Bravettes, Braves lead AA races at State

BILLINGS — Through Friday’s action at the all-class State Wrestling Championships First Interstate Arena was the home of the Braves — and Bravettes.

The Flathead girls, in fact, have the bigger margin in the team races, with 144 points to 108 to Billings Senior. The lead was 50 before the Broncs closed the gap in Friday’s late wrestlebacks; meanwhile the Flathead boys were pushing a slight lead over Senior out to 164-151.

Six Bravettes made Saturday morning’s semifinals, including senior Lily Conover, who picked up a pair of pins against Glacier’s Jessalyn Hewitt and Ronan’s Katie Dolence at 132 pounds.

The sport is in its second year of being sanctioned by the MHSA, and that’s about when Conover got started.

“I just like wrestling,” said the senior with a 20-5 record. “So I thought, why not wrestle.”

Why not win? Jessica Gubler of Livingston waits in the semis; on the other side of the bracket is Brynn Courville of Plains, who Conover bested a few weeks back at the Ronan Invitational.

Meanwhile five teammates are also in the state title hunt, starting with Lily McMahon, who won a sudden-death quarterfinal at 126 from Lili Schubarth of Simms. Also advancing were Boston Howell at 205, Alliyah Stevens at heavyweight, Alivia Rinehart at 138 (she pinned teammate Alexus Cisco in the quarters), and Hania Halverson, who picked up two more pins at 120.

“We would have never dreamed that the girls would be up by 40 or 50 points after day two,” said Flathead coach Jeff Thompson, who saw the Braves and Bravettes sweep the state titles a year ago. “They’re doing everything they’re supposed to do. We’re so proud of each and every one of these girls, they put in a lot of hard work, and a lot of them are brand new to the sport.”

“(McMahon) is doing really well, Hania Halverson, Boston,” Conover said. “I’m excited to see what happens tomorrow.”

Glacier’s girls sit fourth in the team race with 71 points, just 1.5 behind Billings Skyview. Brooke Yeadon picked up two pins on the way to the 103 semifinals, and while three other Wolfpack girls fell in the quarterfinals.

Besides Courville, Plains saw Taylor Angle (126) and Lillian MacDonald (152) make the semifinals.

Ronan’s Tirza Two Teeth is a semifinalist at 205.

Brawlers advance 9

Nine Flathead boys made the semifinals, and it might have been more: Diesel Thompson had to battle teammate Gannon Wisher in the 120 quarterfinals (Thompson scored a late takedown to force overtime, and won 4-3); Noah Poe-Hatten pinned teammate Sawyer Troupe to make the semis at 182.

Also, on a less positive note, both Cade Troupe and Gunnar Thompson lost in the 152 quarterfinals.

“We would have liked to punch one of those guys through,” Jeff Thompson, father to both Gunnar and Anders Thompson (and no relation to Diesel), said. “Both of them have been wrestling lights out. But hey, that’s wrestling. Cade just has to come through the back door, and same with Gun Show.”

If there was a match of the day it was the 113 quarterfinal where Billings Senior’s Junior Madrid caught Flathead’s Aiden Downing, and was close enough to a pin that the Broncs’ coaches were leaping in the air.

Down 7-1, Downing went to work, caught up and then scored a pin in the third period.

“That kid (Madrid) took third at state last year; it’s not like he was unknown,” Thompson noted. “I just love that about Aiden Downing — he just guts matches out. He’s never out of a match; he just rolls for six minutes.”

Anders (170) and Diesel (120) made it two out of three Thompsons in the semifinals; Davin Naldret advanced at 103, as did Asher Kemppainen at 138, Fin Nadeau at 145, Gabe Lake at 160 and Chase Youso at 205.

“You look at that historically, getting nine guys into the semifinals — that’s a great day,” Coach Thompson said. “We can’t complain. It’s a two-horse race between us and Senior. We’re just hoping to be hitting on all cylinders tomorrow morning, and win those close matches. There’s going to be a lot where we match up with Billings Senior and we’re excited for the challenge, and we’ll see where our team ends up.”

Glacier’s boys had one semifinalist: The peerless Teegan Vasquez, who needed less than two minutes total to pin Billings West’s Isaiah Morse and Flathead’s Logan Stansberry. Vasquez is going for a third straight title; just 37 Montanans have won four individual championships.

State A

Four-time defending champion Sidney saw a sizable lead shrink to five points over Havre (93.5-88.5). Frenchtown is not far back at 88, and Ronan is next at 71.

Columbia Falls is seventh with 62 points, after a strong start. Libby is ninth at 42.

The MatCats have two semifinalists, with one — Brandon Role — getting there via a pin of teammate Rowdy White at 170 pounds. The other, of course, is junior Justin Windauer at 138.

Five other MatCats fell in the quarters, three of them to Sidney wrestlers.

Whitefish’s Landre Aurund scored a third-period pin of Columbia Falls’ Tyler Gilfry in the 120 quarterfinals.

Sidney has eight semifinalists, led by Aden Graves at 160. Graves could become the 38th Montanan with four wrestling titles on Saturday.

Libby’s Jace DeShazer (182) and Aydan Williamson (285) made the semifinals; Browning standout Brendyn Whiteman advanced at 205.

Ronan saw Ridge Cote, now 50-1, advance at 113 along with Koy McAllister at 126, Caleb Cheff at 152 and Tristan Fisher at 170.

State B-C

Huntley Project has 101 points; Boulder is a distant second at 71.5. Eureka is the top Western team with 33 points, good for ninth.

The Lions have Blake Lancaster (103) and Johnny Fehr (205) in the semifinals.

Thompson Falls went 2-2 in the quarterfinals: Eli Ratliff won by decision at 152 and Trae Thilmony’s hunt for a third title remained in sight after a 13-5 major decision over Boulder’s John Armstrong.

Bigfork’s Traic Fainter (103) and Vaugh Pendlay (160) both fell in the quarterfinals.

Plains’ David Schulze made the 138 semis.

Boys AA results

Team scores — 1, Flathead 164; 2, Billings Senior 151; 3, Butte 100; 4, Billings WEst 95; 5, Great Falls High 80; 6, Helena Capital 60; 7, Billings Skyview 49; 8, Great Falls CMR 46; 9, Glacier 45.5; 10, Belgrade 34; 11, Missoula Big Sky 33; 12, Bozeman 32; 13, Gallatin 30; 14, Missoula Sentinel 15, 15, Helena 12.5; 16, Missoula Hellgate 12.5.

Flathead and Glacier Individuals

103

First round — Davin Naldret, Flathead, pinned Payton Kuiper, CMR,, 1:45; Kyson Baker, Sky, p. Ethan MacDonald, Flathead, 4:49.

Consolation first round — Gage Hartnett, GFH, d. MacDonald, 8-3.

Quarterfinals — Naldret, Fla, dec. Reid Whitlock, Butte, 10-8.

113

First round — Aiden Downing, Flathead, p. Cole Schaub, Skyview, :16; William Barnes; Garrett Bosch, Glacier, p. Cash Clark, GFH, 1:36; Keyan Hernandez, West. p. Bodie Rohrman, Gla, :51.

Flathead, md. Isaiah Christiansen, Gal, 14-2.

Consolation first round — Iaiaih Christiansen, Gal, p. Rohrman, Gla, 1:27.

Quarterfinals — Downing p. Junior Madrid, Senior, 4:26; Keyan Hernandez, West, p. Barnes, :50; Cole Krustfeldt, Senior, t.fall Bosch, Gla, 17-0.

Consolation second round — Barnes, Fla, p. Grady Winston, Butte, 3:21; Bosch, Gla, p. Chance Bray, West, 2:20;

120

First round — Gannon Wisher, Flathead, p. Samuel Elliott, GFH, 1:23; Diesel Thompson, Flathead, dec. Landon De La Garza, CMR, 10-6; Gage Clothier, GFH, d. Connor Johnson, Glacier, 7-1; Mason Gutenberger, Bel, p. Payton STewart, Glacier, :39.

Consolation first round — Devin Grossman, Syview, md. Johnson, Gla, 9-1.

Quarterfinals — Thompson, Fla, d. Wisher, Fla, 4-3 OT.

Consolation Round 2 — Wisher, Fla, p. Grady Caton, Hgt, :27.

126

First round — Gavin Cotton, GFH, p. Dane Lake, Flathead, 4:21. Joshua Melton, Glacier, p. Wesley Murch, Senior, 1:55.

Consolation first round — Lake, Fla, p. Casey Bendure, Skyview, 1:39.

Quarterfinals — Kale Baumann, GFH, d. Melton, Gla, 4-2.

Consolation second round — Melton, Gla, d. Hunter Rahn, Cap, 4-2; Lake, Fla, md. Jack Montoya, Boz, 13-2.

132

First round — Raenen Alumbaugh, Flathead, d. Kameron Amande, Gal, 14-11; Logan Stansberry, Flathead, d. Grant O’Neill, GFH, 6-3; Teegan Vasquez, Glacier, p. Isaiah Morse, West, :27.

Quarterfinals — Idren Peak, Senior, p. Allumbaugh, Fla, 1:00; Vasquez, Glacier, p. Stansberry, Fla, 1:06.

Cons. Round 2 — Kameron Amende, Gal, d. Stansberry, Fla, 6-4 OT; Allumbaugh, Fla, d. O’Neill, CMR, 6-0.

138

First round — Asher Kemppainen, Flathead, p. Quinn Hale, West, 2:26; Cade Gardner, Flathead, p. Brodie Ober, GFH, 1:13; Talen Barrington, Skyview, p. Korbin Baldwin, Glacier, 2:28; Kaleb Shine, Glacier, p. Reid O’Neill, GFH, 3:16.

Consolation first round — Baldwin, Gla, d. Quinn Hale, West, 9-6.

Quarterfinals — Kemppainen d. Talen Barrington, Skyview, 6-1; Jalen Vladic, Senior, p. Gardner, 1:06; Jesse Aarness, West, md. Shine, Gla, 11-2.

Cons. Round 2 — Shine, Gla, p. Baldwin, Gla, 3:36; Gardner, Fla, p. JT Gehring, Hel, 2:02.

145

First round — Fin Nadeau, Flathead, p. Teancum Palmer, GFH, :55; Colton Kuka, Flathead, p. Kade Vatnsdal, West, :45; James Roan, Senior, won by forfeit over Seth Doolan, Gla.

Quarterfinals — Nadeau p. Ethan Jarrett, CMR, 1:07; Irish Furthmyre, GFH, p. Kuka, 2:40.

Cons. round 2 — Kuka, Fla, p. Hansen, Butte, 2:45.

152

First round — Gunnar Thompson, Flathead, md. Kale Konency 10-1; Cade Troupe, Flathead, p. Tillman Bartholomew 1:14.

Quarterfinals — Dylan Block, GFH, p. G. Thompson 3:28; Logan Cole, Senior, p. C. Troupe 5:25.

Cons. Round 2 — G. Thompson, Fla, d. Cayden Doran, CMR, 5-4; C. Troupe, Fla, p. Cole Graham, Cap, 3:44.

160

First round — Gabe Lake, Flathead, p. Andrew Schoenen, GFH, 2:41; AJ LaFurge, CMR, p. Tynan Krause, Flathead, 4:36; Drake Rhodes, WEst, p. Grayson Barcus, Glacier, 1:06.

Consolation first round — Krause p. Dhestin McKinnis, Hel, :48; Morgan McClernan, Butte, md. Barcus, Glacier, 14-2.

Quarterfinals — Lake t.fall Gavin Vetter, Butte, 15-0.

Cons. Round 2 — Trevor Tucker, Sent, d. Kraus, Fla, 9-6.

170

First round — Mason Doran, Flathead, p. Landry Cooley, G, 1:37; Anders Thompson forfeit over Logan Sloan, CMR; Royce Conklin, Glacier, t.fall Bridger Stoll, CMR, 15-0.

Quarterfinals — Paolo Salminen, Skyview, p. Doran 2:35; A. Thompson p. Devron Brewer, GFH, :23; Cooper Freitag, WEst, dec. Conklin, Gla, 5-2.

Cons. Round 2 — Doran, Fla, p. Adian Cuchine, Butte, 3:25; Conklin, Gla, p. Rickson Bull Calf, Sent, :29.

182

First round — Noah Poe-Hatten, Flathead, t.fall Ben Rodgers, Bel, 16-1; Sawyer Troupe p. Hayden Allie, Senior, 3:22; Gavin Millard, Boz, md. TJ Gannon, Glacier, 15-4; Aiden Krause, Glacier, dec. Nathan Kojetin, Skyview, 4-2.

Consolation first round — Ganon, Gla, dec. Damien Lave, Senior, 8-2.

Quarterfinals — Poe-Hatten, Fla, p. S. Troupe, Fla, 2:31; Mason Christian, Butte, p. Krause, Gla, 5:55.’

Cons. Round 2 — S. Troupe, Fla, p. Kaleb Kirklin, Hel, :31; Krause, Gla, md. Gannon, Gla, 9-0.

205

First round — Chase Youso, Flathead, p. Kaden Barrett, West, :27; Jacob Reeves, CMR, dec. Xander Winter, 5-3 OT; Dillen Barrington, Skyview, p. Cody Vergeront, Glacier, 4:32.

Consolation first round — Winter, Fla, p. Cody Vergeront, Glacier, 2:49.

Quarterfinals — Youso, Fla, md. Xaden Cunningham, Bel, 9-0.

Cons. Round 2 — Hunter Curtis, MBS, p. Winter, Fla, 2:45; Paul Mousel, Cap, Colton Vergeront, Gla, 2:34.

285

First round — Forest Howell, Flathead, p. Oakley Woody, 1:43; Maxx Lee, Senior. dec. Colton Vergeront, Glacier, 7-2; Ethan Demaio, Glacier, medical default.

Quarterfinals — Raven Hensley, GFH, p. Howell, Flathead,:52.

Consolation first round — Colton Vergeront, default over Demaio, Glacier.

Cons. Round 2 — Howell, Fla, d. Noah Campbell, Senior, 9-7.

Complete results for all classes can be found at trackwrestling.com.

All-Class State Girls

Team scores — Flathead 144, Billings Senior 108, Billings Skyview 72.5, Glacier 71, Butte 59, Miles City 47, Gallatin 47, Poplar 47, Belgrade 45, Baker 39, Frenchtown 37, Plains 37, Ronan 33, Sidney 33, Billings West 32, Simms 32, Dillon 29, Cut Bank 29, East Helena 26, Cascade 24, Lewistown 24, Harlem 22, Red Lodge 21, Great Falls 20.

103

First round — Reina Koehler, Fla, p. Chloe Bowen, Lau, 1:00; Leeann Hoch, Shep, medical def. Over Sage Hafer, Fla; Anna Morrison, Fla, dec. Alyvia Ruiz, West, 9-8 OT; Brooke Yeadon, Gla, won by forfeit.

Second round — Kiera Davis, Cor, md. Koehler, Fla, 17-3; Kaylee LaPier, Butte, dec. Morrison, Fla, 9-2; Yeadon, Gla, p. Holly Hudoba, EastH, :28.

Quarterfinals — Yeadon, Gla, p. Davis, Cor, 2:50.

113

Second round — Skye Shelmerdine, Fla, p. Denaya Pretty Paint, Senior, :15; Leah Smith, Skyview, p. Mykel Lee, Fla, 2:57.

Third round — Cora Pesanti, Ana, p. Shelmerdine, Fla, 5:45.

120

First round — Hania Halverson, Fla, p. Taylor Burke, Butte, :22; Bella Arriaga, Flathead, dec. Mayse Fox, MC, 8-3.; Brynn Brower, Skyview, p. Dakota Keller, Flathead, :28; Savannah Riggin, CJI, p. Trinity Bolvin, Fla, 1:55; Emily Pedron, Gla, p. Emma Traeder, MBS, 3:07.

Second round — Halverson, Fla, p. Iszy McCrea, Dil, 1:08; Karissa Afrank, Baker, p. Arriaga, Fla, 5:27; Savannah Riggin, CJI, p. Pedron, Gla, :54.

Quarterfinals — Hania Halverson, Flathead, p. Taelynn Chavez, Cor, 1:24.

126

First round — Lily McMahon, Fla, p. Karen Rosales, Sid, :53; Ashlynn Kistenmacher, Rou, p. Peyton Walker, 2:27; Taylor Angle, Pla, p. Caitie Sistok, Gla, :47; Cheyenne D’Aigneau, Senior, p. Temree Payne-Taylor, Gla, 1:58.

Second round — McMahon, Fla, p. Kaitlyn Thorn, Boz, 1:33.

Quarterfinal — McMahon, Fla, dec. Lili Schubarth, Simms, 9-7 OT.

132

First round — Evija Cagle, Skyview, p. Meadow Smith, Fla, :42; Jessica Gubler, Liv, p. Mackenzie Brandt, Fla, :39; Raimey Hull, Fla, p. Anne Baldwin,Gal, 5:24; Nora Halliday, Gla, won by forfeit; Jessalyn Hewitt, Gla, p. Ryley Hofeldt, Chin, 1:37; Brady Boll, Gla, p. Payton Johnston, Gal, 5:35.

Second round — Joli Beston, WP, p. Hull, Fla, 5:37; Lily Conover, Fla, p. Hewitt, Gla, 1:05; Evija Cagle, Skyview, p. Halliday, Gla, 1:38; Brynn Courville, Pla, p. Boll, 1:04.

Quarterfinal — Conover, Fla, p. Katie Dolence, Ron, 1:14.

138

First round — Payton Kale, Senior, p. Elisa Tomerova, Fla, ;54.; Maria Matosich, Gla, p. Hannah Buckner, Fla, 2:33; Alivia Rinehart, Fla, p. Hannah Pankratz, Gal, 1:00; Avery Anderson, Gla, lost by medical forfeit; Kadence Rose, Gla, p. Dynesty Peak, Senior, 1:35.

Quarterfinal — Rinehart, Fla, p. Cislo, Fla, 1:20, Makenzee Neal, WEst, p. Rose, Gla, 1:28.

145

First round — Amilia Blackcrow, Harlem, p. Mikyla Iten, Fla, :40; Libby Clagg, EastH, p. Isabelle Brewer, Fla, 2:29.

Second round — Emma Gambino, Fla, p. Natalka Rolfson, Senior, 12-8; Dakota Betersen, EastH, medical def. over Isabelle Shin, Fla.; Blackcrow, Har, p. Madisyn Frazier, 3:04; Lidia D’Hooge, Lew, dec. Jasmine Cartwright, Gla, 6-4.

Quarterfinal — Petersen, EastH, p. Gambino, Fla, 4:40.

152

First round — Lillia MacDonald, Pla, p. Olivia Keller-Pulse, Fla, :30.

170

Second round — Audrey Goodsell, Gla, p. Kylah Redfox, Colstrip, 2:22.

Quarterfinal — Cabry Taylor, WSS, p. Goodsell, Gla, :58.

205

First round — Norah Larson, Bel, p. Paige Hermann, :23; Lucille Libby, Fla, p. Erica Guerrero, GFH, 1:00; Celia Jaeger, Senior, p. Alisa Leimkuehler, Fla, 3:06.

Quarterfinal — Aliyah Stiffarm, Hav, p. Libby, Fla, :51.

285

First round — Haylee Fetters, CB, medical def. Over Astora Beckstrom, Fla.; Paishane Haller, Gla, won by forfeit.

Quarterfinals — Boston Howell, Fla, p. Skye Smith, Cascade, 3:42; Alliyah Stevens, Fla, p. Haller, Gla, :54.

Complete results are found at trackwrestling.com.