The Polson Pirate wrestling squad picked up where they left off last year, as six Pirates finished in the championship bracket at the Polson Invitational last Saturday.

Shane Ludwick and Bryce Picard picked up championship victories, and Shawn Medland, Conlin Benson, Logan Torgison, and Aaron Jones all had second place finishes for the team. Billy Johnson took fourth in the 145-pound weight class, and AJ Angello and Pat Dellwo came close to placing, as the team finished second overall to AA Flathead High.

"We had six in the finals and two others within a heartbeat of getting in, who got beat right at the end of their matches," said head coach Bob Owen. "Overall, we did pretty well."

The Invite featured a dozen schools from AA to B/C, which Owen said made for some good competition at all levels, even if it meant smaller schools had to compete with bigger schools.

Picard and Ludwick had good, exciting championship matches that both went into overtime. In overtime matches, the first overtime is sudden death, with both wrestlers starting on their feet, and if it goes to second overtime, the wrestler who scored first in regulation gets the choice of starting on the top or bottom, Owen explained.

Ludwick was able to win his in the first overtime with a takedown, while Picard had to battle to a second overtime in which he was able keep Flathead's Scott Cassel from breaking out of the down position, which Cassel chose.

"In that case Bryce really had to wrestle well to hang on" and stay on top for 30 seconds, Owen said.

Ludwick's opponent, T.C. Decker from Flathead High, couldn't keep up with him, and Ludwick won 6-4.

Medland lost 9-3 to Flathead's Dan Jenkins.

"That kid was a lot bigger than him. Shawn competed well," Owen said.

Benson found himself in a hole early on, and had to come back in the third period, and almost pulled it off, losing 6-5.

"Conlin really didn't get going until the third period of the match. But he was the aggressor at the end of the match, and he came close to pulling it out," Owen said.

Torgison also lost a close one, 6-5, after battling back at the end.

"Logan was right there with him, he just got thrown off his feet," Owen said.

Jones got pinned in the heavyweight class, but at less than 250 pounds, he will be facing guys who are bigger than him throughout the year.

"Aaron had a hug win in the semifinals. We'll just have to work to close the deal [in the championship matches]," Owen said.

Owen said Johnson had some great matches throughout the day. He lost to Hamilton's Alex Martin to get fourth.

The team will travel this weekend to the annual Mining City Duels, while the JV team will go to Hamilton.

Results

POLSON WRESTLING INVITATIONAL 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP

98 - DAN JENKINS (FH) dec. SHAWN MEDLAND (POL) 9 - 3

105 - BRIAN HAM (FH) dec. JOSH STEDMAN (FTN) 2 - 0

112 - SHANE LUDWICK (POL) dec. T. C. DECKER (FH) 6 - 4

119 - BEAU NORDAHL (FTN) dec. CONLIN BENSON (POL) 6 - 5

125 - AUSTIN ZAPATA (FH) dec. LOGAN TORGISON (POL) 6 - 5

130 - KEVIN KALSCHMIDT (WF) dec. TAYLOR NAGEL (COR) 5 - 3

135 - DURAN FLAGET (FH) dec. BRYCE STACEY (EUR) 3 - 2

140 - RYAN NELSON (FH) pinned MICHAEL HADER (CF) 3:36

145 - BRAD KUNTZ (WF) dec. LUKE FISCHER (FH) 5 - 4

152 - MIKE LEWIS (HAM) dec. CODY MIKESELL (WF) 9 - 4

160 - BRAD WATTERUD (WF) pinned GATLIN PAINE (EUR) 1:36

171 - TIM LEHNER (WF) pinned LEVI HOLT (FH) 5:09

189 - BRYCE PICARD (POL) dec. SCOTT CASSEL (FH) 2 - 1 (2 OT)

215 - CASEY POIER (FH) pinned KALLAN ROOSE (EUR) 1:13

275 - DAN OGDEN (FH) pinned AARON JONES (POL) 3:16

CONSOLATION

98 - CURTIS SPRAGUE (FTN) pinned SEAN SMITH (TF) 2:01

105 - JAKE LOVE (SEN) pinned CHAD HANSEN (FTN JV) 3:54

112 - KYLE RICHIE (SEN) pinned Xennie KIREDAHL (EUR) 2:27

119 - RICKY JONES (FH) dec. LANDON DELLESILVA (COR) 15 - 3

125 - CODY KELADEJCHUCK (CF) dec. JARIS BIERER (COR)

130 - JOSH HENDERSON (FTN) dec. DAVID LOVE (HAM)

135 - ANDY LOVE (SEN) pinned DEREK NELSON (FTN) 2:59

140 - MATT STARR (WF) dec. RUSS BALLENGER (TF) 13 - 2

145 - ALEX MARTIN (HAM) pinned BILLY JOHNSON (POL) 3:32

152 - COLTER LANE (FH JV) dec. CODY WAY (FTN)

160 - BO DAVENPORT (COR) dec. DAVID LAU (FH) 10 - 5

171 - JAKE BOSLEY (ST IGN/CHARLO) dec. BRADY ANDERSON (HAM) 13 - 2

189 - NICK WELLER (FTN) dec. BRIAN MITCHELL (ST IGN/CHARLO) 3 - 2

215 - KELLY BIRMINGHAM(COR) pinned JEESE WOODWARD (CF) :27

275 - BLAKE CRANMORE (COR) pinned CASH FIELD (SEN) 1:18

TEAM SCORES

FLATHEAD - 270

POLSON - 139.5

WHITEFISH - 125.5

FRENCHTOWN - 117

CORVALLIS - 108

SENTINEL - 78

EUREKA - 74

HAMILTON - 71. 5

ST. IGNATIUS/CHARLO - 66

COLUMBIA FALLS - 59

THOMPSON FALLS - 38

SUPERIOR - 2