Quirk wins division, looks to state

Bigfork High School senior Vinny Quirk wrestled less than a minute total on Saturday in Eureka to secure the Class B/C 205-pound division championship. Quirk received byes for the first two rounds. He then proceeded to pin Florence-Carlton’s Ramey Meinzen in 23 seconds to move on to the championship match, where he pinned Ronan’s Luiz Gonzalez in just 36 seconds.

Quirk said his strategy was to attack fast, and take advantage of the element of surprise.

Last year Quirk placed second at divisionals, but didn’t place at the state meet. This year he hopes to change that.

“That’s my main goal, to place,” Quirk said. “What’s different this year is I’m more experienced. It’s going to be a lot of great matches. I’m excited. The best thing I can do is wrestle smart and work.” 

While Quirk is the only Bigfork wrestler guaranteed to wrestle Friday and Saturday at the Class B/C state meet in Billings, several other Bigfork wrestlers came close to hitting the mark. Wrestlers must place in the top four to be guaranteed a trip to state. Fifth and sixth placers are marked as alternates. 

Connor Meyer (120) and Dalton Western (170) both placed fifth and Castor Conley (113) and Keaton O’Connor (126) took sixth.

Meyer received a first round bye and then lost his first quarterfinal match to Arlee’s TJ Knoll bumping Meyer to the consolation bracket. Meyer received another bye in the consolations before pinning Plains/Hot Springs’ Austin Stafford in 2:17. Meyer lost his next match to Thompson Falls Cody Garrison, but rebounded in the match for fifth place turning the tables on Arlee’s Knoll with a 6-0 decision.

Western lost his first round match, pinned by Sheldon Danforth of Deer Lodge in 46 seconds, but rallied after a bye in the consolation bracket to pin Mission-Charlo’s Blaine Bauer and Thompson Falls Austin Cooper. Western faced off with Danforth again in the consolation semis and was again pinned in 39 seconds. Western moved on to the fifth place match where he pinned Noxon’s Chance Sawyer in 1:59.

 Conley received a first round bye advancing to the quarterfinals where he bested Mission-Charlo’s Bailey Weible with a 16-11 decision. Conley lost his semifinal match to Eureka’s Kahden Bakkila, pinned in 50 seconds and moved on to the consolation semis where Florence-Carlton’s Jethro Thorne took a major decision over Conley 11-2. Conley found himself wrestling for fifth against Weible again, who took advantage of the rematch and pinned Conley in 25 seconds.

Keaton O’Connor lost his first round match by pin to Drummond’s Bridger Deschamps in 1:52. After a bye in the consolation bracket O’Connor won his next three matches with pins before facing Drummond’s Dechamps again for fifth place. Deschamps again bested O’Connor, pinning him in 41 seconds.

Bigfork Placed ninth as a team with 48 points.

For a second year program, head coach Josh Feller is pleased with the wrestlers.

“I couldn’t have been more impressed with the way Saturday went,” he said. As well as being proud of Quirk, Feller said he was impressed with the way some of the wrestlers lost their first match, but fought their way back up to the podium.

For the season overall Feller is pleased with how the Vikes are progressing. 

“I was impressed with how we grew throughout the year,” Feller said. “Most of these kids only have 50 matches under their belts, and their holding up against kids who have 300. I’m just so impressed with how hard they work.”

Quirk credits his success this season to the coaching of Feller and assistant coach Adam Tunnell.

“This year was great, Feller and Tunnell showed me what I need to do to succeed,” Quirk said. “I’m glad they got this program started.”

Bigfork High School at Western B/C Divisionals in Eureka

113— BF Castor Conley (17-21) 6th with 4 team points. BF Conley dec. ST IGN. Bailey Wible 16-11; EUR. Kahden Bakkila pin BF Conley, 0:50; FLO. Jethro Thorne maj. dec BF Conley 11-2; ST. IGN Weible pin BF Conley 0:25

120 — BF Connor Meyer (22-13) 5th with 4 team points. ARLEE TJ Knoll pin BF Meyer 5:46, BF Meyer pin PLAINS Austin Stafford (2:17); TFALLS pin BF Meyer (3:25); BF Meyer dec. ARLEE Knoll 6-0.

126— BF Keaton O’Connor (12-26) 6th 7 team points

DRUM Bridger Deschamps pin BF O’Connor 1:52); BF O’Connor pin DRUM Garett Prince (0:57); BF O’Connor pin FLO Jared Olson (0:49); BF O’Connor pin (blank opponent) 1:28; DRUM Deschamps pin BF O’Connor 0:41.

132— BF Shade Youso (4-24). ST. IGN Jaimie Mullins pin BF Youso (0:59); TFALLS Sam Ostwald dec. BF Youson 6-3.

145— BF Tate Chenard (3-29). EUR Josh Schmidt tech fall BF Chenard 16-0, 4:36; FLOR Brett Volkmann tech fall BF Chenard 15-0, 3:05.

152— BF Levi Common (0-12). ST. IGN Israel Umphrey dec BF Common (0:33); TFALLS Colton Bray pin BF Common (0:33).

160— BF Noah Vanquekelberg (3-27). RON Malik Strange Owl pin BF Vanquekelberg (0:18); ST. IGN Kyle Couture pin BF Vanquekelberg (0:59).

170— BF Dalton Western 5th with 7 team points. DL Sheldon Danforth pin BF Western (0:46); BF Western pin ST. IGN Blaine Bauer (1:57); BF Western pin TFALLS Austin Cooper 2:28; DL Danforth pin BF Western (0:39); BF Western pin NOX Chance Sawyer (1:59).

205— BF Vinny Quirk 1st with 26 team points. BF Quirk pin FLO Ramey Meinzen (0:23); BF Quirk pin RON Luiz Gonzalez (0:36).