Class A State Wrestling: Ponies crown two champs; Laurel ends HHS's run

The Havre High wrestling team's run of consecutive state championships is over. Saturday night in Butte, the Laurel Locomotives pushed ahead of the Blue Ponies to claim the 2011 state Class A state championship. Laurel, which had four state champions, scored 198 points in what was the closest Class A meet in two decades. The Locomotives started the day in the fourth place but stormed ahead Saturday morning. Havre, which scored 186 points, had three wrestlers in the finals, and Duell Stadel captured the 119-pound championship while junior Eli Hinebauch won at 145 pounds. Junior Casey Schaub placed second for the Ponies at 171 pounds.

The Ponies were still alive in the final round and were within four points of the Locomotives after Satdel's championship, but Laurel never let Havre fully overtake them for the team title. Stadel, who beat Belgrade's Bryce Weatherston for the second straight week, won his second consecutive individual championship and capped off a perfect 38-0 season. Hinebauch beat Corvallis' Riley Nagel 8-0 for his first state championship. Hinebauch had finished second in each of his first two years. Schaub lost a heartbreaking 10-6 decision to Ronan's Cole McCarthur in the 171-pound finale. Overall, the Ponies placed nine wrestlers and had the most pins of any team in the tournament.

Belgrade finished third with 179.5 points. Glendive came in fourth and Corvallis, which led after the first day of competition was fifth.

For complete Havre High wrestling coverage, see Monday's Havre Daily News.