Local teams hit the mat at Bob Kinney Invite

Sanders and Mineral counties were well represented in this year’s Bob Kinney Invitational wrestling tournament in Superior, led by local favorite Turner Milender from the host school.

A total of nine local wrestlers placed in the top five of nine different weight categories at the event, which attracted 157 high school wrestlers from 15 schools throughout the region. 

Eureka (Lincoln County) won the team title with 174.5 total points, while Libby was second with 141.5. 

Plains/Hot Springs was fifth in the team standings with 111.5 points, paced by the individual title won by David Chapman, a 190-pound senior from Hot Springs who was a state placer last year.  Thompson Falls (51.0 points) placed twelfth in the team standings, while Superior was thirteenth (49.0) 

Milender won his first individual title of the year for the hometown Bobcats, who had only six wrestlers turn out for the team this year after losing several key seniors to graduation from last year's squad. 

Milender won the 165-pound title with a pin over Jeremey Wheeler of Arlee at the 4:21 mark of their championship match.  MIlender placed fifth at state last year in the 160-pound competition. 

Chapman, an all-state six-player football selection for Hot Springs this year, won the 190-pound crown by pinning Arlee’s Bridger Smith at the :53 mark of their championship bout. He was one of seven Plains-Hot Springs wrestlers who placed in the top five in their weight categories. 

Thompson Falls had two players with top five finishes, led by freshman Weston Block, who was second in the 118-pound competition, losing the championship match to Corvallis wrestler Kahle Hill by fall at :23. 

Brock Ryan also picked up a second-place finish for the Savage Horsemen, losing the title match to Josh Lamberton of Eureka by a 14-7 decision in on eof the best matches of the day. 

Plains-Hot Springs also got a third-place finish from Isiah Schulze, who won the third-place match in the 126-pound division with a 9-3 decision over Superior’s Dylan Arbogast. 

The Savage Horsemen added another third-place finish when Gavin Schrenk won his finals match at 132 pounds via a 13-8 decision over Dominick Haynes of Arlee. 

Plains also got fourth place finishes from Beau Crabb at 157 pounds, and BillyRay Holotta, 144 pounds.  Freshman Matthew Thurston also had a fourth, place finish in the 118-pound category. 

Wrestlers from Superior will next be in action this Saturday at the Arlee Invitational, while T Falls grapplers will compete in the CMR Holiday Classic this Friday and Saturday (20-21) in Great Falls.  

Plains’ next competition will be the Cut Bank Classic, January 10. 

    Brock Ryan, Plains-Hot Springs (black), was second in the 150-pound category at this past weekend's Bob Kinney Invitational in Superior. (Photo by Kami Milender)