Ronan wrestlers place sixth at state

Zach Urness, Leader Staff

Six Ronan wrestlers placed at the state finals in Billings and the team took home sixth place overall, narrowly missing fifth place by two points behind Libby. Its RonanÕs best finish at state since 2000, and the best finish at state in head coach Ryan FisherÕs three years as head coach.

ÒI was disappointed in the fact that we fell short of our team goal by one place,Ó said Fisher. ÒItÕs easy to look back and see where two points can be made up in a number of situations in the state tournament. However, our team continues to improve from year to year, and I can live with that.Ó

The battle in the A division was essentially for second place as powerhouse Havre, a highly ranked national team, would have been very difficult to beat. That left five teams to battle it out for second place including Frenchtown (2nd, 157.5), Polson (3rd, 147.5), Corvallis (4th, 125), Libby (5th, 114). And while Ronan beat three of the four teams in duals this season, the Chiefs came up just short, scoring 112 points.

ÒWe had some extremely talented wrestlers to beat in order to make the finals,Ó commented Fisher. ÒAt 112, 119, and 285, our opponents had seven combined state championships, and by the end of the tournament, that total jumped to 10.Ó

Freshmen Cameron Neiss (98) led a group of six wrestlers from Ronan that placed in the top six at the tournament. Neiss earned his way into the final by winning with one pin and two decisions. He lost in a hard-fought match to Havre wrestler Chris Recio, a previous placer at state, in the finals, 8-2.

ÒHe did a great job this year,Ó said Fisher. ÒItÕs exciting to know that Cameron has three more years of growth and maturity to capture a title. And with his work ethic and determination, that is a very obtainable goal.Ó

Tyson Noyes (112) also had an excellent tournament, taking home third place after not earning a spot in the top six last season. His only loss came to FrenchtownÕs Josh Stedman, who ended up taking first place.

ÒTyson had set a goal to place in the top three at state,Ó said Fisher. ÒAnd he stayed focused on that goal. He was able to wrestle with vigor, and polished off the season with a great third place showing.Ó

Senior wrestler Tylar Espinosa (171) also earned a third place finish, despite losing a very tough match in the quarter finals after giving up two penalty points and losing a close match, 7-6. He worked hard though, pinning his next three opponents and winning five matches to put himself in position to take home third place.

ÒI was very pleased to see him finish his career on that note,Ó said Fisher of Espinosa. ÒHe can hold his head high.Ó

Mike Trosper (275), one of the top heavyweights in the state, had a good tournament, earning a third place finish. Trosper, in reality, was probably the second best wrestler at his weight in the tournament, but found himself on the wrong end of the bracket, and he ended up losing to the eventual champion.

ÒMatt Schnittgen,Ó Fisher explained. Òwas in the hunt for his third straight championship. We werenÕt able to seal the deal with that match, but it didnÕt deter Mike at all. His third place finish was a difficult path.Ó

Senior Levi Guenzler (189), in only his second year of varsity competition, scored a fourth place finish to end his career at Ronan on a high note. He also showed his character by helping the team out in one of his matches.

ÒAt one point when Levi was winning 8-1, we told him to let his opponent up so that we had a chance of taking him down and earning the team another point,Ó explained Fisher. ÒLevi, in true Levi spirit, let him up and took him down again in short time for the benefit of the team. That is the character every coach wants his wrestlers to possess. Our team will miss that in Levi.Ó

Senior Seth Clary rounded out the group of Ronan placers, taking sixth place with one pin and one major victory. In a theme that Chief wrestlers faced all tournament, Clary had to face a four-time state champion in the semi-finals, and lost.

ÒWith that loss, Seth had to sit back and watch his dreams of wrestling in the state finals drift away,Ó said Fisher. ÒThat is a difficult emotion to overcome as a senior and I think that loss took a little edge off his game in the wrestle backs. He lost his next two by a total of three points and ended his season with 6th place.Ó

The Chiefs also got wins from Micky Cheff (125), Josh Krantz (145) and Frank Swan (171).

Fisher said that he was extremely proud of his teamÕs effort in a season that included; a 14-2 record in duals; a first-place finish at the Western Montana Duals; a first-place finish at the Hamilton Invitational and a second place finish amongst class A schools at the Rocky Mountain Classic.

ÒI think we have gained some respect in the wrestling community around the state,Ó commented Fisher. ÒMy team has put forth great effort this season and they have learned what it takes to be competitors in one of the toughest sports around.Ó