Arlee qualifies eight for state

PHILIPSBURG - Three Arlee Warrior wrestlers took second place as

the team broke through for an impressive fifth-place finish at the

Western B-C Divisional Tournament last weekend in

Philipsburg.

Eight Warriors in all will compete at the state tournament in

Billings this weekend after Arlee recorded 120 points to finish

just five and a half points shy of second-place Eureka. Ronan won

the tournament with 147.5 points, while Thompson Falls, with 124,

and Florence, with 123.5, also finished ahead of the Warriors,

while six teams finished behind Arlee.

PHILIPSBURG - Three Arlee Warrior wrestlers took second place as the team broke through for an impressive fifth-place finish at the Western B-C Divisional Tournament last weekend in Philipsburg.

Eight Warriors in all will compete at the state tournament in Billings this weekend after Arlee recorded 120 points to finish just five and a half points shy of second-place Eureka. Ronan won the tournament with 147.5 points, while Thompson Falls, with 124, and Florence, with 123.5, also finished ahead of the Warriors, while six teams finished behind Arlee.

At 140 pounds, Austin Rubel reached the championship match before being downed by Superior's Dan Taron, Albert Plant, Arlee's 171-pound Warrior, lost by decision to Tanner Cobbs of Florence, 7-4 in the finals and Clayton Trimble, at 189 pounds, nearly pushed Ronan's Colby Roberts to the final round of the championship before being pinned with just 22 seconds left in round two.

While those three went to the limit, five other Warriors finished in the top four. Cameron Dominick, at 135, took third place after pinning Thompson Falls' Colton Bray early in the second round, while Nathan Bertollt, at 145, also recorded a second-round victory by pinfall over Ashton Dierman of Eureka.

Logan Lefler, at 171, didn't waste any time, pinning Drummond's Austen Martell in only 28 seconds and teammate Cody North captured third place via forfeit in the 215-pound category.

Leif Rova found himself in a dogfight against Ronan's Quentin Denton in the 160-pound weight class and battled him into the second round before being pinned midway through the middle round.

Those eight Warriors now travel east where they look to bring home hardware as some of the state's top grapplers. With the way Arlee's wrestlers have progressed throughout the season, they'll be right in the mix with the rest of Montana's best.