East's Green, Hames ink with colleges

Apr. 19—CHEYENNE — One of Cheyenne East senior Charlie Green's fondest memories during his time with the Thunderbirds was being surrounded by his teammates after capturing the Class 4A 285-pound state title in Casper.

While his chapter in high school came to an end that day, Green's wrestling career has only just begun. The senior standout signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his wrestling career at Hastings College — a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics program in Hastings, Nebraska — on Thursday in the East Commons.

"It's definitely an achievement for me," Green said. "It was mind-blowing to me that someone wanted me to go to college for them, and signing today puts it into perspective a bit."

Green was a three-year varsity wrestler and a two-time all-state selection for the Thunderbirds, amassing a 109-33 record, according to TrackWrestling. Fifty-four of those wins came in his senior season, where he broke the single-season win record for a heavyweight at East.

"He's a guy that definitely has the tools for the next level, and really enjoys the sport," East coach Thad Trujillo said. "Wrestling is not always the most exciting thing, but Charlie was really good at keeping things light-hearted on our team.

"He has been a really huge part of our team the last four years."

Green knew early on that he wanted to pursue athletics at the next level, but made the decision to pursue wrestling his sophomore season. Hastings reached out to Green during the North Platte duals during his senior season.

After his visit to the school, Green made up his mind that Hastings would be where he would call home for the next four years.

"Their team (culture really stuck out), because they have the same family (atmosphere) that we do," Green said. "It was also the way their academic schedule was structured."

Green is planning on pursuing a degree in business, but is still figuring out what he wants to use it for.

Hames signs with Waldorf University

East senior Daven Hames grew up wanting to be a football or basketball player. But once he started wrestling his sophomore season, he fell in love with the sport and wanted to pursue it at the next level.

The pursuit of that dream came to fruition Thursday, as Hames signed his National Letter of Intent to wrestle at NAIA Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa.

The signing was extra special for Hames, who said he's the first member of his family to pursue a degree at a four-year university.

"It's a big accomplishment, so I'm really happy about that," Hames said.

The Next College Student Athlete recruiting app played a big part in Hames' recruitment. He first got in contact with Waldorf coach Ryan Dickinson. After exchanging emails and having a phone conversation, Dickinson made a great impression on Hames.

"He told me to come down (for a visit) whenever I wanted to," Hames said. "I was like, 'OK,' so we went down and hit it off after that."

While he ultimately chose Waldorf University, Hames said he was also heavily considering Briar Cliff University and a few other small universities in Kansas. What ultimately stuck out about the Warriors' program was their team atmosphere and location.

"The team is very positive, gets along and are all good friends," Hames said. "The coach is also a very nice guy, and I like him a lot. I feel like I can grow better as a person there.

"I've (also) always wanted to know what it's like to live in a small town."

Hames lettered three seasons for the T-Birds and was a full-time varsity wrestler as a junior and senior. In those two years, Hames amassed a 44-41 record, according to TrackWrestling. This past season, he was a major part of the T-Birds' senior leadership core, according to Trujillo.

"He's a guy that loves wrestling about as much as anyone I've ever coached," the coach said. "Daven put tons and tons of work in during the offseason this past year, and really the last two years."

Hames is planning on pursuing a degree in criminal justice, and he hopes to work in law enforcement as a detective, police officer or a member of SWAT team.

Matt Atencio covers Laramie County prep sports for WyoSports. He can be reached at matencio@wyosports.net. Follow him on X at @MattAtencio5.