Grapplers polishing performances, at home Saturday

Over the past week, the high school girls wrestling team competed in two challenging competitions against several tough opponents at both the Hamilton Mixer on Tuesday and the Butte Central Girls Tournament on Friday and Saturday.

At the Mixer, Aurelia LaChance (125B) and Alayah Stevens (140B) each put on dominant performances by going 2-0. In addition to LaChance and Stevens’ undefeated evening, Hailey Littlefield (235) also went undefeated. Meanwhile, Kloey Wager (120B) and Korah Yerian (135B) contributed second place finishes, further boosting the Cats’ overall performance.

In Butte, which featured participation from 24 teams, the Cats secured ninth place overall with a total of 137 points. Kate Lewellen (125C) emerged as the team’s top wrestler for the weekend, finishing 5-0 and claiming first place. Lewellen dominated her matches, including a standout performance against Rebecca Rittal from Dawson County (Glendive), where she secured victory with a takedown just 1:48 into the second round. Wager (120D) also made a strong impression, going 4-1 and securing a 2nd place finish. She came away on the weekend with a dominant 13-1 major decision win over Emily Skinner from Helena.

Columbia Falls High School Boys Wrestling Makes an Impression

 The boys team was also in action at the Butte Class A Duals, an event that brings together Class A teams from across the state. The Cats wrapped up the weekend with an impressive 5-3 record, thanks to dynamic performances and contributions from every athlete. As a team, they secured commanding victories against Stevensville/Victor with a score of 60-18 and Dawson County at 60-15, along with wins over Libby/Troy and Billings Central/Joliet.

“It was another successful weekend on the mat for our men’s team. Overall, they ended the weekend 5-3, and lost to the #1 Sidney, #2 Laurel, and lost a close one to the #5 Lockwood. The dual format makes for an exciting atmosphere but also has its downfalls. You could have a kid not win a match all weekend. They have to dig deep to step on the match each and every time win or lose and be ready to give it their all for themselves and the team,” said coach Jessie Schaeffer.

Blaise Cronk (165) continued his outstanding season by going undefeated at 9-0 over the course of the weekend. He would have standout performances against Urijah Davis from Havre by dominating the match, 18-1 and Trystan Knight from Billings Central/Joliet at 12-1. He would be the lone scorer in the dual against Sidney. He would not be the only wrestler on the weekend to make an impression throughout the course of the dual action.

“Kolbe Cronk came back in his match against Lockwood and pinned two time state champion Ketterling. He just keeps coming at his opponents and doesn’t let them breathe,” Schaeffer said. “The team’s energy and support in our dual with Billings Central was electric, which I believe was a critical factor for Bryan LaFex Toaves and Kaden Kaber’s big wins in this dual.”

Schaeffer was also pleased with Kolton McKoy.

“McCoy wrestled like a true heavyweight and came up with a big against Libby’s heavyweight. It’s a kid we have wrestled 4 or 5 times this year and have come up short every time but in our final dual of the weekend. He pulls off a big upset. He slowed the match and didn’t force unnecessary action.

“All in all, I am very proud of these young men. They wrestled hard, wrestled with purpose, and when the dust settled, they had a lot of heart.” 

The teams wrestled away on Tuesday in Libby and then host a mixer on Saturday at 10 a.m. 

Teams from Polson, Frenchtown, Libby, and Browning will be competing, with Bigfork also joining in for the girls matches.