GREAT FALLS — The 2026 Blewett Wrestling Scholarships, given each year to three senior high school wrestlers in Montana, have been awarded to Helena Capital's Taylor Lay, Billings Central's Aramis Rivera and Townsend's Gavin Schmele.
The scholarships are for $1,000 each, and are given "to the top wrestler from each school classification who has displayed the best combined qualities of wrestling and academic achievement," according to a press release.
Lay is a three-time state champion (2023, 2025, 2026) and a 2024 state runner-up. She has competed in premier events including Rocky Mountain Nationals and Reno Worlds and contributes to the sport by coaching and officiating youth wrestling. Lay maintains a 3.8 GPA and earned Academic All-State honors. She plans to study business administration/accounting at Western Colorado University, where she will continue her wrestling career.
Rivera is a four-time state qualifier, winning a title as a junior and placing third as a senior. Rivera holds a 3.6 GPA and is a four-time state qualifier. Rivera plans to attend Concordia College and study multimedia journalism.
Schmele is a two-time state placer, taking fourth during his junior and senior seasons. He earned a 3.4 GPA and plans to study mechanical engineering at Montana Tech.
This is the 20th consecutive year in which the scholarships have been awarded. They were created by trial lawyer Zander Blewett of the Great Falls law firm Hoyt & Blewett PLLC. Blewett also offers $500 scholarships to the top student/wrestlers at four high schools in north-central Montana.
