For the third consecutive week, there's a new No. 1-ranked team in the Montana Class AA wrestling rankings. Kalispell Flathead jumped to the top spot after ranking second last week.
The Braves don't have a single top-ranked wrestler, but they have 11 guys ranked overall, including Asher Kemppaninen (138 pounds), Fin Nadeau (152) and Noah Poe-Hatten (160) in second at their respective weights. Ethan Freund (126), Cade Troupe (145) and Ryan Nelson (182) are each ranked third for Flathead, and Davin Naldrett (fourth at 103), Chase Youso (fourth at 170), Timber Richberg (fourth at 285), Anders Thompson (fifth at 138) and Gaige Winter (fifth at 205) are also ranked.
Flathead replaces Billings West at the top of the team rankings after the Golden Bears slipped to fourth. Reigning team champion Great Falls High is second, and Billings Senior is third. Great Falls High has nine ranked wrestlers, including Elijah Davis and Ethan DeRoche, the No. 1 guys at 205 and 285, respectively. Ten Senior wrestlers are ranked, led by top-ranked Thomas Klepps and Peyton Morton at 170 and 182, respectively.
Trey Whitlock of Butte is the lone individual to earn a new No. 1 ranking this week. Whitlock moved to the top spot at 103 pounds with an impressive week where he recorded falls over Flathead's Naldrett and Kalispell Glacier's Garrett Bosch. Complete rankings are below.
Meanwhile, Kalispell Flathead has the top-ranked wrestler in five of the seven classes in the first-ever Montana Class AA girls wrestling rankings.
Alyssa Poe-Hatten (103 pounds), Hania Halverson (113), Bella Arriaga (126), Lily Conover (138) and Aleeya Derlatka (152) are ranked first for the Bravettes, who have 12 total wrestlers ranked. Boston Howell (170) and Lucy Libby (205) are both ranked second for Flathead.
The other top-ranked wrestlers are Hayla Hoffman of Butte at 170 pounds and Kassidee Savaria of Billings Skyview at 205. Butte has seven total wrestlers ranked, including Kaylee LaPier (103), Rylinn Mullaney (113) and Kera Moreno (152), who are all ranked second. Skyview has two wrestlers ranked, the other being Ruste Torres in fourth at 113 pounds.
Kalispell Glacier has nine wrestlers and Billings Senior has five in the initial rankings.
Montana Class AA girls wrestling rankings
Note: The first Montana Class AA girls wrestling rankings are based on several components, including current records, coaches assessments, past accomplishments, and head-to-head matchups when they exist. Records include only matches against other girls and do not include matches with boys, which results in some girls not currently having a record because of limited matches in some communities. The Montana High School Association has tentatively set seven weight classes for girls wrestling competition, which is how the girls are currently ranked. These weight classes may change based on future MHSA decisions. The girls state tournament is an all-class tournament at this time.
103 pounds: 1, Alyssa Poe-Hatten (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; 2, Kaylee LaPier (1-1), Butte; 3, Maya Smith (1-1), Kalispell Glacier; 4, Gracelyn Hanson, Billings Senior; 5, Anna Morrison, Kalispell Flathead.
113: 1, Hania Halverson (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; 2, Rylinn Mullaney (5-1), Butte; 3, Aydin Gonzales (3-1), Butte; 4, Ruste Torres (2-0), Billings Skyview; 5, Skye Shelmerdine (2-0), Kalispell Flathead.
126: 1, Bella Arriaga (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; 2, Emily Pedron (3-1), Kalispell Glacier; 3, Alexus Cislo (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; 4, Jessalyn Hewitt (1-1), Kalispell Glacier; 5, Cheyenne A’Aigneau, Billings Senior.
138: 1, Lily Conover (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; 2, Emma Gambino (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; 3, Addison Endy (3-2), Butte; 4, Paige Gershmel, Billings Senior; 5, Avery Anderson (1-0), Kalispell Glacier.
152: 1, Aleeya Derlatka (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; 2, Kera Moreno (1-), Butte; 3, Kendal Tucker, Billings Senior; 4, Gracy Jones, Billings Senior; 5, Madisyn Frazier, Kalispell Glacier.
170: 1, Hayla Hoffman (3-0), Butte; 2, Boston Howell (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; 3, Audrey Goodsell (1-1), Kalispell Glacier; 4, Sara Harrison (1-1), Kalispell Flathead; 5, Haely Payne (1-1), Kalispell Glacier.
205: 1, Kassidee Savaria (2-0), Billings Skyview; 2. Lucy Libby (3-1), Kalispell Flathead; 3, Shannon Todd (2-1), Kalispell Glacier; 4, Ashlee Wilcox, Butte; 5, Seanna Dube, Kalispell Glacier.
Montana Class AA boys wrestling rankings
Week Three - Jan. 20, 2021 (through matches of Jan. 19)
Team rankings (based on awarding points for each ranked wrestler): Kalispell Flathead 94; Great Falls High 92; Billings Senior 90; Billings West 86; Butte 61; Helena Capital 51.
Individual rankings
103 pounds: 1, Trey Whitlock (5-0), Butte; 2, Keyan Hernandez (4-0), Billings West; 3, Junior Madrid (4-1), Billings Senior; 4, Davin Naldrett (4-1), Kalispell Flathead; 5, Cooper Samson (2-1), Great Falls High; 6, Garrett Bosch (3-2), Kalispell Glacier.
113: 1, Jase Van Pelt (4-0), Billings West; 2, Colton Gutenberger (3-1), Belgrade; 3, Maverick McEwen (5-0), Butte; 4, Holden Howe (3-0), Billings Senior; 5, Josh Melton (4-1), Kalispell Glacier; 6, Demetri Sallaris (2-2), Billings Senior.
120: 1, Teegan Vasquez (5-0), Kalispell Glacier; 2, Mason Gutenberger (4-0), Belgrade; 3, Jaylen Vladic (5-0), Billings Senior; 4, Hunter Ketchem (3-1), Billings Skyview; 5, Kyler Raiha (5-0), Butte; 6, Hunter Rahn (3-1), Helena Capital.
126: 1, Jesse Aarness (3-0), Billings West; 2, Logan Cole (4-1), Billings Senior; 3, Ethan Freund (4-0), Kalispell Flathead; 4, Keagan Gransberry (4-1), Butte; 5, Bryson Danzinger (4-0), Missoula Sentinel; 6, Aaron Liscum (1-0), Great Falls High.
132: 1, Carter Schmidt (4-0), Belgrade; 2, Idren Peak (3-0), Billings Senior; 3, Israel Moreno (5-0), Missoula Big Sky; 4, Kip Pumnea (4-1), Butte; 5, Nathaniel Hoff (3-1), Billings West; 6, Zach Ewalt (3-0), Great Falls CMR.
138: 1, Carson DesRosier (5-0), Helena Capital; 2, Asher Kemppaninen (4-0), Kalispell Flathead; 3, RJ Lowdog (4-0), Billings West; 4, Mason Huber (1-1), Great Falls High; 5, Anders Thompson (4-0), Kalispell Flathead; 6, Dylan Emborg (3-0), Billings Skyview.
145: 1, Avery Allen (2-0), Bozeman High; 2, Colton Martello (1-0), Great Falls CMR; 3, Cade Troupe (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; 4, Irish Furthmyre (3-0), Great Falls High; 5, Jesse Horner (5-0), Missoula Sentinel; 6, Jaron Roberts (2-1), Billings Skyview.
152: 1, Drake Rhodes (4-0), Billings West; 2, Fin Nadeau (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; 3, Paolo Salminen (4-0); Billings Skyview; 4, Cache Hilliard (3-0), Great Falls High; 5, Blake Jolma (4-1), Missoula Sentinel; 6, Anthony Liva (4-1), Butte.
160: 1, Hunter Meinzen (5-0), Missoula Big Sky; 2, Noah Poe-Hatten (4-1), Kalispell Flathead; 3, AJ Lafurge (3-0), Great Falls CMR; 4, Donovan Mahoney (3-0), Great Falls High; 5, Cameron Savaria (4-0), Billings Skyview; 6, Conner Kovick (4-1), Helena Capital.
170: 1, Thomas Klepps (2-0), Billings Senior; 2, Brendan Lockhart (3-0), Great Falls High; 3, Dylan Graham (5-0), Helena Capital; 4, Chase Youso (5-0), Kalispell Flathead; 5, Kaleb McKay (4-1), Helena High; 6, Isaiah Murch (2-1), Billings Senior.
182: 1, Peyton Morton (3-0), Billings Senior; 2, Liam Swanson (2-1), Great Falls High; 3, Ryan Nelson (5-0), Kalispell Flathead; 4, Dilen Barrington (2-1), Billings Skyview; 5, Mason Chrisitan (3-1), Butte; 6, Ian Isaacson (4-1), Helena Capital.
205: 1, Elijah Davis (3-0), Great Falls High; 2, Noah Kovick (5-0), Helena Capital; 3, Xaden Cunningham (3-1), Belgrade; 4, Zac Crews (4-1), Missoula Sentinel; 5, Gaige Winter (4-1), Kalispell Flathead; 6, Charlie Desmarais (3-2), Billings Senior.
285: 1, Ethan DeRoche (3-0), Great Falls High; 2, Jaydon Hoff (4-0), Billings West; 3, Zack Tierney (5-0), Butte; 4, Timber Richberg (4-1), Kalispell Flathead; 5, Talon Marsh (2-1), Helena Capital; 6, Idellio Michelotti (2-0), Great Falls CMR.
