Montana’s most recognizable high school sporting event is less than two weeks away, as high school wrestling fans book their hotels for the 2017-2018 state wrestling tournament in Billings.
The event draws the largest crowd of any prep championships in the state, and multiple storylines are present this season. The state tournament begins Friday, Feb. 9 at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark. Divisional and seeding tournaments begin this weekend across the state.
Billings Senior’s Charlie Klepps is the lone athlete chasing a fourth consecutive individual championship, while Havre High seeks a sixth straight Class A team title. The Blue Ponies already own the Class A record for consecutive titles, but are far from reaching Butte’s 13 straight from 1980-1992.
Twenty-one defending champions returned to the mats this season, including two-time champions like Frenchtown’s Riley Gurr and Dillon’s Brent Tezak. Tezak can make program history as Dillon’s first three-time champion, while Gurr earned his first state title in the state of Washington before moving to western Montana.
Below is a list of the returning state placers from last year’s Montana high school state wrestling tournament. Please feel free to correct any errors you may notice by emailing them to richie@ktvh.com.
2017-2018 returning state wrestling placers
Class AA
Billings Senior
-Alejandro Madrid, 4th, 103lbs (junior)
-*Charlie Klepps, 1st, 120lbs (senior)
-Jahzriel Peak, 1st, 132lbs (junior, moved to Oregon)
-Jarret Leinwand, 6th, 285lbs (senior)
Billings Skyview
-Bridger Lamb, 6th, 113lbs (senior)
-Josh Macy, 4th, 132lbs (sophomore)
-Austin Carothers, 5th, 145lbs (senior)
-Brock Bushfield, 2nd, 160lbs (senior)
-Dalton Macy, 3rd, 160lbs (senior)
-Brenner Bushfield, 4th, 170lbs (sophomore)
Billings West
-Jace Rhodes, 1st, 145lbs (junior)
-Levi Malcolm, 2nd, 285lbs (junior)
Bozeman
-Leif Schroeder, 1st, 113lbs (sophomore)
-Sterling Quinn, 3rd, 113lbs (junior)
-Chance McLane, 3rd, 120lbs (junior)
-Keegan Mulhill, 5th, 152lbs (senior)
-Brandon Cooper, 2nd, 182lbs (senior)
Butte
-Gabe Tierney, 6th, 120lbs (senior)
-Jeff Queer, 1st, 285lbs (senior)
CMR
-Kai Stewart, 2nd, 138lbs (junior)
-Tony Walter, 6th, 205lbs (senior)
Great Falls High
-Easton Shupe, 5th, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Jordan Komac, 1st, 152lbs (senior)
Helena Capital
-Tyler Coddington, 4th, 113lbs (sophomore)
-Travis Schulte, 6th, 145lbs (senior)
-Seth Jensen, 5th, 205lbs (junior)
-Carson Shuman, 4th, 285lbs (senior)
Helena High
-Isaac Romero, 1st, 103lbs (junior)
-Austin Murphy, 5th, 120lbs (senior)
-Devin Crawford, 3rd, 132lbs (junior)
-Ryder Norris, 6th, 160lbs (senior)
Kalispell Flathead
-Tilynne Vasquez, 6th, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Bryce Shaffer, 2nd, 113lbs (senior??)
-Tanner Russell, 5th,126lbs (sophomore)
-Trae Vasquez, 2nd, 132lbs (senior)
-Kenyon Fretwell, 4th, 145lbs (senior)
-Payton Hume, 2nd, 152lbs (senior)
-Tucker Nadeau, 3rd, 170lbs (senior)
-Colby Martin, 6th, 170lbs (junior)
-Hunter Wellcome, 5th, 182lbs (senior)
-Michael Lee, 3rd, 285lbs (senior)
Missoula Big Sky
-Trevin Welzien, 2nd, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Doug Swanson, 3rd, 126lbs (sophomore)
-Kyle Gordon, 3rd, 138lbs (senior)
-Jeff Rebish, 4th, 152lbs (sophomore)
-Stormee Kipp, 6th, 152lbs (senior)
Missoula Sentinel
-Reece Eckley, 4th, 126lbs (junior)
-Luke Joy, 6th, 132lbs (junior)
-Beau King, 4th, 138lbs (junior)
-Bryan Newbary, 1st, 205lbs (senior)
Class A
Belgrade
-John Mears, 1st, 120lbs (sophomore)
Billings Central
-Sean Comstock, 6th, 126lbs (junior)
Browning
-Wacey Zuback, 2nd, 285lbs (junior)
Butte Central
-Roy Russell, 6th, 103lbs (senior)
-Clay Fisher, 2nd, 126lbs (junior)
Corvallis
-Dante Venema, 4th, 120lbs (junior)
Columbia Falls
-Austin Nelson, 6th, 113lbs (senior)
-Ayden Role, 5th, 126lbs (junior)
-Ben Windauer, 2nd, 145lbs (senior)
-Colton McPhee, 6th, 160lbs (junior)
-Jakob Freeman, 6th, 182lbs (junior)
-Kyler Koski, 4th, 285lbs (senior)
Dillon
-Kwin Stoddard, 5th, 132lbs (senior)
-Cooper Hoffman, 5th, 138lbs (sophomore)
-Brent Tezak, 1st, 152lbs (senior)
Frenchtown
-Walker Dyer, 3rd, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Jake Bibler, 1st, 113lbs (sophomore)
-Riley Gurr, 1st, 132lbs (senior)
Glendive
-Ben Stortz, 3rd, 138lbs (senior)
-Brandon Held, 6th, 145lbs (senior)
-Tyler Clapp, 3rd, 160lbs (senior)
-Nelson Crisafulli, 3rd, 170lbs (sophomore)
Hamilton
-Michael Golden, 3rd, 113lbs (junior)
-Bridger Williams, 4th, 126lbs (sophomore)
Hardin
-Bryce Roan, 3rd, 145lbs (senior)
-Brenden Roan, 2nd, 152lbs (senior)
-Justin Zier, 4th, 170lbs (senior)
-Will Caprata, 5th, 205lbs (senior)
Havre
-Quinn Reno, 1st, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Cameron Pleninger, 2nd, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Ryan Stewart, 4th, 113lbs (sophomore)
-Lane Paulson, 2nd, 120lbs (junior)
-Martin Wilkie, 1st, 126lbs (junior)
-Connor Harris, 3rd, 132lbs (sophomore)
-Mason Dionne, 3rd, 152lbs (sophomore)
Laurel
-Matthew DeWitt, 2nd, 113lbs (sophomore, moved to Billings Senior)
-Keegan Campbell, 3rd, 120lbs (sophomore)
Lewistown
-Tanner Mannin, 6th, 120lbs (senior)
-Caleb Birdwell, 2nd, 132lbs (senior)
-Alex Wickens, 4th, 160lbs (senior)
-Wyatt Blythe, 6th, 170lbs (senior)
-Brady Boyce, 6th, 205lbs (senior)
Livingston
-Shane Gibson, 2nd, 182lbs (junior)
-Tyler Laverty, 4th, 205lbs (senior)
Miles City
-Braxton Scheeler, 5th, 103lbs (sophomore)
Polson
-Kedrick Baker, 4th, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Mateo Quinones, 5th, 113lbs (senior)
-Bridger Wenzel, 3rd, 126lbs (junior)
-Parker Adler, 2nd, 138lbs (senior)
-Cameron Brown, 4th, 145lbs (senior)
-Hunter Fritsch, 2nd, 160lbs (junior)
Sidney
-Jace Winter, 4th, 138lbs (junior)
-Jace Johnso, 5th, 145lbs (senior)
-Avery Gurney, 6th, 152lbs (senior)
-Sawyer Thogerson, 5th, 182lbs (senior)
Class B-C
Baker
-Dalton Herbst, 3rd, 160lbs (senior)
Cascade
-Josh Pepos, 2nd 120lbs (senior)
Circle
-Lincoln Stormer, 2nd, 113lbs (senior)
-Trey Taylor, 5th, 145lbs (junior)
Colstrip
-Jackson Currier, 1st, 126lbs (junior)
-Ty Bradley, 4th, 145lbs (junior)
-Nakoda Siegel, 4th, 152lbs (junior)
-Merlin Whitedirt, 1st, 285lbs (senior)
Eureka
-Nathan Schmidt, 5th, 113lbs (sophomore)
-Hank Dunn, 4th, 126lbs (sophomore)
-Jonathan Schmidt, 2nd, 138lbs (senior)
-Garrett Graves, 1st, 182lbs (senior)
Forsyth
-Nathan Weber, 2nd, 126lbs (senior)
-Michael Weber, 1st, 145lbs (junior)
Glasgow
-Matt Reyling, 1st, 120lbs (senior)
Huntley Project
-Clayton Donally, 2nd, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Matthew Middleton, 5th, 138lbs (senior)
Libby-Troy (now Class A)
-Buddy Doolin, 1st, 103lbs (junior)
-Dillon Yeadon, 6th, 113lbs (sophomore)
-Clancy Gout, 6th, 205lbs (senior)
Malta-Whitewater
-Kolter Schipman, 6th, 120lbs (junior)
-Kaden Moore, 5th, 132lbs (senior)
-Trey Simanton, 3rd, 138lbs (senior)
Plains-Hot Springs
-Daniel Uli, 3rd, 120lbs (senior)
-Luke Lile, 6th, 145lbs (senior)
Ronan (now Class A)
-Zane Walchuk, 4th, 103lbs (junior)
-Caden Rhine, 5th, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Owen Brown, 5th, 120lbs (sophomore)
-Hunter Peterson, 3rd, 126lbs (senior)
-Noah Cheff, 1st, 132lbs (junior)
Shelby
-Wyatt Brusven, 3rd, 132lbs (junior)
Shepherd
-Tanner Cook, 3rd, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Sonny Cochran, 6th, 170lbs (senior)
St. Ignatius-Charlo
-Robert Dempsey, 6th, 103lbs (sophomore)
-Gus Bosley, 3rd, 182lbs (senior)
Townsend
-Jack Dolan, 6th, 126lbs (senior)
-Kameron Rauser, 2nd, 132lbs (junior)
Thompson Falls
-Kaleb Frank, 4th, 113lbs (senior)
-Jase Sorenson, 2nd, 170lbs (senior)
Whitehall
-Connor Johnson, 5th, 126lbs (junior)
Wolf Point
-Quinn Whitmus, 4th, 132lbs (senior)
