Lau, Ham lead FHS grapplers
Braves also captured team title at the 2-day invitational in Bozeman
The Daily Inter Lake
BOZEMAN - Fifteen wrestlers. Fourteen placed.
You could say the weekend went pretty well for the Flathead High School wrestling team at the Bozeman tournament.
Every Class AA team except Hellgate was there, so the tournament was essentially a state tournament without JV.
The Braves scored 283 points to win - Great Falls Russell placed second at 241.
Shawn Lau and Brian Ham are both tournament champions, at 98 and 119 pounds, respectively. TC Decker and Bryce Stacy were also finalists at 135 and 145. Decker ran into a defending state champion and lost 9-0, while Stacy lost 3-1 in overtime.
Lau pinned Michael Budeski of CMR to win at 98.
Lau "just keeps rolling. He's like a robot out there. Nothing seems to faze him," said Flathead coach Jeff Thompson.
Ham got a major decision, 12-2, over Mitch Rohrbeck of CMR.
"Probably the toughest weight class in the tournament," Thompson said of the 119-pounders. "(Ham) had the tournament of his life. You could just see his confidence building," the coach said.
"We're happy with where we're at in the season. We've just got to keep improving," Thompson said.
Defending state champion Flathead had 17 wrestlers place last year at the state tournament and had 15 placers on the 2004 title team.
But the state tournament is still a month away, he cautioned.
"There's no time off," he said.
"But I feel our guys are hungry after the competition."
They'll need to be. Flathead travels next weekend to Missoula for the Rocky Mountain Classic.
Team scores
1. Flathead 283; 2. CMR 241; 3. Great Falls 198; 4. Butte 187.5; 5. Billings Skyview 147; 6. Billings Senior 116; 7. Bozeman 103; 8. Powell County (Wyo.) 97.5; 9. Huntley Project 97; 10. Helena Capital 95; 11. Missoula Sentinel 94; 12. Missoula Big Sky 83.5; 13. Belgrade 69.5; 14. Anaconda 65; 15. Helena 63; 16. Billings West 51.5; 17. Dillon 48.5; 18. Whitehall 45; 19. Cody (Wyo.) 43.5; 20. Laurel 39.5; 21. Shepherd 37; 22. Livingston 14.5; 23. Billings Central 12; 24. Bozeman JV 11; 25. Townsend 6; 26. Butte Central 5.5.
Corey Shilhanek of Billings Senior was named Most Outstanding Wrestler
Championship
Semifinals
98: Michael Budeski (CMR) dec. Justin Rowling (Butte) 2-1; Shawn Lau (Kal) dec. Tate Lucas (Bel) 6-4.
105: Brice Gretch (Sky) pinned Laith Wilson (Liv) :46; Cody West (CMR) dec. Dan Jenkins (Kal) 10-3.
112: Jake Love (Sent) dec. Tyler McLaughlin (Butte) 10-7; Brennan Barta (Sky) dec. David Demo (Boz) 6-4.
119: Mitch Rohrbeck (CMR) pinned Dustin Hanson (Ana) 5:54; Brian Ham (Kal) dec. Kyle Richie (Sent) 4-2.
125: Nash Hallfrisch (CMR) tech. fall Trevor Donarski (Pow) 20-5; Colby Hurt (Cap) dec. Darren Pulver (Senior) 5-3.
130: Jeff Jones (Sky) dec. Austin Zapata (Kal) 5-2; Trenton Starkey (CMR) dec. Zach Mendenhall (GFHS) 5-3.
135: Zach Gregoire (GFHS) tech. fall Trent Gillett (Pow) 4:37; TC Decker (Kal) pinned C.J. Kissell (Butte) 1:40.
140: T.J. Renz (Butte) pinned Jared Delong (Ana) 3:00; Jordan Ewan (HP) dec. Ryan Thiel (Kal) 7-4.
145: Bryce Stacy (Kal) dec. Don Widdicombe (Big Sky) 7-0; Bobby Vinson (GFHS) maj. dec. Stewart Ringler (Cody) 12-3.
152: Nick Haynes (Butte) dec. Tyler Wells (Kal) 9-4; Tucker Vazina (Dil) dec. Maxx Galland (GFHS) 5-3.
160: Tel Todd (Boz) pinned David Lau (Kal) 4:51; Corey Shilhanek (Senior) maj. dec. Eric Jacobs (Pow) 11-1.
171: Ty Vinson (GFHS) pinned Alex Chelini (Hel) 1:57; Beau Baitezar (Butte) pinned Luke Fischer (Kal) 5:49.
189: Jared Rohrbeck (CMR) pinned Thomas Harding (HP) 1:28; Ben Ashcraft (White) dec. Colton Sherley (Cap) 10-8.
215: Ryan Fetherston (Hel) pinned Colton Fenner (CMR) 1:34; Zach Deffinbaugh (GFHS) maj. dec. Justin Bloom (HP) 13-5.
285: Trevor Haas (Butte) pinned Corey Simonson (Kal) 3:45; Andrew Vorhees (CMR) dec. Skyler Best (Senior) 4-1.
Championship
98: S. Lau (Kal) pinned Budeski (CMR) 3:38.
105: Gretch (Sky) dec. West (CMR) 10-3.
112: Love (Sent) pinned Barta (Sky) 3:17.
119: Ham (Kal) maj. dec. M. Rohrbeck (CMR) 12-2.
125: Hallfrisch (CMR) maj. dec. Hurt (Cap) 13-3.
130: Jones (Sky) maj. dec. Starkey (CMR) 15-5.
135: Gregoire (GFHS) maj. dec. TC Decker (Kal) 9-0.
140: Renz (Butte) maj. dec. Ewan (HP) 11-3.
145: Vinson (GFHS) dec. Stacy (Kal) 3-1.
152: Haynes (Butte) maj. dec. Vazina (Dil) 10-0.
160: Shilhanek (Senior) dec. Todd (Boz) 3-1.
171: Vinson (GFHS) maj. dec. Baitezar 13-0.
189: J. Rohrbeck (CMR) dec. Ashcraft (White) 16-4.
215: Fetherston (Hel) dec. Deffinbaugh (GFHS) 4-1.
285: Haas (Butte) dec. Voorhees (CMR) 7-2.
Consolation
Semifinals
98: Nik Hinebauch (HP) pinned Justin Smart (GFHS) 1:30; Kyle Webster (Cap) pinned Brandon Bright (Hel) 1:47; Lucas (Bel) pinned Hinebauch (HP) 4:04; Rowling (Butte) maj. dec. Webster (Cap) 14-0.
105: Seth Snyder (HP) pinned Kyle Moyer (Sky) :46; Cole Schram (Bel) dec. Tony Michaelson 12-5; Snyder (HP) dec. Jenkins (Kal) 6-5; Schram (Bel) maj. dec. Wilson (Liv) 8-0.
112: Tanner Bearman (Kal) dec. Kelly Olds (CMR) 7-5; PJ Neary (West) pinned Mario Bartoletti (Bu. Cent.) 2:30; Bearman (Kal) dec. Demo (Boz) 3-1; McLaughlin (Butte) pinned Neary (West) :32.
119: Tucker Sprenkle (Senior) dec. Kal Stoddard (Dil) 2-1; Seth Goodell (Sky) pinned Kallen Kleinschmidt (Cap) :43; Richie (Sent) dec. Sprenkle (Senior) 10-4; Hanson (Ana) dec. Goodell (Sky) 10-5.
125: Kyle Taranto (Boz) dec. Chylo Lazloffy (Laurel) 2-1; Ricky Janes (Kal) maj. dec. Keith Dosland (White) 10-0; Pulver (Senior) dec. Taranto (Boz) 5-4; Janes (Kal) dec. Donarski (Pow) 5-4.
130: Michael Carpenter (Boz) dec. Daniel Hamilton (Sent) 9-7; Austin Carter (Pow) maj. dec. Tucker Taylor (Bel) 12-4; Mendenhall (GFHS) maj. dec. Carpenter (Boz) 12-2; Zapata (Kal) dec. Carter (Pow) 8-6.
135: Ben Wideman (White) dec. Derek Kloberdanz (CMR) 7-0; Tyler Elm (Sky) pinned Ben Rose (Cody) 4:02; Kissell (Butte) dec. Wideman (White) 6-2; Elm (Sky) pinned Gillett (Pow) 1:22.
140: Kyle Flood (CMR) dec. Rayvan Froffit (Sky) 7-0; Brian Moree (Big Sky) maj. dec. James Douglas (Shep) 11-2; Flood (CMR) dec. Thiel (Kal) 4-3; Moree (Big Sky) dec. Delong (Ana) 7-2.
145: Nick Lang (Boz) dec. Spencer Bailey (CMR) 2-1; Jeff Pacheco (Senior) pinned Cody Kalberer (Pow) 3:26; Lang (Boz) dec. Ringler (Cody) 6-5; Widdicombe (Big Sky) pinned Pacheco (Senior) :52.
152: Marcus Lussy (Ana) dec. Brady DeCock (HP) 8-5; Mike Graham (CMR) dec. Nathan Kobold (West) 6-0; Galland (GFHS) pinned Lussy (Ana) 4:59; Wells (Kal) pinned Graham (CMR) 3:19.
160: Zach Wichman (GFHS) tech. fall Patryk Webster (West) 19-2; Austin Lord (Sent) dec. Clark Hensley (Ana) 8-2; Jacobs (Pow) dec. Wichman (GFHS) 6-3; D. Lau (Kal) pinned Lord (Sent) :24.
171: Mark Bakas (CMR) dec. Luke Schulz (Cody) 9-4; Bobby Bordner (Sent) maj. dec. Justin Clevidence (Bel) 13-1; Fischer (Kal) pinned Bakas (CMR) 1:52; Bordner (Sent) dec. Chelini (Hel) 11-5.
189: Ben Nation (Shep) pinned Jake Haan (West) 1:56; Mak Jones (Pow) dec. Drew Watkins (Kal) 6-0; Sherkey (Cap) pinned Nation (Shep) 1:51; Jones (Pow) dec. Harding (HP) 15-13.
215: Kyle Gottelich (Big Sky) dec. Nathan Dillon (White) 6-1; Justin Wavarek (Kal) pinned Casey Smith (Senior) 2:45; Bloom (HP) pinned Gottelich (Big Sky) 2:18; Fenner (CMR) pinned Waverek (Kal) :43.
285: Sean Parkinson (Laurel) pinned Mick Stanisch (Dil) 3:14; Rich Bomgardner (GFHS) dec. Lyle Loftus (Big Sky) 3-0; Best (Senior) pinned Parkinson (Laurel) :59; Bomgardner (GFHS) dec. Simonson (Kal) 3-0.
Third place
98: Lucas (Bel) dec. Rowling (Butte) 4-3.
105: Snyder (HP) maj. dec. Schram (Bel) 12-2.
112: McLaughlin (Butte) dec. Bearman (Kal) 12-5.
119: Richie (Sent) dec. Hanson (Ana) 12-10.
125: Pulver (Senior) dec. Janes (Kal) 4-3.
130: Zapata (Kal) dec. Mendenhall (GFHS) 3-2.
135: Elm (Sky) dec. Kissell (Butte) 5-4.
140: Flood (CMR) dec. Moree (Big Sky) 4-2.
145: Lang (Boz) dec. Widdicombe (Big Sky) 8-5.
152: Wells (Kal) maj. dec. Galland (GFHS) 18-5.
160: Jacobs (Pow) dec. D. Lau (Kal) 4-3.
171: Fischer (Kal) dec. Bordner (Sent) 3-1.
189: Sherley (Cap) dec. Jones (Pow) 11-5.
215: Bloom (HP) pinned Fenner (CMR) :17.
285: Best (Senior) dec. Bomgardner (GFHS) 1-0.
Fifth place
98: Hinebauch (HP) maj. dec. Webster (Cap) 15-7.
105: Jenkins (Kal) maj. dec. Wilson (Liv) 9-0.
112: Demo (Boz) maj. dec. Neary (West) 11-2.
119: Goodell (Sky) dec. Sprenkle (Senior) 4-0.
125: Taranto (Boz) dec. Donarski (Pow) 12-5.
130: Carter (Pow) maj. dec. Carpenter (Boz) 15-2.
135: Gillett (Pow) pinned Wideman (White) 3:59.
140: Delong (Ana) dec. Thiel (Kal) 9-4.
145: Ringler (Cody) dec. Pacheco (Senior) 12-8.
152: Lussy (Ana) forfeit Graham (CMR).
160: Wichman (GFHS) dec. Lord (Sent) 8-6.
171: Chelini (Hel) dec. Bakas (CMR) 4-3.
189: Nation (Shep) pinned Harding (HP) 3:43.
215: Gottelich (Big Sky) pinned Waverek (Kal) 2:10.
285: Simonson (Kal) maj. dec. Parkinson (Laurel) 11-3.