We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The Chinook Sugarbeeter wrestling team is back at full strength and took a full team to compete in the Choteau Classic wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday.
The ‘Beeters performed extremely well as a team. In a field that included nearly all of the top teams and wrestlers in all of Class B/C The Sugarbeeters finished third with 154 points just a half point behind host Choteau and 7.5 points back of Shepherd for the title.
Individually Chinook received first place finishes from junior Tate Niederegger at 138 pounds and senior Kenny Pruttis at 170 pounds.
Senior Jake Norby wrestled for the first time this season in Choteau and wrestled very well earning a second place finish at 152 pounds.
Senior Derek Bell finished third at 160 pounds. Senior Jesse Dannels also earned a third place finish at 182 pounds as did senior Kevin Young at 205 pounds.
Senior Bubba Rimkus finished sixth at 132 pounds for the ‘Beeters.
“The kids are wrestling really well right now,” said co-head coach Perry Miller. “We still got to work on things, increase the gas in the tank but I like where were at right now.
Niederegger earned yet another first place finish pinning Robbie Coleman of Columbia Falls in just :28 and earning a 11-2 Major Decision over Dawson Peterman of Fairfield/Simms on Saturday to claim the 138 pound championship.
Pruttis is wrestling very well at 170 pounds. Saturday he pinned Dakota Daley of Choteau in 2:47 and beat the top ranked wrestler in the class, Jake Berkram of Cut Bank 4-1 in the final to earn the 170 pound championship.
Norby was back on the mat for the first time this weekend in Choteau and performed especially well.
Norby pinned Jase Sorenson of Columbia Falls in :45 and fell to Travis Tatkenhorst of Shepherd 9-5 in the final to finish second at 152 pounds.
Bell is coming into form at 160 pounds and turned in a fine effort Saturday to finish third in Choteau.
Bell pinned Israel Humphreys of Choteau in1:49 and earned a 5-4 decision over Spencer Dougherty of Shepherd
Dannels also turned in a third place effort at the classic picking up Saturday wins over Gus Bosley of Choteau by pinfall in 4:32 and a 7-2 decision over J. Slaughter of Fairfield/Simms in the consolation final.
Young collected a third place finish at 205 with a hard fought three overtime 4-3 decision over Harlem’s Reece Hutton.
Rimkus turned in his best effort of the season with a sixth place finish at the Classic.
“We were at full strength for the first time this season and it showed on the mat,” added Miller.
The Choteau Classic is a gathering of many of the top programs in all of the Class B/C ranks.
The ‘Beeters finished just seven points out of first place, “It’s as close as it gets, we pick up a point here, a point there and were right there at the top,” added Miller
“We will get after it this week, continue tweeking individual aspects with each wrestler and be ready to go next time we step on the mat,” concluded Miller.
The ‘Beeters will host their final mixer of the season this Friday beginning at 4:30.
They will also honor their seniors which have been such a huge part of the teams success for the past four seasons.
If not however, be there final appearance in front of the hometown crowd as Chinook will host the Northern B/C Divisional on Saturday, February 6.
Saturday the team will head to Harlem for their invitational which gets underway at 10 a.m.
