Gove, Jones champs at smoker

Columbia Falls had an up and down night at the annual Crosstown Boxing Smoker April 10 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.

Jason Williams lost by unanimous decision to Matt Gash Gilder of Flathead High School, but Colton Gove grabbed an unanimous decision in a vicious battle with Glacier High School’s Tyler Burton.

On the girls side, Krystan Jones of Columbia Falls went toe-to-toe with Flathead’s Ashlie Wise and beat her by unaninimous decision.

Glacier’s Isaac Saens met the bigger bodied Dominique Olsen of Columbia Falls in the sixth bout.

Olsen knocked Saens down in the first round, but fatigue got the best of him, and Saens continued to connect his punches and the Glacier boxer won by a unanimous decision.

Bigfork’s Cameron Nissen traded punch after punch with Columbia Falls’ Dakota Krissie.

Through three rounds the fight was even, and Nissen used his stamina to outlast Krissie for a split decision.

Cody Walters of Columbia Falls used jabs to keep Flathead’s Austin Martel away from an attacking position. But Martel broke though in the second and third rounds. Walters landed a powerful right hook at the second-round bell, but Martel’s head-to-body combinations were enough for a unanimous decision.

The night’s grand finale put Columbia Falls’ Spencer Ross against Axel Bladholm of Flathead. Ross had a tough bout and lost by unanimous decision.

The annual event raised funds for several wrestling programs in Kalispell and Columbia Falls.