Linse stays close to mat

BUTTE - Two weeks ago at the Class A state wrestling tournament,

seniors Cole McArthur and Toby Cheff weren't the only Ronan

wrestlers to get their names called before the championship

bouts.

BUTTE - Two weeks ago at the Class A state wrestling tournament, seniors Cole McArthur and Toby Cheff weren't the only Ronan wrestlers to get their names called before the championship bouts.

Granted he wasn't wearing a Ronan uniform, just the normal

vertical stripes of a referee, but three-time state champion Tom Linse was standing matside and announced as one of the officials for the last and most important round of wrestling matches in Montana.

"Any time you do it, it's a pressure cooker," Linse said of the championship matches. "I've seen overtime matches that come down to the last second."

But if there's anyone that can do it, it's Linse, who has 25 years of refereeing experience, including 21 years at the state tournament.

He's also a teacher at the Ronan Middle School. This year's competition was a bit different because every class was separated into their own tournament due to the tornado damage done to the MetraPark arena in Billings.

That meant that all the attention was on individual championship matches and on their officials.

"The toughest part is just staying concentrated because you get tired at the end," Linse said. "The second day is more intense but you don't have as many matches so you don't work as hard."

Linse has not only seen some great wrestling moments for Ronan, he's also created them.

He won the state championship three times during his high school career between 1977-81 and was named a high school All-American in 1981. Despite his loyalties to the Chiefs, he obviously can't let that bleed through on the mat.

"You've got to set aside all feelings and just go with the points and the situation of the match," Linse said.

There are certainly perks to the job as well.

"It's the best seat in the house for some great wrestling," Linse said.

It's seems fitting, and a testament to the historical greatness of the Ronan wrestling program, that while both Cheff and McArthur became champions two weeks ago, somebody who had done the same over 30 years ago was out on the mat too.