Determination builds champions, and Flathead senior Bella Downing has no lack of determination.

The Bravette Brawler comes from a jiu jitsu background and found the wrestling mat at age 10. 

“I had been in jiu jitsu since I was 6 and I want something more intense, more aggressive so I was like, ‘I’m going to wrestle, that sounds fun’ “ Downing said. 

She was met with a little pushback initially from a coach in Columbia Falls — Downing could not remember his name — saying it was a boys sport. Downing put that notion to bed when she beat his son at practice and the rest is history. 

Before she arrived at Flathead, Downing was the lone girl in the wrestling room during middle school. 

“It was kind of hard, but it was also kind of fun because you get treated like one of the boys,” Downing said. “It’s not like they’re being nice to you because you’re a girl. No, you’re going to get treated like one of them, you are basically one of them at this point.” 

Downing came to Flathead as a freshman — though she practiced with the Bravettes during her eighth-grade year — and instantly fit in with a familiar coach in Amber Downing (no relation), who she’s known since she was young. She made an impact with the Bravettes wrestling program. 

“When you believe in yourself and when you believe in what your training has done for you, it shows in your performance,” Amber Downing said. “She is just very well aware of how she’s put in the time and the effort to deserve what she is getting.” 

She is a three-time state placer, including a state championship won in 2024 at 120 pounds. As a freshman, she was fifth at state while last season she reached the championship match at 115 before falling to Glacier’s Kaura Coles. 

Senior year started strong for Downing: She took first at the Flathead Invitational. A week later she claimed her fourth consecutive title at the CMR Holiday Classic and was named outstanding female wrestler at the event. 

“It’s really nice to have that accomplishment, knowing that it’s not impossible to do that, but it’s not easy,” Downing said. “My first time winning CMR was my first high school tournament, so it was weird to win in my first ever high school tournament.”  

Downing sports a 126-11 overall record — with 85 wins coming via pin — and sits 26-2 this season. Her list of accolades goes on and on. 

She just claimed the Western AA divisional crown in Missoula Saturday with a 4-3 decision over Helena Capital’s Taylor Lay — a two-time state champion. 

Downing will look to join Lay in the two-time champions club at the All-Class State Wrestling Tournament at First Interstate Arena in Billings starting today and running through Saturday. 

“I am really excited for the challenge, because there are a few tough girls in my bracket and I am super excited to wrestle them and get those tougher matches in,” Downing said. 

Lay is a formidable foe, but so is Capital teammate Mariska Harris. Out of the East is Ava DeWitt from Billings Senior and Araeya Nelson from Billings West. 

Downing is one of three Bravettes who earned top honors at the Western AA divisional, joining Julia Kay and Kiera Lackey as top qualifiers for the state tournament. 

“I think it’s just that personal motivation, that drive. The grit that it takes. Each one of them are putting in extra practices,” Amber Downing said of what sets those three girls ahead of their competition.  

The trio are key leaders for the Bravettes squad that sends 14 girls to Billings and have helped to establish the culture for Flathead in a sport that is still young and growing on the girls side. 

“We are trying really hard to get the freshmen in and get the younger girls established in the team,” Lackey said. “Just getting everyone to bond, we play games sometimes before practices, getting everyone to enjoy the time that they are there ... it’s very unified and like a family.” 

“We have been really focusing on keeping the drama out of the room,” Kay said. “We make sure that if there is a problem, you can talk to us about it. As captains we really want to make sure that the girls have someone that they can go to.” 

Bella Downing notes that she can be hard and a little bossy to the younger girls but hopes she has been able to set a good example for them and be someone they can reach out to even after she leaves Flathead. 

“I am just excited to keep helping younger girls even after the season ends and get them into freestyle and everything with that,” she said. “I am excited to help the younger people who want to be better than me someday.” 

Downing said outside of wrestling she enjoys her work at a senior citizen living center and says that it gets her mind off of wrestling. She also notes that, “outside of wrestling, there is not a lot of time.” 

Downing plans to continue her career on the mat while studying athletic training at Ottawa University in Kansas come fall. 

“I feel like if I didn’t ever come to Flathead I wouldn’t be getting scholarships, I wouldn’t be committed to a college,” she said. “If I wasn’t here at Flathead I wouldn’t be as good a wrestler as I am today.”