Greenchain sends 12 to state tourney

The Libby High School wrestling squad might be a little banged up but the Greenchain came through at the Northwestern A Divisional tournament on Saturday to qualify a dozen athletes for state.

Kyle Sweedman and Justin Graham each had tough championship matches but came out on top to give Libby two individual champions.

“I want to wrestle well and leave it all out there on the mat,” LHS junior Kyle Sweedman said. “I think I’ve got a good chance at state if I listen to my coach.”

Sweedman defeated Whitefish’s Kaleb Prestegaard in the 152-pound finale by a 6-3 decision. Just 19 seconds into the match, Sweedman suffered what appeared to be a broken nose.

“The top of his head hit me square in the nose,” Sweedman said. “I just stayed hard-nosed and kept my head up.”

After a scoreless first period, Sweedman went up 3-0 in the second with a three-point nearfall. Prestegaard battled back in the final 20 seconds to tie it up. Then in the third, Sweedman took the lead with 42 seconds left on an escape and clinched the win with a takedown with 5 seconds remaining.

Although it was believed that Kelly Houle of Columbia Falls had changed weight divisions, he took to the mat at 215 to face Graham. The two wrestlers have a history of close matches and their match in the divisional finals was no exception.

“It was just good to win in front of the home crowd,” Graham said about his 6-4 win in overtime. “I knew I wasn’t going to stop with the home crowd behind me.”

Houle took the early lead with a takedown midway through the opening period. Graham got an escape point late to trail 2-1 heading into the second. Houle got it back, however, and held a 3-1 lead with two minutes remaining.

“He needs to relax a little … work on more head control. You could see him getting wild,” Coach Jay Graham said when asked to share the best strategy when wrestling Houle.

“It was a nice try by Houle … they just kept battling,” he added. “They’ll probably see each other again.”

In the third, Justin Graham had a reversal but the two ended up tied at the end of regulation. In the sudden-death OT, Graham turned Houle around to get credited with two points for the takedown with 26 seconds left.

Three other Libby wrestlers reached the finals but had to settle for runner-up.

At 125, Kyle Leir tried to battle through a bloody nose in a close match against Ronan’s Cameron Neiss. Officials called eight stoppages during the match so coaches could tend to Leir’s nose. Neiss escaped with a 3-2 decision.

Cody Elliott advanced to the finals at 135 against Shawn Whitman of Columbia Falls but dropped a 13-4 decision. Elliott took a 4-0 lead early on with a takedown and two-point nearfall in the first minute. By the end of the first, Whitman had regained his composure for a 6-4 lead and then he took control late in the second.

Seth Wright advanced to the championship bout at 171 but forfeited by injury default to Brock Picard of Polson. Wright hurt his knee and has a bad elbow, Coach Graham said, and with the memory problems he’s experienced over the past month, it was decided that he would not wrestle in the finale. Wright is expected to compete at state if he’s healthy.

Six other Libby wrestlers had third-place finishes to qualify for this weekend’s state tournament.

Tate Wilson won by 2-0 decision over Dalton Rice of Whitefish at 130. Dylan Berget took care of Ronan’s Bryce Greenfield at 140 with a 6-0 decision. Charlie Berget won by injury default at 145. Dean Willey pinned Jose Quinonnes of Polson at 171 in 2:38. Evan O’Brien stuck Polson’s Ben Messer at 189 in just 2:09. And Brandin Mills was credited with third at heavyweight by forfeit.

Josiah Coker of Libby placed fourth to qualify at 160. Coker dropped his third-place match to Joe Gross of Columbia Falls.

Mike Roby and Kody Berget each won fifth-place medals on pins. Roby stuck Columbia Falls’ Virgil Matt in 2:26 at 130 pounds. Berget put Geoff Streeter of Whitefish on his back with 1:07 left in the final period at 160. Levi Edwards-Myslicki won by forfeit at 125.

Northwestern A

Divisionals

Saturday at Libby

Team Scoring

1, Ronan 192.5; 2, Polson 180; 3, Libby 166; 4, Columbia Falls 150.5; 5, Whitefish 63.

Championship Matches

98 – Bacarro, CF, pinned Dennis, R, 1:15

105 – Robinson, R, pinned J. Whitman, CF, 3:38

112 – Howell, P, pinned Berger, W, 2:16

119 – Starkel, R, pinned Reimer, W, 0:52

125 – Neiss, R, dec. Leir, L, 3-2.

130 – Noyes, R, dec. Salmonson, P, 3-2

135 – S. Whitman, CF, dec. Elliott, L, 13-4

140 – Ty Fouty, P, dec. Smith, CF, 12-4

145 – M. Cheff, R, dec. Benedict, W, 12-0

152 – Sweedman, L, dec. Prestegaard, W, 6-3

160 – T. Cheff, R, pinned Wheeler, R, 5:08

171 – Picard, P, inj. def. Wright, L

189 – Schiele, R, pinned Woodworth, CF, 1:09

215 – Graham, L, dec. Houle, CF, 6-4

Hwt – Kenfield, CF, dec. Thomas, P, 6-1

Third-Place Matches

98 – Jensen, P, pinned Province, CF, 4:34

105 – Alfiero, P, pinned Fryslie, R, 4:00

112 – Moseman, CF, won by forfeit

119 – Nystrom, P. pinned Richardson, CF, 4:38

125 – Young, P, dec. Pete, CF, 3-1

130 – Wilson, L, dec. Rice, W, 2-0

135 – Kelly, P, dec. Bleazard, P, 13-2

140 – D. Berget, L, dec. Greenfield, R, 6-0

145 – C. Berget, L, inj. def. Tr. Fouty, P

152 – Clay, P, dec. McArthur, R, 9-5

160 – Gross, CF, pinned Coker, L, 3:07

171 – Willey, L, pinned Quinonnes, P, 2:38

189 – O’Brien, L, pinned Messer, P, 2:09

215 – Clairmont, P, inj. def. Crittenden, W

Hwt – Mills, L, won by forfeit

Fifth-Place Matches

98 – Open

105 – Open

112 – Open

119 – Fishel, CF, won by forfeit

125 – Edwards-Myslicki, L, won by forfeit

130 – Roby, L, pinned Matt, CF, 2:26

135 – Goldsby, R, dec. Greenfield, R, 5-0

140 – Plevel, CF, dec. Cote, P, 5-1

145 – Thompson, CF, won by forfeit

152 – Karnarainen, P, won by forfeit

160 – K. Berget, L, pinned Streeter, CF, 3:53

171 – Joubert CF, inj. def. over Howland, CF

189 – Washer, W, won by forfeit

215 – Open

Hwt – Open