It had been nothing but up for Conor LeDuc on the mats. 

In his freshman and sophomore years LeDuc wrestled up to 205 pounds from 182. In his first campaign he found himself at state after a fifth-place finish at the Western AA divisional. At state, he came up one win short of placing. 

In year two, LeDuc earned a spot on the podium, placing sixth after making his way to the semifinals in the winners bracket, falling to teammate and eventual state champion Anders Thompson. 

Last season he moved to 215 after changes shifted the available classes. He reached another semifinal before dropping his match to another eventual champion in Colby Reichenbach from Billings West. He rebounded with a pair of wins to place third. 

As a senior, though, he’s dropped to 190 and hopes that 2026 is his time to take the top step of the podium. 

“It just means everything. It’s what I have worked for my whole life and I’m hoping to get that state championship this year,” LeDuc said. “To help my team win state, I have just worked so hard for it.” 

“Of course he wants to be in the state finals, he has a really tough weight this year,” Braves coach Jeff Thompson said. “I think he focuses on the things he has control of and that is going out there and putting in his best performance every time he steps on that mat and taking care of the team.”  

The Flathead senior took the crown in Spokane at the Pacific Northwest Classic in January. 

And as he moves down a weight class for 2026, he hopes to lock down not just an individual state championship but help his Braves brothers bring home another team title as well. 

“I think Conor is more focused on the Flathead wrestling family than just himself, he is a very unselfish athlete,” Thompson said.  

“I’ve grown up with some of them, and it’s hard to think about wrestling without them,” LeDuc said. “I’ve grown up with Kellen Downing and Hunter Arriaga, even my little brother Liam.” 

LeDuc started wrestling at the age of three along with playing football and baseball thanks to his father, Tye LeDuc. 

“I just enjoyed (wrestling) the most out of all those sports, so I kept doing it,” LeDuc said. 

LeDuc also notes that his father set the model of how to be a good person and taught him how to be disciplined in his work. 

“Helping everyone,’ he said. “Even though it’s a wrestling match, it’s basically just fighting but at the end of the day you are still friends with everyone. You help them off that mat.” 

He uses that mindset on the mat and off as a leader for this young Braves squad. 

“I lead by example, but I also like being able to get out there and coach them,” LeDuc said. “I went down to St. Ignatius to help coach at the JV tournament last weekend.” 

“Conor drove down, dressed up in some really nice khakis, a polo wrestling shirt and helped us coach the younger guys. It just gives me goosebumps when you have an athlete like that,” Thompson said. “He is just a leader on the mat and also off that mat.” 

Thompson adds that LeDuc had to work really hard to find success. 

“He passes that on to out younger wrestlers that, ‘Hey, it’s not going to be instant gratification, it’s something that is going to take a lot of time a lot of hard work. Just keep showing up,’ “ Thompson said. “Make sure it’s fun; don’t focus on cutting a bunch of weight, just focus on getting better every time you get in the room.” 

LeDuc has helped his brother Liam find his footing inside the team as well. The younger LeDuc made his first state appearance as a sophomore in 2025 and has taken a third place at the Pacific Northwest Classic and a fourth at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic this season. 

“He’s really put his arm around and just completely changed him as a wrestler through this process,” Thompson said. 

His father continues to influence him as he prepares to finish out his high school career and move to the collegiate level. LeDuc plans to study to be a physical therapist or chiropractor like his father while continuing to compete on the mat.  

He says no decision has been made on where he will attend school in the fall. 

But first LeDuc and the Braves have unfinished business: Home duals with the Helena schools Friday; then Western AA divisional is slated for Feb. 14 in Missoula with the State All-Class Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 19-21 at First Interstate Arena in Billings.