Area stars shine at T.O.C.

The high school wrestling season is already in the rearview mirror, but four Hi-Line grapplers had a little more business to take care of this weekend in Great Falls.

On Saturday at the Old Gym at Great Falls High, two Blue Ponies and two Beeters competed in the third annual Tournament of Champions, an event which pits state champions and other top wrestlers in each weight from Class AA, A and B-C against each other in a single-elimination format.

And all four Hi-Line grapplers showcased their talents Saturday afternoon.

Havre's Eli Hinebauch, who captured the 145-pound Class A state title last week in Butte, beat Great Falls High star Dylan Mendenhall 3-1 in Saturday's semifinal at 145 pounds, then he bested Arlee three-time state champion B-C state champion Cole Rice 4-1 in the championship match, capping off a great last two weeks for Hinebauch, who will be a senior at HHS next year.

Things didn't go quite as well for Blue Pony senior Duell Stadel at 119 pounds. The two-time Class A state champion ran into perfection on Saturday in the form of Townsend's Jade Rauser. Rauser, who became Montana's most recent four-time state champion last week in Hamilton, and who has never lost a match in his high school career, pinned Stadel in just over a minute on Saturday. Rauser finished his high school career with a 175-0 record. In the semifinals, Stadel, competing in his second T.O.C. earned a major decision, 14-1 over Glasgow's Brandon Hallock.

It was a good day to be a Sugarbeeter Saturday.

Chinook junior 189-pounder Benjamin Stroh, who won his third straight B-C state title last weekend in Hamilton, beat three-time state champion Toby Cheff of Ronan by major decision, 17-6 in the 189-pound championship match. Stroh also demolished Belgrade's Levi Cade with a pin in 2:41 in the semifinals.

And not to be outdone, junior Jorrell Jones beat Florence's KC Sutton in the 215-pound championship match on Saturday. Jones also took care of Glendive's Trevor Conrad, 6-0 in the semifinals. Jones won his first state title last weekend in Hamilton.

Tournament of Champions

At Great Falls High's Old Gym

98 pounds

Championship — Grant Boggs, Helena d. Karson Kukes, Laurel 9-2.

Semifinals — Karson Kukes, Laurel, pin Dylan Schulte, Missoula Sentinel, 3:54; Grant Boggs, Helena, TF Maestro Martinez, Wolf Point 15-0.

Pigtail match — Dylan Schulte, Missoula Sentinel md. Gage Currier, Colstrip, 11-1.

105 pounds

Championship — Zac Harney, Butte, d. Teague Jones, Harlem 4-2.

Semifinals — Zac Harney, Butte, d. Dillon Tennant, Glendive, 8-6; Teague Jones, Harlem, pin Glenn Hensley, Frenchtown 3:11.

Pigtail match — Glenn Hensley, Frenchtown, pin Tyler Forcelle, Glendive, 5:14.

112 pounds

Championship — Luke Schlosser, Conrad, pin Tyler Kinn, Glendive 1:35.

Semifinals — Luke Schlosser, Conrad, d. Chris Nile, Forsyth 3-1; Tyler Kinn, Glendive, d. Josh Mann, Colstrip 14-9.

Pigtails — Chris Nile, Forsyth, d. Craig Feistner, Polson 4-0; Josh Mann, Colstrip, d. Gabe Schroeck, Helena, 2-0.

119 pouunds

Championship — Jade Rauser, Townsend, pin Duell Stadel, Havre, 1:01.

Semifinals — Jade Rauser, Townsend, md. Bryce Weatherston, Belgrade, 15-2; Duell Stadel, Havre, md. Branden Hallock, Glasgow, 14-1.

125 pounds

Championship — Taylor French, Forsyth, d. Justin Whitman, Columbia Falls, 13-6.

Semifinals — Taylor French, Forsyth, pin Tanner Lund, Florence-Carlton, 4:31; Justin Whitman, Columbia Falls, pin Tanner Johnson, Townsend, 3:54.

130 pounds

Championship — Val Rauser, Townsend, md. Cole Mendenhall, Great Falls, 11-3.

Semifinals — Val Rauser, Townsend, TF Zach Westre, Frenchtown, 20-5; Cole Mendenhall, Great Falls md. Branden Weber, Forsyth, 10-2.

Pigtail match —Branden Weber, Forsyth, d. Shawn Tezak, Dillon 4-1.

135 pounds

Championship — Luke Zieger, Glasgow, pin Travis Davis, Corvallis, 5:35.

140 pounds

Championship — Dallen Brauer, Forsyth, d. Jesse Werdal, Choteau 4-1.

Semifinals — Jesse Werdal, Choteau, d. Tyler Christians, Helena, 9-3; Dallen Brauer, Forsyth, pin Kyle Leir, Libby, 1:18.

145 pounds

Championship — Eli Hinebauch, Havre, d. Cole Rice, Arlee, 4-1.

Semifinals — Eli Hinebauch, Havre, d. Dylan Mendenhall, Great Falls, 3-2; Cole Rice, Arlee, won by forfeit.

152 pounds

Championship — Brad Nordahl, Frenchtown, d. Shane St. Onge, Kalispell Glacier, 4-2.

Semifinals — Shane St. Onge, Glacier, md. Jacyn Petersen, St. Ignatius, 10-2; Brad Nordahl, Frenchtown, pin Josh Seeberger, Missoula Sentinel, 4:51

160 pounds

Championship — Connor Malone, Lewistown, d. Dylan Kramer, Laurel, 9-3.

Semifinals — Dylan Kramer, Laurel, d. Barrett Stanghill, Drummond; Connor Malone, Lewistown, pin Dylan Berget, Libby, 5:15

171 pounds

Championship — Taylor Vaughn, Eureka, d. Chris Yocum, Butte, 9-3

Semifinals — Chris Yocum, Butte, won by forfeit; Taylor Vaughn, Eureka, d. Cole McArthur, Ronan, 5-4.

189 pounds

Championship — Ben Stroh, Chinook, md. Toby Cheff, Ronan, 17-6.

Semifinals — Toby Cheff, Ronan, md. Boyce Ballard, Kalispell Glacier, 8-0; Ben Stroh, Chinook, pin Levi Cade, Belgrade, 2:41.

Pigtail match — Levi Cade, Belgrade, d. Skyler Carroll, Livingston 6-3.

215 pounds

Championship — Jorrell Jones, Chinook, md. KC Sutton, Florence-Carlton 5-4.

Semifinal — Jorrel Jones, Chinook, d. Trevor Conrad, Glendive 6-0; KC Sutton, Florence-Carlotn, d. Brock Calvi, Cut Bank, 5-4.

Heavyweight

Championship — Josiah Clairmont, Polson, pin Chaz Hopstad, Glasgow 3:23

Pigtail semifinal — Josiah Clairmont, Polson, pin Tucker Yates, Colstrip, 1:50.