Waterbury claims divisional title

One of the best, most inspiring sports stories of the year continued this past weekend during the Western Division B-C wrestling championships in Butte.

And at the same meet, a promising run at an upper-level state finals medal came to an abrupt end. 

Plains-Hot Springs (PHS) senior John Waterbury, wrestling in the 157-pound category, won the individual title and helped propel the Savage Horsemen to a fourth-place team finish, just 28 team points away from eventual team titlist Eureka. 

The competitor Waterbury was widely expected to face in the 157-pound finals, Superior sophomore Turner Milender, was injured earlier in the event with a season-ending elbow dislocation. 

The two had collided twice over the past few weeks at local wrestling meets, with Waterbury winning both encounters that were classic wrestling matches. 

Waterbury ran his season record to 16-0 with a 13-1 (major decision) win over Deer Lodge’s Bo Daniel.  His victory ensures an upper level seeding at this coming weekend’s state finals in Billings. 

Eureka won the team title with 208.0 team points, just four points better than runner-up Cascade.  Conrad placed third with 187.5 points, while Plains-Hot Springs was fourth with 180.5. 

Thompson Falls placed nineteenth in the team chase with 42.5 points, while Superior was twenty first with 28.0 points. 

Anaconda captured the girls’ team title with 191.0 points, well ahead of second place Cut Bank (153.0) 

Thompson Falls placed thirteenth with 44.5 points, while P-HS was nineteenth (13.0 points). 

Beau Crabb also won an individual title for the Savage Horsemen, claiming the 144-pound championship with a win by pin over Jefferson High’s Cooper Mikesell at the 5:01 mark of their title match. 

Plains-Hot Springs senior David Chapman added to the Savage-Horsemen haul with a second-place finish at 190 pounds, losing to Tegan Jones of Conrad by a technical decision in the finals. 

Other top eight finishers for P-HS were: Matthew Thurston, seventh at 118 pounds; Isiah Schulze, seventh at 126 pounds; Gavin Schrenk, fourth at 132 pounds; Cody West and BillyRay Holotta, sixth and seventh in the 138-pound classification; and Brock Ryan, fifth at 150. 

Thompson Falls got top eight finishes from: Ethan Traver (fifth, 103-pounds); Weston Block, fifth at 118 pounds, and Noa Stevens, seventh, 165 pounds. 

Milender placed sixth by forfeit in the 157-pound class for Superior when he was unable to continue due to the elbow injury.  The Bobcats also got a seventh-place finish from Sam Doughty at 150 pounds. 

Generally, the top eight finishers advance to the state B-C finals, which are this coming weekend in Billings. 

Thompson Falls’ girls were led by Veronica Vega’s second place showing in the 100-pound category, losing the finals match to Emma Jurovac of Jefferson High in their final's bout. 

T Falls also got fourth and fifth place finishes from Alexandria Volk-Ocacio and Matea Keefe respectively in the 105-pound division, and Jaden Bewick, who placed seventh at 110 pounds. 

Plains’ top finishers in the girls’ competition was 120-pounder Ireland Corbin, who placed sixth for the Trotters. 

    Plains-Hot Springs 190 pounder David Chapman (top), who finished second at the Western Divisional B-C meet in Butte this past weekend works for a pin.  (Photo by Teresa Waterbury