Blue Pony wrestling takes first at Malta Invite

With just one last tournament in the regular season, the Havre High wrestling team was looking to head into the postseason on a positive note. Not only did the Blue Ponies wrestle well at the Malta Invitational this past Saturday, but they also took first place in the process. HHS head coach Beau LaSalle was even more impressed by his team’s performance since his younger wrestlers led the way.

“I thought we wrestled well,” LaSalle said. “We left some kids home but the kids that we took, I was happy with the way they responded and stepped up. They competed very well.”

The Ponies scored 247 points to take first in the tournament. Cut Bank took second with 188 points and Billings Central took third with 165 points. Several wrestlers placed to lead the Ponies to their first-place finish.

Carson Harris had the best finish for the Ponies as he took first wrestling in the 120-pound weight class. After a bye to open his bracket, Harris won by pin 2:55 into the semifinal against Cut Bank’s Kellan Cassidy. In the first-place match, Harris won, 16-1, for a technical fall over his teammate Colter Soloman.

“Carson had a good day. He just wrestled in control and was dominant throughout the whole day,” LaSalle said. “To put two kids in the finals at 120 was big for them. A big confidence booster heading into the divisionals.”

With a loss in the first-place match, Solomon finished second in his weight class. Like his teammate, Solomon opened the bracket with a bye. In the semifinal, he won, 5-4, for a decision over Tyrus Hall from Billings Central.

Jacob Kunz finished second for the Ponies as he wrestled at 132 pounds. After a bye, Kunz won, 12-4, for a major decision over Jakob Kominsky from Billings Central. In the semifinal, Kunz pinned his teammate Jack Gillen 1:38 into the match.

Reinhard Bold also finished second wrestling at 145 pounds. He opened the tournament by pinning Harlem’s Stanley Spangelo 33 seconds into the match. In the quarterfinal, he won, 6-4, against Devon O’Neill from Billings Central. In the semifinal, Bold won by pin 1:14 into the match against Glasgow’s Michael King.

At 113 pounds, Matthew Lemer finished third for the Ponies. In the quarterfinal, he pinned Glasgow’s Ted See to advance in the bracket. In a consolation match, Lemer won by forfeit against Harlem’s Izzy Baker. In the third-place match, Lemer pinned See again.

Landon Caplette wrestled well at 152 pounds as he took third in his bracket, After a bye, Caplette pinned Gus Wetstein 13 seconds into the match. In a consolation match, he won by pin 30 seconds into the match against Harlem’s Marty Snow. In the third-place match, Caplette won by fall 1:34 into the match against Colton Honey from Malta.

Pierce Caplette took third wrestling at 205 pounds Saturday. After a loss to open the bracket, Caplette won three straight matches to take third. He first won by pin 2:46 into his match against Cut Bank’s Ron Grant. He then pinned Chance Smith from Wolf Point 2:30 into the match. In the third-place match, Caplette won, 22-7, for a technical fall over Sebastien Mansfield from Chester-Joplin-Inverness.

Justin Awtrey wrestled well for the Ponies as he took fourth at 138 pounds. He opened the tournament with a pin 1:44 into his match against Jeremy Varilek from Billings Central. In a consolation match, Awtrey pinned Harlem’s Trent King 2:12 into the match. He then won by pin 2:54 into a consolation match against Glasgow’s Ted Tryan. In the consolation semifinals, Awtrey won by medical forfeit against his teammate Tristan Stygles.

At 170 pounds, Mason Wilting took fourth for the Ponies. After a loss to open the tournament, Wilting won a consolation match with a pin against Sam Cooper from Billings Central. He then won by pin 2:12 into his match against Ashton Cassidy from Cut Bank.

While not every Pony placed Saturday, they all won matches. At 132 pounds, Gillen won by fall 1:59 into his match against Gage Wetstein from Billings Central. At 138 pounds, Stygles won, 21-19, against Cody Hofer from Billings Central.

Several Ponies did not compete in the tournament — Orion Thivierge, Randy Tommerup, Kale VanCampen, Riley Pleninger and Kendall Pleninger. With the younger wrestlers getting a chance to compete one last time in the regular season, LaSalle believes they ended the year on a strong note heading into the Eastern A Divisionals.

“Anytime when you end the regular season on a win collectively as a team, it just gives you a little bit of extra confidence going into the postseason,” LaSalle said.

The Ponies will begin the postseason this Saturday with the Eastern A Divisionals in Laurel.

Team Scores

Havre 247, Glasgow 213, Cut Bank 188, Billings Central 165, Malta/Whitewater 124, Fort Benton 112, Harlem 48, Wolf Point 45, Chester-Joplin-Inverness 39, Fort Benton/Big Sandy 7.

Havre Individual Results

113 - Matthew Lemer (3st Place)

Quarterfinal - Matthew Lemer (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Ted See (Glasgow) 25-19 (Fall 0:00); Semifinal - Trevor O`Hara (Fort Benton) 27-13 won by decision over Matthew Lemer (Havre) 3-1 (Dec 13-6); Cons. Semi - Matthew Lemer (Havre) 3-1 won by forfeit over Izzy Baker (Harlem) 0-2 (For.); 3rd Place Match - Matthew Lemer (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Ted See (Glasgow) 25-19 (Fall 2:50).

120 - Carson Harris (1st Place)

Quarterfinal - Carson Harris (Havre) 2-0 received a bye (Bye); Semifinal - Carson Harris (Havre) 2-0 won by fall over Kellan Cassidy (Cut Bank) 1-2 (Fall 2:55); 1st Place Match - Carson Harris (Havre) 2-0 won by tech fall over Colter Soloman (Havre) 1-1 (TF-1.5 3:04 (16-1).

120 - Colter Soloman (2nd Place)

Quarterfinal - Colter Soloman (Havre) 1-1 received a bye (Bye); Semifinal - Colter Soloman (Havre) 1-1 won by decision over Tyrus Hall (Billings Central) 22-21 (Dec 5-4); 1st Place Match - Carson Harris (Havre) 2-0 won by tech fall over Colter Soloman (Havre) 1-1 (TF-1.5 3:04 (16-1).

132 - Jack Gillen

Champ. Round 1 - Jack Gillen (Havre) 1-2 received a bye (Bye); Quarterfinal - Jack Gillen (Havre) 1-2 won by fall over Gage Wetstein (Billings Central) 0-20 (Fall 1:59); Semifinal - Jacob Kunz (Havre) 2-1 won by fall over Jack Gillen (Havre) 1-2 (Fall 1:38); Cons. Semi - Landen Gray (Harlem) 2-2 won by decision over Jack Gillen (Havre) 1-2 (Dec 9-6).

132 - Jacob Kunz (2nd Place)

Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Kunz (Havre) 2-1 received a bye (Bye); Quarterfinal - Jacob Kunz (Havre) 2-1 won by major decision over Jakob Kominsky (Billings Central) 21-17 (MD 12-4); Semifinal - Jacob Kunz (Havre) 2-1 won by fall over Jack Gillen (Havre) 1-2 (Fall 1:38); 1st Place Match - Tristan Sydenstricker (Cut Bank) 3-0 won by fall over Jacob Kunz (Havre) 2-1 (Fall 1:07).

138 - Tristan Stygles

Champ. Round 1 - Tristan Stygles (Havre) 1-2 received a bye (Bye); Quarterfinal - Tristan Stygles (Havre) 1-2 won by decision over Cody Hofer (Billings Central) 26-20 (Dec 21-19); Semifinal - Jack Cornwell (Glasgow) 21-16 won by medical forfeit over Tristan Stygles (Havre) 1-2 (M. For.); Cons. Semi - Justin Awtrey (Havre) 4-2 won by medical forfeit over Tristan Stygles (Havre) 1-2 (M. For.).

138 - Justin Awtrey (4th Place)

Champ. Round 1 - Justin Awtrey (Havre) 4-2 won by fall over Jeremy Varilek (Billings Central) 3-20 (Fall 1:44); Quarterfinal - Kanon Branch (Cut Bank) 3-0 won by fall over Justin Awtrey (Havre) 4-2 (Fall 2:44); Cons. Round 2 - Justin Awtrey (Havre) 4-2 won by fall over Trent King (Harlem) 0-2 (Fall 2:12); Cons. Round 3 - Justin Awtrey (Havre) 4-2 won by fall over Ted Tryan (Glasgow) 16-21 (Fall 2:54); Cons. Semi - Justin Awtrey (Havre) 4-2 won by medical forfeit over Tristan Stygles (Havre) 1-2 (M. For.); 3rd Place Match - Ryder Cole (Chester-Joplin-Inverness) 3-1 won by decision over Justin Awtrey (Havre) 4-2 (Dec 9-5).

145 - Reinhard Bold (2nd Place)

Champ. Round 1 - Reinhardt Bold (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Stanley Spangelo (Harlem) 0-2 (Fall 0:33); Quarterfinal - Reinhardt Bold (Havre) 3-1 won by decision over Devon O`Neill (Billings Central) 34-12 (Dec 6-4); Semifinal - Reinhardt Bold (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Michael King (Glasgow) 21-20 (Fall 1:14); 1st Place Match - Mathew Larson (Cut Bank) 3-0 won by decision over Reinhardt Bold (Havre) 3-1 (Dec 5-3).

152 - Landon Caplette (3rd Place)

Champ. Round 1 - Landon Caplette (Havre) 3-1 received a bye (Bye); Quarterfinal - Landon Caplette (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Gus Wetstein (Billings Central) 1-22 (Fall 0:13); Semifinal - Mason Donaldson (Glasgow) 20-13 won by fall over Landon Caplette (Havre) 3-1 (Fall 1:44); Cons. Semi - Landon Caplette (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Marty Snow (Harlem) 1-2 (Fall 0:30); 3rd Place Match - Landon Caplette (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Colton Honey (Malta / Whitewater) 10-25 (Fall 1:34).

170 - Mason Wilting (4th Place)

Quarterfinal - Spencer Gibbs (Malta / Whitewater) 27-16 won by fall over Mason Wilting (Havre) 2-2 (Fall 1:28); Cons. Round 1 - Mason Wilting (Havre) 2-2 won by fall over Sam Cooper (Billings Central) 3-23 (Fall 2:00); Cons. Semi - Mason Wilting (Havre) 2-2 won by fall over Ashton Cassidy (Cut Bank) 1-2 (Fall 2:12); 3rd Place Match - Ethan Sullivan (Cut Bank) 3-1 won by fall over Mason Wilting (Havre) 2-2 (Fall 0:18).

205 - Pierce Caplette (3rd Place)

Quarterfinal - Mason Garfield (Wolf Point) 27-6 won by fall over Pierce Caplette (Havre) 3-1 (Fall 5:40); Cons. Round 1 - Pierce Caplette (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Ron Grant (Cut Bank) 0-2 (Fall 2:46); Cons. Semi - Pierce Caplette (Havre) 3-1 won by fall over Chance Smith (Wolf Point) 15-12 (Fall 2:30); 3rd Place Match - Pierce Caplette (Havre) 3-1 won by tech fall over Sebastien Mansfield (Chester-Joplin-Inverness) 1-2 (TF-1.5 5:16 (22-7).