Superior and Plains wrestlers post solid results

On the mats was a good place to be for local wrestlers this past weekend.

All three Sanders and Mineral Counties teams were in action with Superior and Plains posting strong showings.

Superior wrestlers rode a pair of weight class champions to a lofty third-place team finish at the Buzz Lucy Invitational tournament in Eureka, while Plains/Hot Springs used its overall depth to take fourth in the team standings this past Friday and Saturday at the Eureka gathering.

Also, Thompson Falls got a fifth place finish in the 170-pound classification to help it place 59th among more than 80 teams in the team standings at the CMR Holiday Class in Great Falls.

Superior scored 137 points in placing third behind team champion Eureka, which had 205 points. Florence was second with 154.5 points, while Plains/Hot Springs amassed 122 points to finish fourth.

Bobcat senior standout Decker Milender (126 pounds) and senior heavyweight (285 pounds) Chandon Vulles each won individual titles for Superior. Milender captured the 126-pound title when he won a 4-0 decision over Raenan Allumbaugh of Flathead High.

Milender was also an individual class winner at last week’s Bob Kinney Invitational meet.

Vulles took home top honors in the heavyweight decision with a hard-fought 3-2 decision over Eureka’s Colyn Johnson in a thriller at 285 pounds.

The Bobcats also recorded a pair of second place finishes and two third-place wins to help their team cause.

Micah Acker was second in the 120-pound category, losing a tight 4-1 decision to class champion Blake Lancaster of host Eureka. The Cats also got a runner-up showing from Lucas Kovalsky at 145 pounds.

Superior 152 pounder Turner Milender finished third at 152 pounds with a consolation win by major decision (8-0) over Eureka’s Michael Watters. The Cats other top five finisher was junior Jaxon Green, who was third at 205 pounds following his pin over Gaige Bache of Libby in 1:18.

Plains/Hot Springs got two third-place showings from Jacob Schultze at 126 pounds, and Brady Schrenk in the 160-pound division. Schultze beat Bonners Ferry (Idaho) wrestler by fall (2:24), while Brady Schrenk scored a major decision (12-0) over teammate Spur Ryan.

The Plains Trotters wrestler Lillian McDonald finished second at 145 pounds, losing the title match by a 11-9 decision to Aubrey Wells of Bonners Ferry.

At the CMR Holiday Classic in Great Falls, Thompson Falls/Noxon scored 35 team points, paced by the fifth place finish of 170-pounder Max Hannum, who won his consolation round match in a 7-5 decision over Helena Capital’s Cole Graham.

Plains and Thompson closed out the year this weekend and will resume action after the holiday break. Superior, meanwhile will travel to Bigfork this Thursday to participate in the Bigfork Mixer, before breaking for the holiday.