It was the only year that both of them would be able to compete at the high school level, and the fact that they each ended up on the podium made it all the more special.

By the end of the CHSAA State Championships, the name Hedman was announced twice among the top finishers, with Moffat County siblings Zach and Ryleigh Hedman each in the final six standing.

Last time at state

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Zach placed fifth in the 3A boys 175-pound class, while Ryleigh took sixth in the girls 4A 115 class.

Making it all the more impressive was that each of them had the most matches of either Bulldog team, with six bouts apiece.

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For Zach, a quarterfinal loss by 20-4 technical fall to eventual state runner-up Isaak Chavez was a tough pill to swallow for the MCHS senior. Still, he responded well the next day with consolation round wins that included a 5-0 decision and a pin in the waning moments of the second period, which ensured he would place.

Saturday morning saw Zach nearly get into the consolation finals only for his Centauri opponent to win by late points in an 8-5 decision.

Yet, he finished on his terms in his final round, getting the fall at 2:32 against Bryson Leonhardt of Woodland Park.

The fifth-place finish was important for two reasons — first, it meant ending his 22-7 season with a win. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it meant breaking his streak of sixth place at state, a designation he took as a sophomore and junior.

“I feel like I really proved myself this time,” he said.

Zach had a more compact schedule than most of his teammates, sitting out December events still recovering from a football injury. Following his final win, he pointed to spectator Rich Sadvar, who helped him in the physical therapy process both physically and mentally.

“Rich helped me with motivation and getting my head ready for it,” Zach said. “It’s been a lot of adversity this year. If I hadn’t gotten injured, my stamina would have been better.”

First time at state

While the atmosphere at Ball Arena was nothing new for Ryleigh Hedman after years of watching her older brother compete at state, being the one on the mat was a different experience.

Like her sibling, she saw a tech fall on the opening day, in her case 15-0 in the first round.

And, just like her sibling, Friday was a day in which she absolutely refused to be eliminated from the brackets. She outlasted Custer County and West Grand opponents (5-2, 2-1) in the ensuing rounds but truly proved her mettle Friday night in a match that would determine whether or not she advanced to the next day and the podium.

After struggling to gain points for most of the bout, Ryleigh made a literal last-second comeback with a reversal against Monte Vista’s Torrina Herrera at the end of the third period giving her a 3-3 tie to go into overtime, where she held nothing back to drive up the score to 10-3 for the sudden victory ruling.

“She didn’t quite get a pin there, but she could have,” said girls head coach Ashlee Griffiths Ripka.

Ryleigh vaulted into the arms of her coach for a celebratory bear hug once she was certain she’d won.

“I was just so excited to get that one,” she laughed.

Saturday was tougher for the first-year Bulldog — she got pinned in the first period of her first match and lost by 14-3 major decision in the next, also getting her head slammed to the mat at the close.

Nevertheless, getting on the podium as a freshman was a thrill.

Shared experience

Wrestling has been a family activity for Zach and Ryleigh for about six years, with the two competing in outlets like Rocky Mountain Nationals as well as at the junior high level before starting the sport in high school.

Zach said that while he’s helped his sister with a few things, she really hasn’t needed much assistance from him.

“I showed her a little technique here and there and shots. That’s all,” he said.

Ryleigh noted that seeing her older brother get physical was a motivator for her to get into the sport though by no means the sole reason, especially as they’ve gotten older.

“Zach had a part in it, but I really just wanted to get on the podium and prove myself this year,” she said.

Though they could only share one year of high school wrestling, it was an important one for the two, and Zach said he expects his sister might just eclipse him in the coming years.

“I think she’ll be able to win it all,” he said.