By Rob Everingham
BILLINGS While none of them thought they could contend for a team title, that did not stop area Class B/C wrestlers from making some noise at last weekend's All-Class State Tournament.
Chinook finished in eighth place overall, but they were at the top of their game, Chinook head coach Perry Miller said.
The Sugarbeeters placed Michael Maddox in the finals at 171 pounds. Maddox squared off against Eddie Jones of Conrad with Jones winning a very close 6-5 decision.
At 125 pounds, Chinook's Casey Reid pulled a 5-4 decision over John Capera of Huntley Project to claim third at the state meet.
Kyle Butcher took fourth place as he fell in the consolation finals at 160 pounds to Justin Kalauzer of Baker who pinned Butcher at the 3:39 mark.
Chinook's Josh Miller finished in fifth place as he won a 40-1 decision over Stuker of Fairfield.
Miller said his team went down and wrestled their hearts out. He said they needed the points and everybody stepped up and did what it took at the state level to score.
Miller said his athletes just went down to Billings and set a standard for Chinook wrestling as well as represented the school well.
Most of all, Miller said, he is proud of how his team has stayed together, no matter what has been thrown their way this season. They shined at the state tournament, where it counted the most, Miller said.
For Chester, last year it was a brother-brother duo of state champions as both Brent Riggin and Scott Riggin climbed to the top of the pile at state.
Since Brent graduated and is wrestling for the defending national champion MSU-Northern Lights, Scott went to Billings and did it on his own.
Riggin wrestled back to the top of the state, this year at 145 pounds, as he downed Aaron Jones of Conrad 10-6 to claim his second straight state title.
The Coyotes Jeff Martin finished in fourth place at 171 pounds as he fell to Stott of Choteau in their final match.
The Big Sandy Pioneers again sent Mace Mangold and Lance Nelson to the tournament. Both went down and both finished in the top five.
Nelson finished in third place at 145 pounds as he downed George of Glasgow. Nelson pinned George at the 1:33 mark in their match. Nelson finished second place at last year's state tournament.
At 140 pounds, Mangold finished in fifth place as he won a 2-0 decision over Thomas Schmidt of Eureka. This was Mangold's third straight placing at the state tournament. Last year Mangold finished fourth and had finished fifth at state in 1998.
Semifinals
98 Johnston, GLA, d. Haser, MAL, 9-7; Hofstad, CON, d. Giles, FRF, 4-2.
105 Trudgeon, WHL, p. Overcast, CBH, 1:15; Auer, BOU, d. Johnston, GLA, 6-3.
112 Madel, CHO, d. Mullins, STI, 7-4; French, MAL, tf. Calhoun, SUP, 15-0.
119 Freeman, FRF, d. Grossarth, TPS, 7-3; Beltran, HPH, d. Lockyer, CON, 4-3.
125 Sessions, CHO, d. Capra, SHE, 4-0; Metcalf, FOR, d. Reid, CHK, 9-6.
130 Mathieson, BRO, md. Horner, BOU, 14-3; Kennedy, CAS, d. Davidson, VAL, 8-3.
135 O'Brien, STI, d. Sugg, GLA, 7-3; LaBrie, MAL, d. Mattingly, FRF, 7-2.
140 Ringo, MPH, d. Schmidt, EUR, 3-2; Maltby, CHO, d. Mangold, BSY, 6-3.
145 Jones, CON, d. Nelson, BSY, 9-7; Riggin, CHE, md. Scharf, DLG, 14-5.
152 Lee, SHE, d. Mason, BAK, 5-0; Flaten, GLA, d. Jones, CON, 6-4.
160 Lyght, TFS, d. Butcher, CHK, 5-1; Benjamin, SHE, md. Klauser, BAK, 15-3.
171 Jones, CON, p. Zell, SHE, 4:23; Maddox, CHK, p. Martin, CHE, 2:43.
189 Deal, TFS, d. Spencer, MAL, 6-1; Siemsen, HPH, p. Yager, CAS, 1:08.
HWT Morhouse, GLA, p. Brown, MAL, 1:10; Lybeck, HPH, p. Fett, CAS, 1:35.
Consolation Quarter Finals
98 Doucette, HPH, d. Gilfeather, SHP, 7-0; Harrington, DLG, d. Hansen, FTN, 8-1.
105 Duffield, BAK, p. Smith, CON, 3:44; Matejovsky, WPT, p. Rhoads, MAL, 2:51.
112 Erickson, BAK, d. Fltre, TFS, 5-0; Navarro, DLG, p. Howey, TSD, 3:04.
119 Miller, DLG, p. LeFurgey, FTB, 1:54; Holden, FOR, d. Thompson, GLA, 8-4.
125 Wallace, FRF, p. Bonato, DLG, 3:27; Houghton, TFS, d. Jansen, CBH, 8-5.
130 Moyer, TFS, tf. Conklin, HPH, 28-12; Louma, FRF, d. Jermyn, PLA, 8-6.
135 Schultz, BRO, d. Collins, CHO, 3-2; Matson, BOU, md. Maddox, CHK, 9-1.
140 Elmose, DLG, d. Ruhkala, STI, 5-0; Johnson, MAL, d. Laden, CBH, 10-4.
145 Hitchcock, SMS, d. Clement, BOU, 4-3; George, GLA, d. Quinn, TFS, 13-8.
152 May, FRF, d. Spencer, MAL, 8-4; Stark, SHP, d. Wakefield, TFS, 6-2.
160 Maughan, FTB, p. Salsbery, MAL, 3:28; Mee, EUR, d. Claussen, FLC, 11-5.
171 Stott, CHO, md. Klauser, BAK, 10-0; Peterson, SMS, d. LaLiberty, CAS, 10-9.
189 Miller, CHK, d. Russo, CBH, 6-2; Stuker, FRF, d. Alexander, SUP, 7-4.
HWT Mauzy, CON, p. Skoyen, CHK, 2:39; Leichtman, PLA, d. Fett, CAS, 4-1.
Consolation Semi-Finals
98 Doucette, HPH, d. Haser, MAL, 3-2; Giles, FRF, d. Harrington, DLG, 4-2.
105 Overcast, CBH, d. Duffield, BAK, 5-2; Johnston, GLA, d. Matejovsky, WPT, 6-2.
112 Mullins, STI, d. Erickson, BAK, 4-3; Calhoun, SUP, tf. Navarro, DLG, 17-2.
119 Grossarth, TFS, d. Miller, DLG, 5-2; Lockyer, CON, md. Holden, FOR, 15-2.
125 Capra, HPH, d. Wallace, FRF, 7-5; Reid, CHK, d. Hoghton, TFS, 7-3.
130 Horner, BOU, d. Moyer, TFS, 5-3; Davidson, VAL, d. Louma, FRF, 7-3.
135 Schultz, CBH, p. Sugg, GLA, 2:49; Mattingly, FRF, d. Matson, BOU, 5-3.
140 Elmose, DLG, d. Schmidt, EUR, 6-4; Johnson, MAL, d. Mangold, BSY, 3-1.
145 Nelson, BSY, d. Hitchcock, SMS, 6-3; George, GLA, d. Scharf, DLG, 2-0.
152 Mason, BAK, d. May, FRF, 6-0; Stark, SHP, p. Jones, CON, :57.
160 Butcher, CHK, d. Maughan, FTB, 3-2; Klauser, BAK, p. Mee, EUR, 1:59.
171 Stott, CHO, d. Zell, SHE, 4-2; Martin, CHE, p. Peterson, SMS, 2:05.
189 Spencer, MAL, md. Miller, CHK, 14-2; Yager, CAS, d. Stuker, FRF, 7-1.
HWT Brown, MAL, d. Mauzy, CON, 10-4; Fett, CAS, d. Leichtman, PLA, 3-1.
