Sports Update: Leir, Sweedman place 2nd at state wrestling

Kyle Leir and Kyle Sweedman each advanced into the championship matches in their respective weight classes at the Class A State Wrestling Tournament on Saturday in Billings. Both Leir and Sweedman came up short in their finales, however, and settled for runner-up.

Leir, who wrestles at 135 pounds, got a scare in his second match with an 8-7 win over Steven Jessop of Corvallis. He advanced into the finals after a 9-5 decision over Custer County's David Preller. But in the championship match, Dawson County's Garret Tennant was too strong and took a 10-2 major decision.

Sweedman, the Greenchain's 171-pounder, met rival Brock Picard of Polson in the finals. Sweedman won his first two matches on Friday by pin and then reached the championship with an 8-4 decision over Havre's Casey Schaub. Picard won on points in the finale, 9-4.

Libby's Kody Berget battled back from a tournament-opening loss to win five straight and place third. Berget's journey was not easy with all of his matches coming by decision – three of those one-point victories. In the third-place match, Berget defeated Frenchtown's Russel Dorsman, 9-2.

Mike Roby placed sixth at 125 pounds. Roby reached the fifth-place match where he lost to Havre's Brett Normandy, 6-4.

Havre won the team title by 18.5 points over Belgrade. Polson placed fifth, Ronan was seventh and Libby ended up 13th.

Libby Results

98–Ian Edwards-Myslicki (0-2) pinned by Chace Malone, Corvallis, 0:37; pinned by Glen Hensley, Frenchtown, 1:25.

105–Isaac King (0-2) pinned by Jake McCarthy, Anaconda, 2:46; pinned by Jon Velanic, Laurel, 1:42.

119–Aaron Seefeldt (0-2) pinned by Tyler Stedman, Frenchtown, 1:27; pinned by Jordan Delp, Hardin, 3:40.

125–Mike Roby (3-3, 6th) pinned Brennan Armstrong, Frenchtown, 0:28; lost by maj. dec. to Brett Normandy, Havre, 11-3; dec. Seth Sewell, Belgrade, 13-11; dec. Tre Yeager, Fergus County, 3-0; dec. Layne Lantis, Dawson County, 2-1; lost by dec. to Brett Normandy, Havre, 6-4.

130–Mitch Haugen (2-2) lost by dec. to Marty Etchemendy, Custer County, 6-0; dec. Laith Wilson, Park, 3-0; dec. Jerime Granot, Fergus County, 7-3; lost by maj. dec. to Kelby Dorn, Hardin, 10-2.

135–Kyle Leir (3-1, 2nd) maj. dec. Morgan Manolis, Hardin, 14-2; Steven Jessop, Corvallis, 8-7; dec. David Preller, Custer County, 9-5; lost by maj. dec. to Garrett Tennant, Dawson County, 10-2.

140–Cody Elliott (1-2) lost by maj. dec. to Jayme Kelly, Sidney, 11-1; pinned Ty Hedrick, Frenchtown, 3:29; pinned by Tommy Cooper, Laurel, 3:46.

145–Dylan Berget (2-2) dec. George Smith, Billings Central, 11-4; lost by maj. dec. to Kevin Cox, Butte Central, 11-0; maj. dec. Brock Bleazard, Polson, 13-3; lost by tech. fall to Rex Martin, Fergus County, 19-4.

160–Austin Bailey (0-2) pinned by Connor Malone, Fergus County, 1:03; pinned by Torrey Vezina, Beaverhead County, 2:40.

171–Kyle Sweedman (3-1, 2nd) pinned Ethan Foote, Browning, 0:51; pinned Ethan Albrecht, Laurel, 2:45; dec. Casey Schaub, Havre, 8-4; lost by dec. to Brock Picard, Polson, 9-4.

189–Kody Berget (5-1, 3rd) lost by dec. to Joshua Salapich, Havre, 8-4; dec. Fritz Robinson, Hamilton, 8-7; dec. Skyler Carroll, Park, 8-7; dec. Max Tolstedt, Billings Central, 10-4; dec. Mike Holds The Enemy, Hardin, 3-2; dec. Russel Dorsman, Frenchtown, 9-2.

189–Logan Neubauer (0-2) pinned by Skyler Carroll, Park, 0:22; pinned by Matt Getchell, Billings Central, 2:20.

215–Rigo Ibarra (0-2) pinned by Jared Ruttkofsky, Havre, 0:40; pinned by Jayme Hafeman, Hardin, 1:33.

Hwt–Lucas Puckett (0-2) lost by dec. to Shawn Heavy Runner, Browning, 8-3; pinned by Tucker Brackenbury, Beaverhead County, 0:29.