Graves, Schmidt undefeated, lead Eureka wrestlers to B-C divisional
Eureka wrestling coach Danny Lemer hopes tradition and desire make up for shortage of depth for his Lions at the Western B-C divisional wrestling tournament today at Superior.
“This team is different from last year’s team,” Lemer said.
“We don’t have the numbers we had last year, although this team has a lot of talent all the way through.
“Confidence is high and the team has worked very hard all season long for these next two weeks,” he said.
“These guys are very hungry to win a fourth straight divisional team title. They believe in themselves and in each other. They know each and every match is going to count.”
Mat action begins at 10 a.m. The top four finishers in each weight class move on to the state tournament next weekend in Billings.
Eureka rolled from divisionals a year with seven divisional champions to capture its first Class B-C state championship. Leading the charge was Garrett Graves, then a junior, at 182 pounds. He wrapped up a perfect season in Billings with a wild 13-9 decision in the finals to wind up 43-0.
Graves is back for his senior season and is currently 29-0. He’s wrestling at the same weight class and will be shooting for this third divisional title. He finished fourth at divisionals as a freshman.
Graves has a career mark of 147-21.
The last Eureka wrestler to win back-to-back state titles was Peter Schmidt in 1996-1997.
The other returning divisional champion for the Lions is senior Jonathan Schmidt at 160. Like Graves, he is going for his third divisional championship. He finished second as a freshman.
Schmidt is also unbeaten after 30 matches and holds a career mark of 119-7.
Graves and Schmidt are ranked No. 1 at their weight class in the latest Class B-C Coaches Poll.
Eureka tops the Class B team rankings.
Other returning divisional wrestlers for Eureka are Hank Dunn at 132, who was second, and Nathan Schmidt at 120 and Sam Johnson at 285, who both were third.
Eureka will have 12 individuals competing in nine weight classes. The Lions are open at 103, 170 and 205.
Bigfork will have less than half that number competing, with three freshman in the lineup.
Logan Kaminsky, who is ranked No. 2 in the coaches poll at 205, is not eligible to compete in the postseason for Bigfork.
“Hopefully give them some experience and step up the bar,” Bigfork coach David Laird said of his freshmen this weekend. “The more they experience and further they go will help them next year.”
Eureka Divisional Lineup
113 — Austin Warren, Sophmore, 9-17
113 — Gunnar Smith, Freshmen, 32-6
120 — Nathan Schmidt, Sophmore, 34-5
120 — Kyle Durdan, Freshmen, 25-10
132 — Hank Dunn, Sophmore, 18-5
138 — Chance Muller, Sophmore, 25-16
145 — Isaac Petz, Senior, 19-14
152 — James Fehr, Junior 12-5
152 — Nate Cargill, Junior, 16-13
160 — Jonathan Schmidt, Senior, 30-0
182 — Garrett Graves, Senior, 29-0
285 — Sam Johnson, Senior, 20-11
Bigfork Divisional Lineup
(Individual records not available)
126 — Zane Gardner, Freshman
138 — Elyse Pendlay, Sophomore
145 — Noah Kinslow, Freshman
145 — Archie Brevik, Freshman
170 — Kyle Cumming, Senior
Class B-C Coaches Poll
CLASS B TEAMS
1- Eureka, 2- Colstrip, 3- Huntley Project, 4- Glasgow, 5- Malta, 6-Thompson Falls, 7- Whitehall, 8- Forsyth, 9- Plains-Hot Springs, 10-Florence-Carlton
CLASS C TOP THREE TEAMS
1. Circle, 2. Valier, 3. Arlee
103
1. Camron Reilly- Forsyth; 2. Clayton Donally-Huntley Project; 3. Roman Sparks- Thomopson Falls; 4. Dawson Powers-Whitehall; 5. Sam Lane-Townsend; 6. Krayle Stormer-Circle
113
1. Tanner Cook-Shepherd; 2. Gunner Smith- Eureka; 3 Tristen Kemp- Wolf Point; 4. Dylan Riphenburg-Fairfield; 5. Gavin Horn- Harlem; 6. Matt Connelly- Valier
120
1. Kaleb Frank- Thompson Falls; 2. Nathan Schmidt-Eureka; 3. Colten Fast- Glasgow; 4. Conrad Vanderwall- Plains-Hot Springs; 5. Keagan Thompson-Glasgow; 6. Nathan Ostwald-Thompson Falls
126
1. Lincoln Stormer-Circle; 2. Daniel Uli-Plains/Hot Springs; 3. Easton Held- Townsend; 4. Kaden Zimmerman-Glasgow; 5. Baily Weible- St. Ignatius-Charlo; 6. Connor Schnabel-Fort Benton
132
1. Matt Reyling- Glasgow; 2. Nathan Weber- Forsyth; 3. Hank Dunn-Eureka; 4. Josh Vanderwall- Plains-Hot Springs; 5. Rylin Burns-Colstrip; 6. Oden Hallock- Glasgow
138
1. Jackson Currier-Colstrip; 2. Trey Simanton- Malta; 3. Trey Taylor- Circle; 4. Quinn Whitmus-Wolf Point; 5. Avery Meinzen-Florence-Carlton; 6. Darwin Adams- St. Ignatius-Charlo
145
1. Micheal Weber-Forsyth; 2. Kaden Moore-Malta; 3. Dylan Raihl Columbus-Absarokee; 4. Wyatt Brusven- Shelby; 5. Sam Schmidt-Huntley Project; 6- Austin Stefford-Plains-Hot Springs
152
1. Ty Bradley-Colstrip; 2. Matthew Middleton-Huntley Project; 3. Kameron Rauser-Townsend; 4. Ceaton Mears-Malta; 5. Wyatt Powers-Whitehall; 6. Anthony Dulac-Florence-Carlton
160
1. Johathan Schmidt- Eureka; 2. Dalton Herbst- Baker; 3. Cody Blaede-Colstrip; 4. JR Seewald- Cut Bank; 5. Nate Brunett-Jefferson; 6. Kyler Alm-Florence-Carlton
170
1. Nakota Siegel-Colstrip; 2. Jase Soreson-Thompson Falls; 3. Gus Bosley-St. Ignatius-Charlo; 4. Garrett Smith Huntley Project; 5. Dylan Nieskens-Glasgow; 6. Sonny Chochern- Shepherd
182
1. Garrett Graves-Eureka; 2. Spencer Jones- Florence-Carlton; 3. George Shick- Arlee; 4. Dakota Irvine- Thompson Falls; 5. Wyatt Selman- Huntley Project; 6. Gastav Wenz-Shepherd
205
1. Blaine Buchanan- Huntley Project; 2. Logan Kaminsky- Bigfork; 3. Trey Yates-Colstrip; 4. Austin Cooper- Thomoson Falls; 5.James Slaghter-Choteau; 6. Cooper Larson-Glasgow
285
1. Merlin Whitedirt-Colstrip; 2. Dawson Hoerhauf- Whitehall; 3. Trey Pribbernow- Poplar; 4. Lex Herble-Forsyth; 5. Dakota Daily-Choteau; 6. Kyle Schillinger-Circle