Flathead has 7 champs, qualifies 22 for state wrestling
The Daily Inter Lake
HELENA — Flathead had 22 wrestlers qualify for the state wrestling tournament on Saturday at the Western AA seeding tournament at Helena Capital.
The top-ranked Braves pushed 11 into the finals with two grapplers at the 170-pound weight class.
Winning individual titles were Hunter Rush (103), Bryce Shaffer (113), Tanner Russell (126), Trae Vasquez (132), Peyton Hume (152), Tucker Nadeau (170) and Michael Lee (285).
Cody DeVall (120), Colby Martin (170), Hunter Wellcome (182) and Matt Gash-Gilder (205) were all second for Flathead.
“Overall, a great tournament,” Flathead coach Jeff Thompson said.
“We set ourselves up nicely for state. Very aggressive performance by the Braves.”
State tournament action begins Friday in Billings.
Flathead did not have a finalist at three weights, 138, 145 and 160.
Martin pulled of an upset in the semifinals, pinning Helena High’s Jake Clark, who finished third at state last year. That put Martin in the finals against teammate Nadeau.
“The last couple of weeks he’s been coming on,” Thompson said of Martin, a sophomore.
“He stepped it up and had a great tournament. He set himself up for possibly placing at state.”
All of Flathead’s state qualifiers were sixth or higher in the placing at Capital. Only four wrestlers failed to make it to state.
The top eight wrestlers in each weight class advance to state.
Missoula Big Sky had the second most state qualifiers with 20. Capital and Helena High were next with 15 each.
Flathead also qualified 22 for state a year ago with Vasquez and Rush winning seeding titles.
Glacier advanced 14 for state on Saturday, double the number it had in 2016.
“I’m really proud of the way the boys competed today,” Glacier coach Ross Dankers said.
“Sending 14 of the 19 we brought was really encouraging. Justin (Gibson) put together a great tournament in one of the toughest weight classes. He works so hard and is such a great kid. It’s awesome to watch a guy like that be successful. We are looking forward to a fun state tournament.”
Gibson (138) placed first. The Wolfpack’s other state qualifiers were sixth, seventh or eight.
Western AA Seeding Tournament
Saturday At Helena Capital
Qualified for State Meet
Flathead 22, Missoula Big Sky 20, Helena Capital 15, Helena High 15, Glacier 14, Missoula Sentinel 13, Missoula Hellgate 6
Individuals
103
1st Place Match - Hunter Rush, Flathead, dec. Isaac Romero, Helena, 6-3.
3rd Place Match - Trevin Welzien, Big Sky, dec. Tilynne Vasquez, Flathead, 4-0.
5th Place Match - Carter Corcoran, Big Sky, dec. Bridger Beach, Glacier, 7-5.
7th Place Match - Dylan Miller, Glacier, pin Nathaniel Yargo, Helena, 1:52.
113
1st Place Match - Bryce Shaffer, Flathead, dec. Tyler Coddington, Capital, 7-6.
3rd Place Match - Nolan Dulaney, Capital, dec. Dakota Thomas, Sentinel, 4-3.
5th Place Match - London Norris, Helena, maj. dec. Dominic Battello, Flathead, 10-0.
7th Place Match - Caden Willis, Glacier, maj. dec. Gino Dalbec, Helena, 12-0.
120
1st Place Match - Nick Kunz, Capital, dec. Cody DeVall, Flathead, 3-0.
3rd Place Match - Austin Murphy, Helena, dec. Dayne Martin, Big Sky, 3-0.
5th Place Match - Cody Moats, Flathead, dec. Justin Kovalicky, Sentinel, 5-2.
7th Place Match - Wilson Lane, Glacier, pin Isaiah Silveira, Big Sky, 1:48.
126
1st Place Match - Tanner Russell, Flathead, dec. Douglas Swanson, Big Sky, 4-0.
3rd Place Match - Reece Eckley, Sentinel, maj. dec. Bridger Hall, Hellgate, 10-2.
5th Place Match - Justin Mayfield, Sentinel, dec. Jaden MacNeil, Flathead, 3-0.
7th Place Match - Logan Lundin, Capital, dec. Tyler Tobal, Capital, 6-5.
132
1st Place Match - Trae Vasquez, Flathead, dec. Wyatt Gordon, Big Sky, 8-2.
3rd Place Match - Devin Crawford, Helena, dec. Luke Joy, Sentinel, 5-1.
5th Place Match - Braden Comer, Flathead, pin Isaac Skillicorn, Big Sky, 1:59.
7th Place Match - Dalton Underdown, Hellgate, pin Cole McCollam, Glacier, 4:39.
138
1st Place Match - Justin Gibson, Glacier, pin Asa Hoerner, Hellgate, 3:19.
3rd Place Match - Kyle Gordon, Big Sky, dec. Kyle Tabbert, Helena, 1-0.
5th Place Match - Kadin Lahti, Big Sky, dec. Conall Powers, Sentinel, 3-2.
7th Place Match - Beau King, Sentinel, maj. dec. Dhawson McKinnis, Helena, 11-0.
145
1st Place Match - KJ Swanson, Big Sky, dec. Travis Schulte, Capital, 8-2.
3rd Place Match - Kenyon Fretwell, Flathead, dec. Ridge Troupe, Helena, 7-3.
5th Place Match - Kyle May, Big Sky, dec. Kinkade Quinn, Flathead, 7-2.
7th Place Match - Adam Hussein, Glacier, pin Spencer Peppenger, Sentinel, 3:39.
152
1st Place Match - Payton Hume, Flathead, injury default Jett Rebish, Big Sky, 4:54.
3rd Place Match - Jack Murphy, Capital, dec. Reese Rahn, Sentinel, 10-5.
5th Place Match - Stormee Kipp, Big Sky, maj. dec. Paxton Boyce, Flathead, 10-0.
7th Place Match - Andrew Glynn, Glacier, maj. dec. Caden Gilmond, Glacier, 11-2.
160
1st Place Match - Noah Manibusan, Helena, tech fall Ryder Norris, Helena, 16-0.
3rd Place Match - Shamus Bartmess, Capital, tech fall Snyder CJ, Capital, 17-2.
5th Place Match - Garrett Rieke, Flathead, dec. Ken Woods, Hellgate, 8-1.
7th Place Match - Brady Needles, Big Sky, dec. Mason Corcoran, Big Sky, 5-1.
170
1st Place Match - Tucker Nadeau, Flathead, pin Colby Martin, Flathead, 3:29.
3rd Place Match - Joel Clark, Helena, maj. dec. Brenden Gallagher, Big Sky, 8-0.
5th Place Match - Dan Smith, Helena, pin Alec McVey-Touchette, Capital, 1:18.
7th Place Match - Abraxas Brydon, Hellgate, pin Mason Torrez, Glacier, 2:31.
182
1st Place Match - Hayden Schrull, Helena, pin Hunter Wellcome, Flathead, 1:24.
3rd Place Match - Kory Broussard, Capital, pin Jake Riekena, Big Sky, 0:57.
5th Place Match - Dylan Goforth, Sentinel, pin Joey Robinson, Big Sky, 3:44.
7th Place Match - Brandon Olsen, Glacier, pin Nate Holzer, Sentinel, 3:26.
205
1st Place Match - Bryar Newbary, Sentinel, dec. Matt Gash-Gilder, Flathead, 12-8.
3rd Place Match - Seth Jensen, Capital, pin Jacob Manibusan, Helena, 2:40.
5th Place Match - Justin Jenks, Capital, dec. Daniel Long, Flathead, 1-0.
7th Place Match - Tre Krause, Glacier, pin Camryn Vergeront, Glacier, 0:24.
285
1st Place Match - Michael Lee, Flathead, pin Tanner Stack, Sentinel, 3:34.
3rd Place Match - Carson Shuman, Capital, pin Alex Paul, Flathead, 1:39.
5th Place Match - Bo Hann, Big Sky, pin Connor Quick, Capital, 1:51.
7th Place Match - Ashton Thompson, Glacier, pin Dakota Friesen, Hellgate, 0:58.
Semifinals
103—Hunter Rush, Flathead, maj. dec. Tilynne Vasquez, Flathead, 10-1; Isaac Romero, Helena, dec. Trevin Welzien, Big Sky, 4-1.
113—Bryce Shaffer, Flathead, dec. Dakota Thomas, Sentinel, 10-3; Tyler Coddington, Capital, maj. dec. London Norris, Helena, 16-5.
120—Nick Kunz, Capital, pin Cody Moats, Flathead, 3:57; Cody DeVall, Flathead, dec. Austin Murphy, Helena, 9-6.
126—Tanner Russell, Flathead, pin Reece Eckley, Sentinel, 5:12; Douglas Swanson, Big Sky, pin Justin Mayfield, Sentinel, 4:37.
132—Trae Vasquez, Flathead, dec. Luke Joy, Sentinel, 8-1; Wyatt Gordon, Big Sky, pin Devin Crawford, Helena, 4:46.
138—Asa Hoerner, Hellgate, dec. Kyle Tabbert, Helena, 6-3; Justin Gibson, Glacier, dec. Kyle Gordon, Big Sky, 8-6.
145—KJ Swanson, Big Sky, dec. Ridge Troupe, Helena, 4-1; Travis Schulte, Capital, dec. Kenyon Fretwell, Flathead, 8-1.
152—Payton Hume, Flathead, pin Reese Rahn, Sentinel, 2:15; Jett Rebish, Big Sky, dec. Jack Murphy, Capital, 3-1.
160—Noah Manibusan, Helena, dec. Shamus Bartmess, Capital, 7-1; Ryder Norris, Helena, pin Ken Woods, Hellgate, 0:18.
170—Tucker Nadeau, Flathead, pin Alec McVey-Touchette, Capital, 1:16; Colby Martin, Flathead, pin Joel Clark, Helena, 2:34.
182—Hayden Schrull, Helena, pin Dylan Goforth, Sentinel, 3:51; Hunter Wellcome, Flathead, pin Joey Robinson, Big Sky, 1:27.
205—Matt Gash-Gilder, Flathead, pin Jacob Manibusan, Helena, 1:19; Bryar Newbary, Sentinel, maj. dec. Seth Jensen, Capital, 12-4
285—Michael Lee, Flathead, pin Carson Shuman, Capital, 1:37; Tanner Stack, Sentinel, pin Alex Paul, Flathead, 4:46.