Hi-Line grapplers compete at Havre Invite

Every season, the annual Havre High Invitational wrestling tournament brings in top-tier talent from all over the state. And while it is typically the larger Class AA and Class A schools that come out on top team-wise, a handful of local Hi-Line grapplers also turned in solid performances.

Friday and Saturday, the Havre High gymnasium was home to four mats, and hundreds of matches.

Big Sandy's Dusty Gasvoda, left, holds down a Glasgow wrestler during Friday's Havre Invite at the HHS gymnasium.

Great Falls High, Havre, and CMR captured the top three team spots, but the Chester/J-I Hawks, Chinook Sugarbeeters, and Big Sandy Pioneers also performed well. The Hawks finished in 11th place with 29 points, the Beeters finished in 12th place with 27 points, and the Pioneers finished in 13th place with 10 points.

The Hawks had a nice showing in their season debut, as they locked down the No. 11 team finish. They brought five wreslters, and earned one top-six placer. Senior Shalon Norick (285) went 2-1 in Saturday's bracket and finished in second place. His only loss came in the championship match, falling to Andreas Geranios of Great Falls High in 3:30. Ryan Temple (130), Erik Kelly (152), Harly Hatch (171) and Wyatt Wickum (189) also highlight this year's roster.

The Sugarbeeters had two top-six placers.

Garrison Mitchell (98) had a tough tournament by going 0-2. But with just six 98-pounders, Mitchell finished in a top spot. Geoff Qualls (135) went 3-3, but fell in the fifth-sixth place match to CMR's Jesse Johnson in 1:16.

Big Sandy brought just four grapplers to Havre, and got its best production from Dusty Gasvoda (152) and Adrian Gasvoda (160). Dusty Gasvoda went 2-2 and made it to the consolation quarterfinals before losing out. And Adrian Gasvoda went 1-2 before also losing out in the consolation bracket.

After s solid start at an extremely tough season opener, Big Sandy, Chinook and Chester/J-I will look keep improving moving forward. Chinook will attend the tough Glasgow Invitational this Saturday.