaldani (Rawlins) and Eleasah Horsley (Powell).

In the title match, Walker — then 27-0 — squared off against another unbeaten wrestler in Lilly Quintanilla (Thermopolis) at 25-0, losing a 14-1 major decision to finish runner-up.

At 170 pounds, Ella Kelley compiled a 5-2 record, including wins over  Adia Price (Green River) and Mesa Landers (Pinedale). In the fifth-place match, Kelley pinned Julia Skinner (Douglas) in less than a minute to finish fifth for the tournament.

Other Lady Rangers who scored team points included Millee Ellis at 110 pounds (2-2) and Addison Anderson at 130 pounds (2-2).