Bulldog grapplers head to state

Whitefish’s Steven Quimby is well positioned for a run at a state wrestling title. The senior won the heavyweight championship at the Western A Divisional tournament last weekend in Whitefish to punch his ticket to state as a No. 1 seed.

Quimby won by decision over Corvallis’ Luke Channer 10-7 in the championship.

“Steven wrestled a very smart match,” Whitefish coach Ryan Boyle said. “When he focuses in on what he does well, he gets results.”

Quimby is one of 10 Bulldogs who will make the trip to the state tournament in Billings this weekend.

Senior Konrad Zinke placed third at Western A in the stacked 170-pound class. He will enter the state tourney as a No. 3 seed.

After losing in the divisional semifinals, Zinke battled back in the consolation bracket to finally pin Frenchtown’s Cole Jones in the third-place match.

“That 170-pound class is tough,” Boyle said. “Everybody is so close in that class — we’re super excited for Konrad placing third.”

138-pounder James Buckley and 205-pounder Travis Catina each finished in fourth place.

Buckley scored a sudden victory over Polson’s Jaben Wenzel in the quarterfinals.

“He just kept coming and he got it into overtime,” Boyle said of the exciting match. “I’ve always believed in that kid. He’s not the most physical or fastest, but you put him against anyone because he just doesn’t quit.”

Taisuke Matsuo and Dillon Thorsteinson each landed on the podium in fifth.

“Taisuke has only wrestled for 2 1/2 months his entire life,” Boyle noted. “He’s just a great athlete.”

“Dillon showed he can wrestle with a lot of guys in the state.”

Also punching their ticket to state were Sidney Cook and Eli Taylor at 120 pounds, Robert Bertelson at 132 pounds and Malik Heydon at 160 pounds.

Whitefish tallied 100 points as a team to finish in eighth place out of nine schools. Columbia Falls won the tourney.

Boyle liked the new divisional format with all the teams from Northwest A and Southwest A in attendance.

“It’s nice to have nine teams,” he said. “It seems like everyone is wrestling for it.”

It also gives wrestlers a chance to scope the competition they’ll face at state.

“You kind of know what to expect and who’s who in the state,” he said.

Boyle calls this Bulldog team the best he’s taken to state in his tenure as head coach. He expects Whitefish will get a few wrestlers on the podium.

If they improve and don’t back down, that’s what we need from everyone,” he said. “We need to go out there and battle and see if we get better. Anyone can win. Any of them can be in this thing.”

Western A Divisional

Saturday

Whitefish High School

Team Scores—Columbia Falls 275.5, Polson 226, Hamilton 208.5, Stevensville 146.5, Dillon 144.5, Corvallis 143.5, Frenchtown 126, Whitefish 100, Butte Central 24.