MatCats win fifth straight divisional title

The MatCats won their fifth straight Western A divisional title, beating out conference rival Polson, 227-203, for the championship.

The team had one individual champion — Ben Windauer pinned Drew Schmitt of Corvallis for the 145-pound title. The team, however, had 11 wrestlers in the semifinals.

Garhet Salminen took seventh at 103 pounds; Austin Nelson (113) was third; Winfield West (120) was second; Ayden Role (126) was fourth; Easton Sempf (132) was seventh; Hunter Peterson (132) was third; Nathan Hader (138) was fifth, beating teammate Brandon Thomas; Mason Fetters (152) was second; Colton McPhee (160) took third; Storm Kemppainen (170) took third; Jake Freeman (182) took third and Kyler Koski (Hwy) took third.

The team wraps up the season at the state A tournament in Billings, where they have a great shot at placing in the top three.

Last year the MatCats took fourth with pretty much the same team. They had six wrestlers finish in the top six.

Havre is the favorite to win it all.

Team Totals

1, Columbia Falls 227; 2, Polson 203; 3, Frenchtown 193; 4, Corvallis 179; 5, Stevensville 148; 6, Dillon 138; 7, Hamilton 131; 8, Whitefish 80.5; 9, Butte Central 53.

Individuals

103 pounds

Semifinals — Walker Dyer, Fren, pin Roy Russell, BC, 5:19; Kedrick Baker, Pols, pin Caleb Olsen, Stev, 4:14.

Finals — Dyer, Fren, pin Baker, Pols, 4:53.

Third place — Russell, BC, dec. Kellen Robbins, Stev, 14-10.

Fifth place — Olsen, Stev, pin Anwar Mirza, WF, 1:25.

Seventh place — Will Flowers, Cor, pin Garhet Salminen, CF, 4:40.

113 pounds

Semifinals — Jake Bibler, Fren, maj. dec. Austin Nelson, CF, 13-2; Michael Golden, Ham, maj. dec. Mateo Quinones, Pols, 9-0.

Finals — Bibler, Fren, dec. Golden, Ham, 7-4.

Third place — Nelson, CF, pin Quinones, Pols, 1:37.

Fifth place — Triston Davis, Cor, pin Kelson Bauman, Fren, 2:25.

Seventh place — Luke Huffaker, Dil, pin Nathan Buckley, WF, 1:16.

120 pounds

Semifinals — Winfield West, CF, maj. dec. Zach Blanchard, Fren, 11-3; Dante Venema, Cor, dec. Benji Opat, Cor, 8-2.

Finals — Venema, Cor, dec. West, CF, 8-3.

Third place — Opat, Cor, dec. Blanchard, Fren, 7-5.

Fifth place — Elliot Vanosdell, Stev, pin Carlitos Bertlesen WF, :37.

Seventh place — Auston Stevens, Fren, pin Owen Targerson, Pols, 2:31.

126 pounds

Semifinals — Bridger Wenzel, Pols, pin Bridger Williams, Ham, 4:56; Clay Fisher, BC, pin Ayden Role, CF, 2:54.

Finals — Fisher, BC, dec. Wenzel, Pols, 10-4.

Third place — Williams, Ham, dec. Role, CF, 7-4.

Fifth place — Owen Indreland, Fren, pin Eli Taylor, WF, 2:30.

Seventh place — Allan Allsop, Cor, pin Sidney Cooke, WF, 4:48.

132 pounds

Semifinals — Riley Gurr, Fren, pin Dakota Flannery, WF, 1:36; Kwin Stoddard, Dil, dec. Hunter Peterson, CF, 9-8 (OT).

Finals — Gurr, Fren, pin Stoddard, Dil, 2:00.

Third place — Peterson, CF, pin Flannery, WF, 2:41.

Fifth place — Aaron Christensen, Cor, dec. Adrian Garcia, Ham, 6-1.

Seventh place — Easton Sempf, CF, pin Jack Eisenbarth, WF, 1:37.

138 pounds

Semifinals — Parker Adler, Pols, pin Will Wissenbach, Cor, 4:13; Cade Livoti, Fren, dec. Brandon Thomas, CF, 7-2.

Finals — Adler, Pols, pin Livoti, Fren, 3:35.

Third place — Cooper Hoffman, Dil, dec. Wissenbach, Cor, 8-6.

Fifth place — Nathan Hader, CF, dec. Thomas, CF, 9-5.

Seventh place — Robert Bertlesen, WF, pin Caden Brown, Ham, 2:37.

145 pounds

Semifinals — Ben Windauer, CF, dec. Cameron Brown, Pols, 3-0; Drew Schmitt, Cor, pin Bryce Williams, Fren, 4:44.

Finals — Windauer, CF, pin Schmitt, Cor, 1:52.

Third place — Brown, Pols, dec. Williams, Fren, 3-2.

Fifth place — Sam Peterson, Dil, dec. Braydon Stone, CF, 10-8.

Seventh place — Pete Gibson, Dil, maj. dec. Kaleb Unger, Pols, 10-1.

152 pounds

Semifinals — Brent Tezak, Dil, pin Dustin Copepland, Ham, 4:19; Mason Fetters, CF, pin Michael Edwards, Fren, 1:36.

Finals — Tezak, Dil, dec. Fetters, CF, 4-2.

Third place — Edwards, Fren, dec. Copeland, Ham, 1-0.

Fifth place — Garrett Croft, Pols, dec. Isaak Maxfield, Stev, 8-2.

Seventh place — Keenen O’Keefe, CF, pin Christian Wyant, Fren, 1:00.

160 pounds

Semifinals — Kye McCollaum, Cor, pin Malik Heydon, WF, 1:28; Hunter Fritsch, Pols, maj. dec. Colton McPhee, 15-7.

Finals — Fritsch, Pols, pin McCollaum, Cor, 2:36.

Third place — McPhee, CF, pin Heydon, WF, :45.

Fifth place — Hunter Allen, Fren, def. Bridger Nelson, Dil, by forfeit.

Seventh place — Theron Nelson, BC, win by forfeit.

170 pounds

Semifinals — Patrick Griffin, Dil, pin Kolby Garcia, Pols, 3:18; Ben Crews, Stev, dec. Storm Kemppainen, CF, 4-2.

Finals — Griffin, Dil, pin Crews, Stev, 4:42.

Third place — Kemppainen, CF, dec. Garcia, Pols, 8-2.

Fifth place — Colter Stillwagon, BC, pin Tate Jones, Fren, 1:36.

Seventh place — Aaron Swafford, Ham, win by forfeit.

182 pounds

Semifinals — Manny Rivera, Ham, dec. Noah Humphrey, Pols, 6-3; Jerry Cassidy, Stev, dec. Jakob Freeman, CF, 11-9.

Finals — Rivera, Ham, dec. Cassidy, Stev, 10-5.

Third place — Freeman, CF, pin Humphrey, Pols, 3:11.

Fifth place — Hunter Barron, Cor, pin Shawn Horner, Dil, :36.

Seventh place — Jacob Woods, Stev, maj. dec. Ash Norris, Dil, 12-4.

205 pounds

Semifinals — Justin Hinson, Ham, pin Jordan Thomas, Stev, 1:25; Travis Catina, WF, dec. Levi Downard, Fren, 9-3.

Finals — Catina, WF, dec. Hinson, Ham, 9-6.

Third place — Chase Krone, Stev, pin Thomas, Stev, 4:08.

Fifth place — Downard, Fren, dec. Jasper Drake, Pols, 6-0.

Seventh place — Kordell Walker, Pols, pin Bailey Hayes, Ham, 1:40.

285 pounds

Semifinals — Garret Hunt, Cor, pin Cody Coleman, Stev, 2:45; Kyle Anderson, Ham, pin Kyler Koski, CF, 4:36.

Finals — Hunt, Cor, dec. Anderson, Ham, 8-1.

Third place — Koski, CF, pin Ben Kruzich, Dil, 2:12.

Fifth place — Coleman, Stev, pin Ryan Burland, Pols, 1:40.

Seventh place — Tucker Ewalt, Cor, pin Coy Whyte, Ham, 1:21.