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Top Local Sports Stories: Wrestling, hoop's titles part of another magical year

Top local Sports Stories for 2016

It’s always hard to believe when the reality of another year coming to an end has arrived. But, that reality also makes it fun to look back at the memories, too.

And thanks to the great sports culture that exists in Havre and all over the Hi-Line, every year in sports is a great one, and the past year was no different.

Wrestling certainly dominated the headlines for much of the winter of 2016, both last winter and so far this one. With state championships in Chinook and Havre and the Northern Lights doing so many incredible things, wrestling certainly has been one of the highlights of the past year.

However, every sport from college and high school basketball, to football, to tennis, track and field, swimming and everything in between, gave us great memories this past year, and because of that great and diverse sports culture in our area, it means 2017 will most likely be just as great.

Here’s a look back at the Havre Daily News’ top sports stories from 2016.

1. Box Elder’s Hoop Dreams

The month of March 2016 will be one no one in Box Elder, or in Class C will ever forget. After winning their fourth straight 9C championship, and another Northern C crown, the Box Elder boys cruised to their second Class C state championship in the past three years. Inside the Four Season’s Arena, Box Elder won three state tourney games by an average margin of 25 points, including a 95-73 win in the championship game against a very talented Arlee squad — in a game that was played in front of one of the biggest crowds in Class C tourney history.

But head coach Jeremy MacDonald’s team, with stars like Brandon The Boy, Jerrod Four Colors, Jake Jones, Bodis Duran and so many more, weren’t the only Bears to shine in the month of March. One week later, the Box Elder girls reached the state championship game for the first time in nearly 20 years. Also at the Four Seasons Arena, the Box Elder girls, led by veteran head coach Joel Rosette, crushed Broadview-Lavina and Arlee, before falling to Class C dynasty Belt in the championship game, 63-40. And though the Bears didn’t quite win the state title, they did win a 9C crown, and finished with just two losses all year — both at the hands of the Huskies, once in the Northern C, and again in state chipper.

And those results by the Lady Bears truly made Box Elder the crown jewel of Class C hoops last season.

2. Pony wrestlers keep rolling

No one was surprised that the Havre High wrestling team won a fourth straight Class A title last February in Billings. From start to finish and top to bottom, Havre was just better than everybody else. Scoring 213 points, and getting individual titles from Parker Filius, Jase Stokes, Tyler Schaub, and Travis Adams, and freshman Martin Wilkie, Havre made sure no one was going to threaten its reign inside the Metra.

But when a new season started earlier this month, Havre showed that 2017 should be even better. The Ponies have Filius and Stokes gunning to be the program’s first four-time state champions, and they have added to their roster with a stellar freshman class. They have won everything so far this season, including the prestigious Tri-State Tournament in Couer d’Alene, Idaho, and, they have two months to get even better. In other words, 2016 to 2017, there’s nobody that’s going to stop the HHS wrestling program.

3. A whirlwind year for MSU-N matmen

2016 was also a banner year for the MSU-Northern wrestling team. Head coach Tyson Thivierge’s squad was dominant much of the season, including sweeping many duals against arch rivals and upending Grand View at a regular season tournament in Missouri.

However, 2016 will be fondly remembered for two things. First, it was the year Northern hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes in one of the most exciting and entertaining sporting events in the history of the Armory Gymnasium. The famed Hawkeyes brought their true varsity roster to Havre, and while they shut out the Lights 51-0, it was still one of the best moments in program history. And while the Lights were on the losing end against one of the greatest wrestling programs in collegiate history, they shined bright when it mattered most. At the 2016 NAIA national tournament, Northern finished second to only five-time champion Grand View, while crowning six All-Americans in Taylor Kornoely (2nd, HWT), Garrett DeMers (3rd, 197), Matt Weber (3rd, 141), Willie Miller (4th, 174), Quintel Fuchs (6th, 125) and Toby Cheff, (7th, HWT). It was Northern’s best finish at the national tourney since 2004. It also capped a year no MSU-N wrestling fan will ever forget.

4. Chinook does it for Jesse

Winning the Class C wrestling state title is always the goal in Chinook. But the 2016 state championship became an emotional triumph that started with a horrific tragedy. Just days before the state tournament was set to start in Billings, Chinook standout Jesse Dannels was killed in a car accident. The loss rocked not only the Sugarbeeter wrestling team, but the entire Chinook community, the Hi-Line, and, the tight-knit wrestling base in Montana.

However, just days after the accident, the emotionally-charged Beeters, led by longtime head man Perry Miller, marched into the Metra to honor their fallen teammate and friend. And they did just that by dominating the Class C field with 100 points, which was 69 more than second-place Circle. Chinook wound up finishing fourth in all of the B-C standings, and got a second straight individual title from Tate Niederegger, while Kenny Pruttis joined him as a state champ. Jake Norby, Kevin Young and Derek Bell, all seniors, also reached the podium in one of the most special stories in state wrestling history.

5. Three straight for the Skylights

The Northern women’s basketball team is getting quite used to playing deep into March. As a Top 25 team all season, and, getting to its third straight Frontier Conference semifinal, the Skylights of head coach Chris Mouat were selected as an At-Large team to the NAIA national tourney for the third straight season. Northern lost a heartbreaker in the first round, but it was still another incredible year for the Skylights.

And that year also included Northern having the Frontier Player of the Year for the second straight season, as junior Natalee Faupel followed A’Jha Edwards as the league MVP. Faupel also earned First-Team All-American honors, and in her senior season, is leading the Frontier in scoring for the 11th-ranked Skylights. As a sophomore Jacy Thompson also earned All-American honors, while being named the Frontier Defensive Player of the Year.

6. Return to swimming glory

There was a time when Havre High swim teams were knocking out Class A state championships with regularity. And in 2016, the Blue Pony girls got back to the top. Head coach Jill Cammon’s team was finally able to dethrone Billings Central behind special performances from the likes of Aubri McCann, Lita Cammon and Amelia Miller, while the whole Pony team scored 67 points to blow away the rest of the Class A field. It was Havre’s first state title in girls swimming since 2009.

7. Lights shock Carroll/Zach McKinley

The MSU-Northern football team got better this season, and while the Lights won just one game, it was a big one. On Festival Days weekend at Blue Pony Stadium, the Lights took an early lead on the Carroll College Fighting Saints and played spectacular defense in what became a 28-14 win over the then No. 20 Saints. The victory was the first of head coach Aaron Christensen’s career, and was just the second for Northern over Carroll since football was brought back to MSU-N.

In the win, star senior Zach McKinley rushed for 175 yards and two scores, and McKinley would go on to cap his record-setting Northern career with his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, and finish his Lights’ career with an astounding 4,699 yards and 39 touchdowns.

8. Big Year for Pony hoops

The 2015-16 season was the start of a new era for Blue Pony basketball, with the combined divisional tournament with the Central A and Eastern A. And in that first tournament back in February in Billings, Havre made its presence felt. The Blue Pony boys, behind senior star Dane Warp, one of the MHSA’s all-time leading scorers, as well as fellow seniors Jerod Boles and Nate Rismon, won the first-ever Super Divisional title, before going on to a memorable state tourney in which Havre battled its way to a fourth-place finish in Class A, losing to Polson in a thriller in Missoula. The finish was one of the best for HHS in recent history.

Of course, making it to state was nothing new for the Blue Pony girls, who did so for the ninth time in the last 10 years. Havre finished third at the Super Divisional in Billings and went on to win a game at the Class A state tourney a week later in Belgrade.

9. Chinook tennis dynasty

The Chinook girls tennis team dominated the last two Class B-C state tournaments. But the Sugarbeeters were even better in their three-peat. Coach Thom MacLean’s Beeters scored a record 56 points at the state meet in Missoula in May and got a state championship in doubles as the duo of Lauren Harshman and Cortney Gunderson beat teammates Sierra Swank and Hattie Niederegger in the championship match. Brooke Nicholson and Megan Pruttis placed third and sixth in singles, respectively, as the Beeters won their fourth state title since 2010.

10. HHS spring sports success

Havre High was pretty darn good in May this past school year. The Blue Pony boys tennis team won its 21st Central A title in the last 22 years and captured a third-place trophy at the state tourney for the third straight season. Senior Jeff Miller also set some records of his own, winning his fourth consecutive Central A single’s title, while reaching the Class A state championship match for the third year in a row. In track and field, the Havre boys got a state championship from Nate Rismon, Jacob LaBrie, Mike Loftus, Luke Karnauskas and Ivar Aageson in the 4x400 relay, while Rimson had a huge state meet, also finishing second in the 200 meters and fourth in the 400 meters. The HHS girls softball team reached the Class A state tournament, yet again, where it won a first-round game over Glendive.

Honorable Mention

Ben Stroh comes home to wrestle for his final collegiate season; Chinook volleyball runs the table in the 6C East for the third season in a row; Former Blue Pony Sammy Evans sets records for University of Montana indoor/outdoor track; HHS’ Dustin Haas earns All-State in golf for second straight season; Lights’ basketball team unbeaten so far in 2016-17 season; Parker Filius signs to wrestle for NCAA Division I Purdue; MSU-N volleyball team makes big strides in 2016; MSU-N's Sam Mix returns to football.

 

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