Girls wrestling at Star Valley High School has officially begun, with the first tournament of the season approaching on December 11, 2025, the Lady Braves Brawl.
Head Coach Anderson is enthusiastic about the upcoming season. “I have been amazed at the enthusiasm of the girls and their willingness to take on any challenge we’ve thrown at them, like running across town for our boot camp,” he said. “I have also really appreciated the guidance and help from the school as well as the support from the community and the parents.”
Anderson praised his coaching staff, noting that Assistant Coaches Carbon Kennington and Isaac Mayes “are two of the best and they are great examples to me.”
Building on Success
This year’s team features strong leadership from seniors Grace, Remi, Cara, Brooke, and Stella, who guide the team by example heading into their first competition. The program continues to grow with the addition of girls wrestling at the middle school, which has sent a talented class of freshmen wrestlers to the team. The team’s depth comes particularly from its sophomore and junior classes.
“Our numbers and skill continue to increase,” Anderson said. “I’ll guarantee they stand out this year.”
Coach Mayes, joining the coaching staff this year, expressed his excitement about the program. “I am truly looking forward to serving as one of the three coaches for the Lady Braves Wrestling program this year,” he said. “Over my time teaching in LCSD2, I’ve had the chance to get to know many of these young women, and it has been a pleasure meeting and connecting with the rest of the team.”
Mayes emphasized the life lessons wrestling provides. “One of my greatest joys over the past 21 years of coaching athletes across multiple sports and levels has been helping student-athletes discover that they can do hard things,” he said. “Wrestling is a demanding sport—it tests your body and your mind. But I’ve witnessed firsthand how wrestling shapes thoughtful, driven, hard-working individuals.”
Chasing Championship Number Four
Senior Cara Andrews shared her perspective on the team’s goals. “As far as advice goes, I would just say to have fun with it! We are an amazing team and wrestling is such a fun sport, so just try to enjoy every moment you can,” she said.
Regarding the team’s pursuit of a fourth consecutive state championship, Andrews emphasized the importance of focus. “I think we are going to need to have a lot of focus in practice, really working hard to get moves down, and a really big thing that could set us apart from other teams is having endurance so we can go all three periods in a match,” she said. “Overall, I think the team has some really great depth with a ton of returning state placers and with some amazing new girls joining this year! I’m so excited to see how this season turns out!”
With tough practices and demanding conditioning ahead, the Lady Braves are confident they can capture their fourth state title. As Coach Anderson told his team: “Be confident and have fun this year. Take the best of whatever comes your way, and you’ll get the best in return. Lady Braves Lead The Way!”
