Calderon, Lau, Francis, Picard win wrestling titles
The Daily Inter Lake
GREAT FALLS - Flathead had two individual champions and Glacier and Polson one each Saturday at the Tournament of Champions all-star wrestling tournament at the Great Falls Field House.
Flathead's Joaquin Calderon, 125, and Shawn Lau, 130, both won their weight classes. Calderon pinned Niko Guymon of Helena High in the final in 2:50. Lau decisioned Kyle Taranto of Bozeman 5-3 in the semifinals and Brice Gretch of Billings Skyview 1-0 in the final with an escape in the second period.
Calderon was second at the AA state tournament last weekend in Billings, while Lau was a state champ.
Glacier's Larry Francis, a state AA runner-up in Billings, came out on top this time. Francis won by pin, 26 seconds, in his semifinal match with Connor Malone of Lewistown. In the final, he pinned Casey Schaub of Havre in the second period.
Francis finished the season with a 38-8 record. He won 30 matches by pin.
"Very impressive (performance)," Glacier coach Mark Fischer said of Francis' showing.
"A great finish (to the season)."
Polson's Brock Picard decisioned Libby's Seth Wright 9-2 in Saturday's 171-pound final. It was a rematch of their state championship match a week ago, which Picard also won 7-5.
Flathead had two more individuals competing - Alejandro Calderon, 119, and Tanner Beaman, 130. Calderson fell in his final, while Beaman did not make the finals.
"I was real excited for them," Flathead assistant coach Wes Knutson said of the four Braves competing.
"I thought it was a great format. It would have been nice to have had a few more state championships there."
Chance Rauscher of Glasgow decisioned Kelly Houle of Columbia Falls 9-4 in the final at 215. Rauscher was the state B-C champ. Houle finished second in Class A.
Class AA had the most champions - seven - at this event with B-C finishing with five and A three.
Glasgow had three champions, the most of any school.
The inaugural event drew 57 wrestlers. More than 700 people turned out to watch the semifinals and finals.
The law firm of Hoyt and Blewett PLLC sponsored the Tournament of Champions.
Tournament of Champions Results
Saturday
At Great Falls
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The Champions
98 - Cole Mendenhall, Great Falls High
105 - Jade Rauser, Broadwater County
112 - Val Rauser, Broadwater County
119 - David Demo, Bozeman
125 - Joaquin Calderon, Flathead
130 - Shawn Lau, Flathead
135 - Myles Mazurkiewicz, Havre
140 - Kent Pattison, Havre
145 - Tyler Elm, Billings Skyview
152 - Larry Francis, Glacier High School
160 - Chaz Hopstad, Glasgow
171 - Brock Picard, Polson
189 - Myles Kittleson, Glasgow
215 - Chance Rauscher, Glasgow
285 - Toby Erickson, Helena
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Weight Class Results
98
Semifinals - Cole Mendenhall, Great Falls High, pin. Holden Gagner, Missoula Hellgate. Fall 3:22; Luke Schloser, Conrad dec. Nik Hinebauch, Skyview Billings, 6-4.
Final - Cole Mendenhall, Great Falls High pinned Luke Schosser, Con. 3:42
105
Semifinals - Jade Rauser, Broadwater County, pinned Duel Stadel, Havre, 2:23; Dylan Mendanhall, Great Falls High dec. Clay Cathey, Billings Skyview, 10-7.
Final - Jade Rauser, Broadwater County, pinned Dylan Mendenhall, Great Falls High, 3:55
112
Pigtails - Riley Berry, Boz. dec. Cliff Evans, Sentinel, 4-3
Semifinals - Val Rauser, Broadwater County, pinned Cliff Evans, Sentinel, 2:58; Sam Shelton, Billings Skyview dec. Tyler Steadman, Frenchtown, 8-5
Final - Val Rauser, Broadwater County, pinned Sam Shelton, Skyview, 4:55
119
Semifinals - Alejandro Calderon, Flathead dec. Kylan Zumpf, Miles City 13-12; David Demo, Boz. dec. Jake Trujillo, Arlee 7-0
Final - David Demo, Boz. dec. Alejandro Calderon, Flathead, 19-3
125
Semifinals - Niko Guymon, Helena High dec. Seth Snyder Huntley Project, 3-2.
Final - Joaquin Calderon, Flat, pinned Niko Guymon, Hel. High, 2:50.
130
Pigtail - Kyle Taranto, Boz. dec. Cole Rice, Arlee 9 -4
Semifinals - Shawn Lau, Flathead dec. Kyle Taranto, Boz., 5-3; Brice Gretch, Billings Skyview dec. Casey Makor, Miles City, 8-4.
Final - Shawn Lau, Flathead dec. Brice Gretch, Billings Skyview, 1-0
135
Semifinals - Marshall Carpenter, Bozeman dec. Tanner Beaman, Flathead 11-1
Final - Myles Mazurkiewicz, Havre, dec. Marshall Carpenter, Bozeman 14-4
140
Semifinals - Kent Pattison, Havre dec. Jeremiah Hays, Shelby 12-4; Brad Nordahl, Frenchtown dec. Sam Brown, Colstrip 2-0
Finals - Pattison, Havre dec. Nordahl, Frenchtown, 5-3
145
Semifinals - Tyler Elm, Billings Skyview dec. Cole Schram, Belgrade, 1-0.
Final - Tyler Elm, Billings Skyview, dec. Britton Thompson, Broadwater County, 7-5.
152
Semifinals - Larry Francis, Glacier, pinned Connor Malone, Fergus County, 0:26; Casey Schaub, Havre dec. Tucker Taylor Belgrade, 3-1.
Final - Larry Francis, Glacier, pinned Casey Schaub, Havre, 2:44
160
Semifinals - Chaz Hopstad, Glasgow dec. Jordan Malarchick, Belgrade, 13-11 OT; Josh Hamilton, Missoula Sentinel dec. Brady DeCock, Huntley Project, 8-6.
Finals - Hopstad, Glasgow, dec. Hamilton, Missoula Sentinel, 10-8
171
Semifinals - None
Final - Brock Picard, Polson dec. Seth Wright, Libby, 9-2
189
Semifinals - Myles Kittleson Glasgow dec. Philip Prickett, Belgrade 6-4; Zach Wichman, Great Falls High pinned Craig Ashworth, Florence, 0:19
Final - Myles Kittleson, Glasgow, pinned Wichman, Great Falls High, 3:05.
215
Semifinals - Chance Rauscher, Glasgow, pin. Matt Cable Great Falls High, 3:42; Kelly Houle, Columbia Falls dec. Parker Miller Glasgow, 9-4.
Final - Chance Rauscher, Glasgow dec. Kelly Houle, Columbia Falls, 9-4
285
Semifinal - Toby Erickson, Helena, pinned Colton Hill, Glasgow, 3:27; Ethan Tweet, Fort Benton dec. Mitch Schnittgen, Havre, 4-2.
Final - Toby Erickson, Helena dec. Ethan Tweet, Fort Benton 3-1.