Class B-C State Wrestling: Harlem and Chinook sit in the Top 10 after day one

Chinook's Wyatt Brandell, right, locks up with Choteau's J.J. Werdal during a 130-pound quarterfinal match at the Class B-C state tournament Friday afternoon in Billings.

BILLINGS - The Harlem Wildcats advanced three grapplers to Saturday morning's semifinals and are still in the hunt for a trophy after the first day of the Class B-C state wrestling tournament at Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings. Meanwhile, the Chinook Sugarbeeters are one day away from winning their fifth straight Class C state championship.

Harlem scored 48 points to finish day one eighth place overall, while Teague Jones (125), Shay Snider (112) and Seth Adams (215) are all alive with chances to win an individual state title. All three will wrestle in the semifinals Saturday morning.

Chinook scored 35.5 points Friday which is good enough for 10th overall. The Beeters are the top-scoring Class C schoolk in the tournament through four rounds of wrestling. Chinook's Donovan Moon won twice Friday to advance to the 98-pound semifinals, while senior 189-pounder Rob Klingaman was beaten in the quarterfinals. Overall, Klingaman, Jake Norby (112), and Wyatt Brandell (130) join Moon as Chinook wrestlers still alive in the tournament.

In other action from Hi-Line teams, Big Sandy scored 22 points and is tied for 22nd overall. Pioneer senior Lane Martin won twice to move into the 171-pound semifinals. All three of the other Pioneers at state were eliminated Friday. Chester/J-I scored 14 points and also has a semifinalist in senior heavyweight Shalon Norick.

Choteau is leading the B-C tourney with 97 points, while defending champion Forsyth is second with 88. Ronan is in third with 69 points. The closest Class C school to Chinook is rvial Fort Benton, which scored 31 points.

The 2013 Class B-C state tournamenr resumes Saturday morning and will run through the finals which begin at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Metra.

For full coverage, see Monday's Havre Daily News.

Class B-C Day One Standings

1. Choteau

97.00

2. Forsyth

88.00

3. Ronan

69.00

4. Colstrip

60.00

5. Columbus/Absarokee

54.50

6. Baker/Carter

Co. 52.00

7. Cut

Bank 48.50

8. Harlem

48.00

9. St.

Ignatius/Charlo 46.50

10. Chinook

35.50

11. Whitehall

35.00

12. Huntley

Project 31.50

13. Fort

Benton 31.00

14. Lincoln

Co. 29.50

15. Conrad

27.00

16. Glasgow

26.00

17. Cascade/Simms

25.00

(tie) Thompson Falls 25.00

19. Maltal/Saco/Whitewater

23.00

20. Plains/Hot

Springs 22.00

21. Florence-Carlton

20.50

22. Belt

20.00

(tie) Big Sandy 20.00

(tie) Fairfield/Power 20.00

25. Shepherd

19.00

26. Wolf

Point 17.50

27. Superior

16.00

28. Chester/Joplin/Inverness

14.00

(tie) Circle 14.00

30. Arlee

13.50

31. Poplar

13.00

32. Powder

River Co. (Brodus) 10.00

33. Powell

Co. (Deer Lodge) 9.00

34. Broadwater

(Townsend) 4.00

(tie) Drummond/Granite 4.00

(tie) Shelby 4.00

37. Jefferson

(Boulder) 0.00

(tie) Noxon 0.00