Prestegaard makes podium at state wrestling

Whitefish wrestling senior Judah Prestegaard battled his way to a podium finish at the State A wrestling tournament last weekend in Billings to lead an impressive team performance.

The 160-pound senior finished in fifth place after suffering a loss in his opening match and getting bumped to the consolation bracket.

Prestegaard bounced back to pin Lewistown’s Bradley Denton at 2:55, Belgrade’s Hayden Van Winkle at 2:50, and Libby’s Michael Miller at 2:38 to get into the consolation semi-finals.

He was up 1-0 in the third period over Riley Jessop in the semis before getting caught on his back and pinned.

“He was wrestling really well, but wasn’t able to fight him off,” Whitefish coach Ryan Boyle said.

Prestegaard won by injury default in the fifth-place match.

The coach was impressed with Prestegaard’s ability to rebound after the opening loss.

“He relaxed after that,” Boyle said. “He came back with a smile on his face and went after it. He wrestled better than he has all year.”

While no other Bulldog made the podium, all eight who wrestled at state won a match.

“Every single one of them won,” Boyle said for emphasis. “Overall as a team, it was the best tourney of the year. The first round didn’t go real well — we were kind of nervous — but after that the nerves wore off.”

Steven Quimby had a good run and made it to the quarterfinals at 285-pounds.

Senior Matt Sampson pinned Butte Central’s Ryan Moodry at 2:38 for a win in the consolation round 1 at 160 pounds.

Travis Catina lost in the 205-pound opener, but scored two wins in the consolation bracket, including a pin over Bekzat Abdyrazakov of Columbia Falls.

“Travis wrestled better than he ever has,” Boyle said.

Freshman 103-pounder Parker McWhirter pinned Jared Rockwell of Belgrade at 2:10 in the consolation round 1.

120-pounder James Buckley won by 10-3 decision over Emmit Augare of Browning in consolation round 1.

Dillon Thorsteinson pinned Austin New Breast of Browning at 2:25 for his win in the consolations.

132-pound senior Garrett Rice pinned Drew Schmitt at 3:56 in consolation round 1.

Boyle praised the three seniors — Rice, Sampson and Prestegaard — for their careers as Bulldogs.

“They have meant so much to the program,” he said. “Through all these years, those are the three that have stuck it out. When I look back on their four years, they’ve left the program better than what it was.”

Boyle says the younger wrestlers are excited to continue to build a wrestling tradition.

Five of the eight who wrestled at state return next season.

“They all wrote goals for next year and a couple took an hour to write theirs out,” Boyle said. “That shows me they’re taking it seriously and hopefully they are committed to see it through.”

“The state meet started a fire in them.”