Wrestlers battle in Billings

Sanders County was well represented at this year’s B-C State Tournament in Billings.

Kujala wasn’t the only grappler competing in Billings for the Savage-Horsemen. He was joined by teammates Daniel Uli, Bryce Henning, Dusten Henning and Jake Lile.

Marjerrison noted that each of the five kids the team brought to states won a match in the tournament, helping the team to a fourteenth place finish with 45 team points.

The Savage Horsemen coach noted the point total was fairly impressive considering the team brought only five athletes to the tournament.

After dropping his first match in the tournament, freshman Daniel Uli rebounded to win two matches during the tournament in the 103-pound weight class.

Marjerrison noted Uli is a natural athlete and was pleased at how quick the freshman picked up the sport.

“He (Uli) wrestled extremely well. He just picked it up really well and became a student of the sport this season,” Marjerrison said.

Wrestling in the 126-pound weight class Bryce Henning also earned a victory in the tournament.

Senior Dusten Henning, wrestling at 132 picked up two wins during the tournament.

Junior Jake Lile, wrestling in the 138-pound weight class earning two tournament victories and nearly winning his first round match, a 3-2 decision against Dalton Herbst of Baker.

Joining the Horsemen at the state tournament were delegations from the Bluehawks wrestling team of Thompson Falls and the Red Devils wrestling team from Noxon.

Thompson Falls sent Kaleb Frank at 103 and Kyle Milner at 160, who both took first at the divisional tounament in Eureka to Billings.

Joining Frank and Milner at the state tournament were Cody Garrison at 120, Wesley Gilroy at 126, Jase Sorenson at 138 and Colton Bray at 152.

Garrison, Gilroy, Sorenson and Bray all placed third at the divisional tournament in Eureka to earn a spot in the state competition.

Two seniors, Luke Crowe and Alan Chojnacky, represented the Noxon squad.

Crowe took second place at the Western B-C divisional tournament at Eureka in the 160-pound weight class, while Chojnacky placed third at 182 to earn their spots in Billings.

The Thompson Falls wrestlers earned 29 team points at the tournament, while Noxon earned 12 team points.

For the Bluehawks, Frank wrestled his way to a fourth place finish in the tournament’s lightweight division.

After winning his opening round 103 match against Darwyn Johnson Fairfield-Power-Simms, Frank was defeated by a 8-2 decision against Slade Martinez of Wolf Point.

Frank kept wrestling throughout the tournament and earned himself a rematch against Martinez for third place in their weight class.

In a hard fought match Frank was narrowly defeated by Martinez in a 6-3 decision.

For Noxon, Crowe placed fourth at 160.

Crowe opened the tournament with a 10-7 win by decision over Tony Kaiser of Glasgow.

In his quarterfinal match Trey Stone of Choteau defeated Crowe, but Crowe fought his way into the third place bout, a rematch against Stone.

Crowe would drop the match against Stone but wrestled well over the weekend at Billings.