GREAT FALLS — With the all-class state wrestling tournaments starting Thursday, the Great Falls Bison are looking to have good representation on individual podiums to end the season.
One of the best Class AA has to offer, Cael Floerchinger, is already a two-time champion as a junior and now aims to be on the cusp of the prestigious four-timer club heading into his last year of high school wrestling.
"It's exciting to get my dreams, you know, that I've had since I was a little kid, four-time state champ," Floerchinger said Tuesday at Great Falls High School. "I know that there's a little bit of a target on my back, but I'm just going to do everything in my power to protect that."
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Floerchinger, who is undefeated this season, just won the Eastern AA divisional at 126 pounds this past weekend. Another Bison did the same, as senior Jace Komac won the tournament at 157.
Komac has been a state semifinalist all three years to this point, including finishing as runner-up his sophomore season. Although, this winter has brought about a unique challenge for Komac, as he's been wrestling on a torn ligament in his right knee.
"I strapped up the laces when I had all odds against me," Komac said. "Being a state champ through what I've gone through would just be amazing."
The two said their confidence is high heading into state.
"I'm at the top of the totem pole and people are coming after me," Floerchinger said. "So I just keep looking to separate that gap."
"My performance this last weekend helps me relax and have fun during practice, have fun on the trip going (to Billings)," Komac said. "At the state tournament with my spot, I can ... be myself, go score points, and good things will come."
A handful of other Bison qualified for state, including seniors Ross Tolliver at 138 and Andrea Kennedy on this girls side at 110.
Tolliver placed second in his weight class at the recent divisional, while Kennedy took third.
"We're coming in there horns down. We're ready to scrap, the whole team is, so we're pretty excited," Tolliver said. "I don't want to look back and regret anything, so I'm just going to leave everything on the mat."
Kennedy has not competed at state since her freshman season and said it's special to be going back.
"The last two years, I just had to sit and watch all my teammates do it. And so, it was really hard just sitting there and watching them all do it," Kennedy said. "My freshman year I went 0-2, and so getting the opportunity to go back and do better, it's just the chance I wanted."
Great Falls High heads down to Billings for the state wrestling tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark.
