Martin makes 4-time history

BILLINGS - From the moment that Havre High wrestler Martin Wilkie won his first individual state championship, he seemed destined to become a four-timer and Saturday night at the Metra, Wilkie fulfilled that destiny.

Wilkie's run of four consecutive state titles started back in 2016 when he pinned Caleb Birdwell of Lewistown on finals night as a freshman. And Saturday night, inside the Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings, Wilkie completed his historic career in fitting fashion, pinning his opponent, Zander Burnison of Sidney in just 38 seconds, capping a perfect season and one of the greatest careers in the history of Havre High wrestling.

"He has been very impressive," HHS head coach Beau LaSalle said. "I mean to go out and dominate at the state tournament four years in a row like that, we have only had a couple of guys do it and to dominate the way he did, was just very impressive."

Certainly, by winning his fourth consecutive state championship, Wilkie joins some elite company and not just with the Blue Ponies, but in the entire history of MHSA wrestling. In terms of four-timers, Wilkie is the third Havre wrestler to achieve the feat, joining the legendary duo of Parker Filius and Jase Stokes, who each won their fourth titles back in 2017. And also like those two, Wilkie capped of his Havre High career with some other notable tournament wins during his senior season.

While Wilkie had won three state championships coming into this season, as well as three divisional titles and also the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic, the one tournament the future University of Minnesota wrestler hadn't won was the Tri-State wrestling tournament in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, an event that has become a regular stop for the Ponies in recent years.

In his junior and sophomore seasons, Wilkie's only loss came at Tri-State, but this season, as a senior, he didn't just win the prestigious meet, he dominated it, barely giving up a point on his way to winning the tournament, which is routinely one of the toughest in the Northwest. Because of that, Wilkie entered the state tournament undefeated for the first time and when he pinned Burnison Saturday night, it gave him his first perfect season at 50-0.

"I would definitely think anytime you have an undefeated season it's right up there with anybody in terms of the best seasons," LaSalle said. "We have had guys go undefeated and dominate and he's right up there with any of them."

In any sport, it's tough to compare individuals from a historical perspective, but in wrestling, it might be even tougher with the different weight classes, however, there is no doubt that Wilkie's resume stacks up pretty well, no matter who it's compared to. During his four-year Havre High career, Wilkie finished with 194 wins compared to just nine losses and seven of those defeats came during his freshman season when he finished 48-7.

Over the last three seasons, though, losses by Wilkie have been rare and have come only at the Tri-State tournament. In all, as a sophomore, junior and senior, the four-timer posted a record of 146-2 and while that's almost unheard of, the way he dominated his opponents inside the Metra, at the All-Class state tournament, also puts him in rarified air.

During the 16 wins that brought Wilkie four individual state championships, 13 of them came via pin and only two of those 16 matches went the distance and were decided by a decision, and even then, Wilkie's smallest margin of victory at state was six points.

Ultimately, in the history of Havre High wrestling Wilkie, Filius, and Stokes will forever be linked, in part for their incredible achievements and also in part, because of the dominating way they went about achieving them.

Of course, the other link of all three is former Havre High head coach Scott Filius, who essentially predicted Wilkie would do what he would after his first state title as a freshman.

And even though Filius isn't coaching anymore, he was in attendance to watch one of his greatest champions put the finishes touches on an extraordinary career.

"It was really good to see him, he came down to the floor so I got to talk to him a little bit," Wilkie said of coach Filius. "He was there for the (others) 3 so it made sense that he was for there the last one."

When it comes down to it, whether the comparison is between Wilkie and other great Havre wrestlers or other great wrestlers from across the state of Montana, he's done enough to be in the conversation with just about anyone.

"He's as good as anyone that we have had," LaSalle said. "We have our other two four-timers, (Stokes and Filius) and he is right there with them."

LaSalle made that statement about Wilkie leading up to the state tournament and after Wilkie performed at the high level we have all become accustomed to once again over the weekend, it seems more fitting now than ever.