Banks, Lions win Western B/C boys wrestling

BUTTE — The boys’ side of the Western B-C Divisional wrestling tournament was all knotted up heading to the final championship match, with Eureka and Cascade holding 204 points each. 

Wes Banks took care of that.  

Eureka’s heavyweight pinned his opponent, Ethan Wock of Whitehall, in one minute, 46 seconds to lift the Lions to the team title.  

“He had a very solid tournament,” Eureka coach Dan Lemer said Sunday. “Pinned all the way through.” 

Banks pinned four opponents in a total of 6:46, and wasn’t the only clutch performer in the championship round: Timothy Schmidt won a rough-and-tumble 126 final via 5-4 decision over Conrad’s Blaine VanDyke. 

“His match was pretty exciting,” Lemer said. “His opponent was very solid. He broke his nose during the match and was able to pull through.” 

Schmidt, a junior who was state champion as a freshman and second at state last year, is one of nine Lions to place in the top eight at divisionals and qualify for this week’s state tournament in Billings. 

The list includes Trent Shay (103) and Hunter Grieve (118), who were runners up in their weight classes, and third-place finishers Josh Lambertsen (150) and Rogan Lytle (175). 

Behind Eureka (208 points) and Cascade, Conrad was third at 187.5 points. Plains-Hot Springs was fourth at 160.5. Mission-Charlo was 14th at 74.5. 

Plains’ Beau Crabb was first at 144 pounds, and teammate John Waterbury won the 157-pound title. David Chapman was runner up at 190 as well. 

Anaconda claimed the girls team title wiht 191 points. Cut Bank (153), Conrad (121), Deer Lodge (93) and Mission-Charlo (810 filled out the top five.  

Eureka tied for seventh with Manhattan at 74, and qualifed four girls for state. Harmony Stolle was the champion at 235 fo the Lions; teammate Kricket Bridges lost in the 105 final. 

Mission-Charlo had a champion in Meadow Ragen at 155; teammate Anna Cronk placed second at 145.