We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Lady Cat sophomore Izzy Baker has pinned her fair share of opponents this season and will look to continue her success this weekend in Columbus.
Chinook senior Tyler Schoen pins is opponent in Malta this past weekend. Schoen will look to win his second straight State Championship this February, wrestling this season at 182 pounds.
Chinook sophomore Grace Buck has wrestled very well this year and will compete in the 107 pound weight class this weekend.
The Chinook Sugarbeeters and the Harlem Wildcat/Lady Cat wrestling teams wrapped up their regular season schedule this past weekend in Malta. The 'Beeters had five boys and one girl place while the Wildcats had one wrestler find the podium and the Lady Cats four. The teams will now turn their full attention to the Eastern B/C Divisional in Columbus this Friday and Saturday. The Class B/C State Wrestling Tournament will be held February 10-11 at Metra Park in Billings.
Chinook senior Tyler Schoen completed an undefeated regular season with a 10-3 decision over Malta's Camryn Mears to win the 182 pound class. Eighth grader Walter Schoen had his best meet of the season finishing second at 152 pounds. Also earning a second place finish for the 'Beeters was sophomore Gauge Chapman in the 126 pound division. Chinook freshman Griffin Crowley found the podium for the first time finishing third at 126 pounds. Senior Lane Snider continued to wrestle well, picking up another third place finish at 145 pounds. Freshman Emma Klingamen found the podium for the girls finishing third at 126 pounds.
The Lady Cats were led by junior Kaitlyn Johnson with second place finish at 126 pounds and freshman Cyla Adams collecting a second place finish of her own at 120 pounds. Sophomore Izzy Baker wrestled her way to a third place finish at 120 pounds. Sophomore Ihte' Stiffarm rounded out the Lady Cat podiums with a fourth place finish at 152 pounds. Sophomore Jesse Castillo placed fourth for the Wildcats in the Heavyweight division.
'Beeter Head Coach Ben Stroh is confident heading into the Eastern B/C Divisional, "The final weekend of the regular season was a good one, the team is wrestling well." Stroh was pleased to see a few really step up, "This weekend we had a couple young individuals come to wrestle. For example, Walter Schoen making the finals as an eighth grader. There was definitely others as well that are learning and understand how to get wins that they other wise haven't been able to get. For us as a coaching staff, it is encouraging to see that the week before divisionals.
Stroh says everyone is working hard, "We will be able to take the whole team to divisional and give them all their own chance to qualify for the state tournament. Hopefully, we can all finish it off right and really give you a story to write."
Qualifying for the state tournament is set for the boys but with regards to the girls the process continues to evolve. The first ever girls state tournament in 2021 included every girl that wrestled and weights were still being finalized. In 2023 with numbers significantly higher adjustments have had to be made.
This year all girls will still wrestle in the same tournament against each other. This year trophies will be awarded to the top the Class AA teams as well as the top three Class A/B/C teams. MHSA qualifications set forth are as follows: Six Divisional Tournaments will be held at the same time and site as the boys divisional wrestling tournament. There will be a separate boy and girl divisional tournament at each site. Seeding for Divisional Tournaments will use the same criteria as the boys. 24 participant brackets in each weight class at state.
The number of qualifiers from each of the 6 divisions will be based on the total number of entries at each of the divisional. The Equitable Distribution of Qualifiers (EDQ) concept will be used to determine the qualifiers for state. Girl's state qualifiers are based on the EDQ formula. The EDQ formula uses total participants for each weight class in each division divided by total participants for each weight class in all 6 divisions multiplied by twenty-four. Each Division qualifies a minimum of 2 wrestlers in each weight class.
The MHSA will notify all divisional tournament managers of the number of qualifiers for each weight class after all divisional brackets have been built. Girls will be seeded during a meeting between Divisional and State. The tournament will be a 2-day tournament with each class wrestling on 3 mats at Metra Park in Billings.
