Ronan wrestlers have eye on the podium

Already boys' and girls' teams champions at the Owen Invitational this year, it's hard to ignore what is happening in Ronan regarding wrestling.

"I think we have a lot of momentum from the season last year," Ronan Head Coach Dylan Kramer said. "The girls winning the team state championship was a huge deal for our community and has brought a lot of excitement around the girls program specifically but also for the sport of wrestling in general."

Ronan's boys also had a good season, but Kramer feels that the team can continue to grow, and has the motivation this year.

"The strength of our team is our upperclassmen and their leadership," Kramer said. "Both boys and girls have great team leadership, who lead by example and are willing to go the extra mile."

Ronan's girls return state champ Tirza Two Teeth, third-place finishers Katie Dolence and Brynn Courville, and fifth-place finisher Saellah Nomee. Ronan's boys return state runner-up Ridge Cote, fourth-place finishers Koda King and Landon Bishop, and sixth-place finisher August Courville.

"We have a good group of incoming freshmen who have a lot of potential to make great improvements this year," Kramer said. "We also have a solid group of first-year wrestlers who are working hard to absorb as much knowledge as they can."

Kramer added that he thinks the Western A will be as tough and competitive as it has ever been in the seven years he has coached for the Chiefs. The conference returns boys state champs Columbia Falls and Ronan's state championship girls’ squad.

"It has created a lot of excitement around wrestling, and the numbers in a lot of the programs seem to reflect that," Kramer said.