Thilmony leads local wrestlers at state

Three appearances in the title matches and three straight state championships for Thompson Falls standout wrestler Trae Thilmony, who made it a trifecta with his win at 145 pounds at the State Tournment in Billings this past weekend.

Thilmony’s win during Saturday evening’s finals boosted his overall record this year to 38-1 as he joined rare company with three straight state B/C titles.

The Blue Hawk standout, who was also a key player on this year’s Thompson Falls state champion football team (8-man), defeated Brady Ellison of Columbus/Absorakee/Park City by fall at the 4:54 mark of the match.

The win, along with a second place finish in the 152 category by Blue Hawk teammate Eli Ratliff, the quarterback of the unbeaten champion football team, helped propel Thompson falls to an area best ninth place team finish with 61 points.

Ratliff lost a tough 12-5 decision to Canyon Casterline of Circle in the title bout.

Also winning a State Championship for local wrestlers was Plains/Hot Springs 138 pounder David Schulze. Schulze, who finished the year with a 50-2 record, won a narrow 5-4 decision over Tyler Niles of Shepherd to win the crown.

Plains also got two second place finished from girls wrestlers, including 132 pound Brynn Courville and 152 pound Lillian McDonald. McDonald lost the title match to Kiendal Tucker of Billings Senior (Fall 3:17); while Courville lost her title shot to Jessica Gubler of Park, by fall at 1:58.

The placings by Courville and McDonald helped Plains/Hot Springs girls finish eighth in the all classes girls team race with 69.0 points.

Superior, which got a fifth place finish from 126 pound Decker Milender finished tied for 16th place with Simms.

Huntley Project won the B/C championship with 192.0 points, followed by Jefferson of Boulder, 112.5, second and Cut Bank in third with 107.0 team points.

Flathead High of Kalispell won the girls team title with 205 points, easily outdistancing number two Billings Senior (157.0) and third place Billings Skyview (115.0)

Milender, a Superior junior, won the fifth place match with a 13-7 decision over Nate Wadlow of Cascade. Milender ended the year with a 36-7 overall record.

Superior also got a sixth place finish in the 182 classification from Silas Acker, who lost the fifth place match to Connor Sawyer of Cascade by a 12-10 decision, and Carter Woodson, also sixth place at 205 pounds.

Another wrestler who placed in the top bracket was Taylor Angle of Plains, who lost the match for third place by a 4-2 decision to Lily McMahon of Flathead.