Vikings wrestlers take fifth at Ted Kato Memorial in Thompson Falls

The Vikings wrestlers battled their way to 102 points and a fifth-place finish at the Ted Kato Memorial Tournament in Thompson Falls over the weekend.

Bigfork earned four third-place finishes at the tournament from Conor Melton (103), Diego Rodriguez (113), Wyatt Elwell (152) and Dale Relyea (182).

Nathan Close (132) and Evan Tidwell (170) both had fourth place finishes for the Vikings.

Melton fell in his first match before he picked up three straight wins. Melton downed Cascade’s Elijah Kennerson via 7-4 decision in the third-place match.

Rodriguez went 2-1 before pinning Priest River’s Bayden Lamanna in 3:49 in the third-place match.

Elwell won his first two matches before falling to Fairfield’s Beau Peace in the semifinal. Elwell bounced back with a sudden-victory win over Priest River’s Austin Reeven before pinning Thompson Falls wrestler Noa Stevens in 3:13 in the third-place match.

Relyea went 2-1 before pinning Plains/Hot Springs wrestler Gabe Rasmussen in 1:58 in the third-place match.

Close went 4-1 before falling to Darby’s Coltin Reagan in 1:27 in the third-place match.

Tidwell won his first two matches before being pinned in the semifinal. Tidwell bounced back by pinning Priest River’s Darien Ratzlaff in 1:50 in the consolation semifinal but fell in 2:43 to Cascade’s Colby Crowell in the third-place match.