Eureka puts two in B/C semifinals; Libby has three in A semis

SHELBY — Eureka’s Kyle Durden and Gunnar Smith advanced to the semifinals of the State B/C wrestling tournament Friday, and Smith and Thompson Falls’ Trae Thilmony are still on pace to meet again.

Thompson Falls put three wrestlers in the semis: Thilmony at 132 pounds, Eli Ratlif at 145 and Dane Chojnacky at 182.

Durden wrestles at 126; Smith, holder of three straight state titles, is at 132 along with Thilmony, who won a title last year as well. They’ve split their two matches this season.

Defending champion Glasgow led the team race with 86 points. Huntley Project is second at 74, and Circle is a distant third at 42.

Eureka, with 36.5 points, is in range of another top-three finish and some hardware. But the Lions have company; 11 teams are within nine points of Circle, including Plains at 35 points and Thompson Falls at 34.

Bigfork’s Joseph Ferrier (170) and Traic Fainter (103) fell in the quarterfinals. Bigfork is 17th with 23 points.

Plains has a semifinalist in freshman Drew Cary at 120.

Sidney again leads A

MILES CITY — Three-time defending state champion Sidney put a program-record 14 wrestlers into the semifinals of the State A tournament, and Frenchtown probably won’t make up that ground.

The Eagles have 141 points after Saturday’s action, and Frenchtown in next with 105 followed by Laurel with 91.5. Lewistown has 79 points, Miles City 70 and sitting sixth is Columbia Falls at 46.5, a half-point ahead of Libby. Polson is 13th with 28;

Whitefish and Lockwood are tied for 18th at 21. The Bulldogs’ Nathan Sproul lost his quarterfinal match at 11.

Justin Windauer is still unbeaten for the MatCats, scoring a fall and a technical fall Friday at 126 pounds. He’s seeking his first state title, and he’ll face Polson’s Maysn Cowell in the semis.

Teammate Lucas Thacker advanced at 160 pounds as well.

Libby’s Cody Crace won twice Friday to make the semifinals at 152, and teammate Tucker Masters did the same at 182. The Loggers’ Ayden Williamson picked up two pins to make the semis at 285.

Browning has two semifinalists in 132-pounder Quenton Campos.and 205er Brendyn Whiteman.

Complete results can be found at trackwrestling.com.