C-Falls claims Owen Invitational title; Chiefs finish third

Nineteen high school wrestling teams converged in Polson over the weekend to kick off the 2021 season at the Owen Invitational held for the first time at the new gym at Linderman Elementary.

Columbia Falls notched a decisive win in the team standings with 222.5 points, with Frenchtown finishing second at 171 and Ronan third with 129. The host-team Pirates scored 50 points to finish 15th, just behind fellow Lake County squad Mission-Charlo at 14th with 68 points.

Ronan’s Ridge Cote went 4-0 to claim the tournament title at 113 pounds. Cote won by fall over Zach Macdonald of Lake City (Coeur d’Alene) in the championship match.

Other top finishers for Ronan included Koda King, who was second at 132 pounds; Landon Bishop, third at 145; and Fortino Silva, fifth at 138.

Polson had two wrestlers earn medals at 113 pounds. Braedon Illif went 2-3 and finished sixth, and Ryley Knutson went 4-2 and finished fourth.

The Pirates also got a third-place finish at 170 pounds from Jaren Keene, who went 5-1).

Three members of the Mission-Charlo team earned medals, including Canyon Sargent, who finished second at 170 pounds. Sargent’s only loss was by fall to Max Hannum of Thompson Falls in the championship match.

Kody Dillard finished fifth at 103 pounds, and Isaiah Fields was sixth at 132 pounds.

2021 OWEN INVITATIONAL

Team scores: Columbia Falls, 222.5; Frenchtown, 171.0; Ronan, 129.0; Lake City (Coeur d/Alene), 126.0; Park, 122.5; Browning, 116.0; Eureka, 105.0; Superior, 105.0; Libby, 102.0;Bigfork, 96.0; Corvallis, 91.0; Thompson Falls, 88.5; Hamilton, 70.0; Mission-Charlo, 68.0; Polson, 50.0; Stevensville, 46.0; Whitefish, 39.0; Florence, 25.0; East Helena, 9.0.

Medal matches

103: 1st Place - Issac Stewart (Frenchtown) won by tech fall over Traic Fainter (Bigfork); 3rd Place - Blake Lancaster (Eureka) won by 6-5 decision over Pita Fish (Browning); 5th Place - Kody Dillard (Mission-Charlo) won by fall over Kiera Davis (Corvallis).

113: 1st Place - Ridge Cote (Ronan) 4-0 by fall over Zach Macdonald (Lake City); 3rd Place - Ryder Hansen (Frenchtown) 5-1 won by fall over Ryley Knutson (Polson); 5th Place - Winslow Peter (Columbia Falls) 4-2 won by 13-1 decision over Braedon Illif (Polson).

120: 1st Place - Dylan Delorme (Columbia Falls) won by forfeit over Hannah Hurst (Hamilton); 3rd Place - Pancho Ibanez (Eureka) won by 8-2 decision over Marley Erickson (Libby); 5th Place - Landree Aurund (Whitefish) won by fall over Gunnar Larson (Stevensville).

126: 1st Place - Blaine Leonard (Lake City) won by 10-8 decision over Decker Milender (Superior); 3rd Place - Tyler Gilfry (Columbia Falls) won by fall over Gavin Bauman (Frenchtown); 5th Place - Angus Anderson (Bigfork) won by fall over Seth Allan (Corvallis).

132: 1st Place - Jesse Anson (Hamilton) won by 5-0 decision over Koda King (Ronan); 3rd Place - Gage McGillvray (Park) won by fall over Josiah Kilman (Columbia Falls); 5th Place - Jett Campbell (Frenchtown) won by fall over Isaiah Fields (Mission/Charlo).

138: 1st Place - Jason Davis (Corvallis) won by fall over Orion Barta (Columbia Falls); 3rd Place - Ryder Nollan (Bigfork) won by fall over Trae DeSaveur (Park); 5th Place - Fortino Silva (Ronan) won by fall over Billy Gustafson (Columbia Falls).

145: 1st Place - Trae Thilmony (Thompson Falls) won by 14-9 decision over Justin Windauer (Columbia Falls); 3rd Place - Landon Bishop (Ronan) won by 8-4 decision over Quentin Campos (Browning); 5th Place - Kanyon Stoker (Corvallis) won by fall over Corbin Bartells (Eureka) 3-3 (Fall 2:50).

152: 1st Place - Danyk Jacobsen (Parkl) won by fall over Elijah Ratliff (Thompson Falls); 3rd Place - Kenzie Lindsay (Lake City) won by 4-2 decision over Rowdy Crump (Columbia Falls); 5th Place - Joey Wise (Libby) won by 13-11 decision over Charlie Chavez (Corvallis).

160: 1st Place - Henry Bennetts (Whitefish) won by fall over David Sharp (Browning); 3rd Place - Smokey Stoker (Frenchtown) won by fall over Aaron Springer (Stevensville); 5th Place - Garrett Leonard (Lake City) won by 13-7 decision over Brady Schmill (Frenchtown).

170: 1st Place - Max Hannum (Thompson Falls) won by fall over Canyon Sargent (Mission-Charlo); 3rd Place - Jaren Keene (Polson) won by fall over Vaughn Pendlay (Bigfork); 5th Place - Trey Torpen (Columbia Falls) won by fall over Dillon Warner (Frenchtown).

182: 1st Place - Noah Rausch (Frenchtown) won by fall over Silas Acker (Superior); 3rd Place - Jace DeShazer (Libby) won by fall over Zane Cox (Park); 5th Place - Brandon Role (Columbia Falls) won by forfeit over Cade Gubler (Park).

205: 1st Place - Brendyn Whiteman (Browning) won by 8-4 decision over Johnny Fehr (Eureka); 3rd Place - Carter Woodson (Superior) won by fall over Lyom Bullard (Park); 5th Place - Colyn Johnson (Eureka) won by fall over Trevor Lewis (Hamilton).

285: 1st Place - Aydan Williamson (Libby) won by fall over Chandon Vulles (Superior); 3rd Place - Philip Herald (Frenchtown) won by 2-0 decision over Xavier Johnson (Lake City); 5th Place - Riley Hume (Eureka) won by fall over Arie Mclaughlin (Florence).