GREAT FALLS — Sixty-three teams and hundreds of competitors packed into Great Falls for the annual CMR Holiday Classic. By the end of two days and nearly a thousand matches, Billings West and Billings Senior stood atop the podium.
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Billings West, the defending Class AA state champion, left little doubt in the boys field, piling up 331.5 points and winning the team race by more than 135 points. The Golden Bears placed 14 wrestlers in the top eight and had five finalists, including individual champions Makael Aguayo (150 pounds) and Gabe Rosales (190).
Gallatin finished second with 194.5 points, while defending Class A champion Laurel turned in another strong showing to take third with 190.5.
Host school Great Falls CMR landed fourth behind individual titles from Peydon DeLa Garza (118) and Teagan Dixon (157), while Billings Skyview rounded out the top five. Malta and Glasgow paced the Class B/C boys contingent, finishing eighth and ninth overall.
Other boys champions included Lockwood’s William Alves (103) and Brody Ketterling (138), Billings Senior’s Hunter Beeman (110) and Quinten Maxwell (132), Great Falls High’s Cael Floerchinger (126), Skyview’s Danny Green (144), Helena High’s Connor Lamping (165), Gallatin’s Carson Shaw (175), Columbus’ Colton Dunlap (215) and Dillon heavyweight Beaudry Paye.
The girls tournament produced a much closer finish, with Billings Senior edging Kalispell Flathead in a tight team race. Senior finished with 253.5 points, fueled by three individual champions — Wai Fandrich (105), Piper Gershmel (115) and Meadow Mahlmeister (140). Flathead finished just behind at 235.5 points, while Skyview took third.
Class A Browning turned in one of the tournament’s standout team performances, finishing fourth with 141.5 points, highlighted by Hayen Edwards’ title at 170 pounds. Billings West finished fifth, and Fort Benton led the Class B/C girls squads with a seventh-place team finish.
Additional girls champions included Victoria Tenney (100, Skyview), Hayley Peterson (110, Simms), Bella Downing (120, Flathead), Madalyn Deiter (125, CMR), Julia Kay (130, Flathead), Stella Wahl (135, Cut Bank), Graylee Fox (145, Miles City), Lucy Armstrong (155, Conrad), IsaBela Rangel (195, Belgrade) and Madilyn Juelke (235, Miles City).
