HHS girls gets a podium finish from Aliyah Siffarm

BILLINGS - As the boys competed through the weekend at the All-Class State wrestling tournament at the First Interstate Bank Arena in Billings, the second-ever girls state wrestling tournament got rolling at the Metra for the very first time.

One of the teams competing there for the first time was the Havre High girls wrestling team and while the Blue Ponies only finished 30th, HHS head coach Beau LaSalle believes they showed promise.

"I thought they did well and they competed hard," LaSalle said. "All the girls came down and I thought they competed well. Four of the girls won matches and they got the experience of being in the big venue and seeing what that's all about."

Aliyah Stiffarm had the best performance for the Ponies at the tournament as she took fourth wrestling in the 205-pound weight class. She started the tournament with a pin 1:36 into her match against Ashlee Wilcox from Butte. In the quarterfinal, she won by pin 51 seconds in against Lucille Libby from Flathead.

After a loss, Stiffarm won a consolation match with a pin 34 seconds in against Celia Jeager from Billings Senior. In the third-place match, Stiffarm competed hard but lost, 6-5, in overtime to Hayla Hoffma from Butte. Stiffarm had been able to compete in the Metra before, but getting to wrestle in the state tournament was something new for her.

"I competed here before so it's not a big experience for me so far but for high school and state it's pretty big," Stiffarm said.

While no other wrestlers placed, some of them did win matches over the course of the weekend. In her first match of the weekend at 120 pounds, Brooklyn Nelson pinned Lewistown's Salome Legast 1:45 into the match.

In a consolation match at 132 pounds, Maleigha Fuzesy won, 9-8, with a tiebreaker against Averie Mattson from Chester-Joplin-Inverness. At 205 pounds, Havre's Clara Laird won a consolation match with a pin 1:14 in against Paige Hermann from Flathead.

As a team, the Ponies scored 26.0 points to finish 30th in the tournament. Girls wrestling teams from Class A, Class AA, Class B and Class C teams all competed in just one tournament together. Flathead won the girls tournament with a score of 205 points while Billings Senior came in second and Billings Skyview came in third.

With the first trip to the Metra as a team behind them, the HHS girls wrestling team can now look toward the future. With such a young team, LaSalle believes there is still plenty of room to grow and build the young program.

"I think just getting them more exposure to these bigger venues and getting some more offseason mat time and things like that," LaSalle said about what they can take away from this tournament. "They're doing a pretty good job of finding competition, so I think the sport is getting bigger and bigger. All the girls are sophomores so having a good core of young girls to come through the program from freshmen to seniors gives us a good foundation to build on and hopefully we can add some more numbers and keep building."

Girls

Team scores: Kalispell Flathead 205, Billings Senior 157, Billings Skyview 115.5, Kalispell Glacier 90, Poplar 88, Butte 81, Bozeman Gallatin 71, Plains 69, Belgrade 65, Ronan 64, Miles City 62, Cut Bank 59, Billings West 53, Simms 49, Baker 46, Frenchtown 43, Cascade 42, Dillon 40, East Helena 39, Lewistown 38, Livingston 37, Columbus 36, Huntley Project 32, Deer Lodge 32, Hamilton 30, White Sulphur Springs 30, Great Falls 29, Bozeman 27, Havre 26, Corvallis 25, Harlem 22, Chester-Joplin-Inverness 21, Red Lodge 21, Anaconda 19, Custer-Hysham 19, Valier 18, Choteau 15, Missoula Hellgate 13, Missoula Big Sky 12, Shepherd 11, Browning 10, Chinook 10, Lockwood 6, Laurel 5, Circle 4, Glendive 4, Hardin 4, Manhattan 3, Colstrip 0, Florence 0, Glasgow 0, Heart Butte 0, Polson 0, Shelby 0, Thompson Falls 0, Helena minus-1.

Havre Girls Individual Results

120 Brooklyn Nelson

Champ. Round 1 - Brooklyn Nelson (Havre Girls) 10-10 won by fall over Salome Legast (Fergus (Lewistown) Girls) 1-2 (Fall 1:45) Champ. Round 2 - Brynn Barker (Red Lodge Girls) 25-4 won by fall over Brooklyn Nelson (Havre Girls) 10-10 (Fall 2:56) Cons. Round 2 - Mayse Fox (Custer County Girls) 35-11 won by decision over Brooklyn Nelson (Havre Girls) 10-10 (Dec 7-3)

132 - Maleigha Fuzesy

Champ. Round 1 - Maleigha Fuzesy (Havre Girls) 13-7 received a bye () (Bye)

Champ. Round 2 - Trinity Barrus (Custer/Hysham Girls) 8-9 won by fall over Maleigha Fuzesy (Havre Girls) 13-7 (Fall 1:05) Cons. Round 2 - Maleigha Fuzesy (Havre Girls) 13-7 won in tie breaker - 1 over Averie Mattson (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 0-2 (TB-1 9-8) Cons. Round 3 - Ryley Hofeldt (Chinook Girls) 12-12 won by fall over Maleigha Fuzesy (Havre Girls) 13-7 (Fall 2:39)

152 - Angelina Caplette

Champ. Round 1 - Chi Gushi (Belgrade Girls) 12-7 won by fall over Angelina Caplette (Havre Girls) 3-10 (Fall 0:45) Cons. Round 1 - Ihte Stiffarm (Harlem Girls) 5-24 won by fall over Angelina Caplette (Havre Girls) 3-10 (Fall 2:42).

205 - Clara Laird

Champ. Round 1 - Clara Laird (Havre Girls) 8-7 received a bye () (Bye) Quarterfinal - Kassidee Savaria (Billings Skyview Girls) 16-0 won by fall over Clara Laird (Havre Girls) 8-7 (Fall 0:54) Cons. Round 2 - Clara Laird (Havre Girls) 8-7 won by fall over Paige Hermann (Flathead Girls) 5-5 (Fall 1:14) Cons. Round 3 - Lucille Libby (Flathead Girls) 22-7 won by fall over Clara Laird (Havre Girls) 8-7 (Fall 0:53).

205 - Aliyah Stiffarm (4th Place)

Champ. Round 1 - Aliyah Stiffarm (Havre Girls) 12-5 won by fall over Ashlee Wilcox (Butte Girls) 3-12 (Fall 1:36) Quarterfinal - Aliyah Stiffarm (Havre Girls) 12-5 won by fall over Lucille Libby (Flathead Girls) 22-7 (Fall 0:51) Semifinal - Kassidee Savaria (Billings Skyview Girls) 16-0 won by fall over Aliyah Stiffarm (Havre Girls) 12-5 (Fall 1:49) Cons. Semi - Aliyah Stiffarm (Havre Girls) 12-5 won by fall over Celia Jaeger (Billings Senior Girls) 14-13 (Fall 0:34) 3rd Place Match - Hayla Hoffma (Butte Girls) 16-6 won in tie breaker - 1 over Aliyah Stiffarm (Havre Girls) 12-5 (TB-1 6-5).

Chinook Girls Individual Results

103 - Grace Buck

Champ. Round 1 - Grace Buck (Chinook Girls) 3-23 received a bye () (Bye) Champ. Round 2 - Angelina Escarcega (Poplar Girls) 35-3 won by fall over Grace Buck (Chinook Girls) 3-23 (Fall 0:20) Cons. Round 2 - Lauren Steele (Bozeman Girls) 4-11 won by fall over Grace Buck (Chinook Girls) 3-23 (Fall 4:36)

120 - Shay Hauer

Champ. Round 1 - Karissa Afrank (Baker Girls) 15-8 won by fall over Shay Hauer (Chinook Girls) 4-15 (Fall 1:28) Cons. Round 1 - Mayse Fox (Custer County Girls) 35-11 won by fall over Shay Hauer (Chinook Girls) 4-15 (Fall 2:47)

132 - Ryley Hofeldt

Champ. Round 1 - Jessalyn Hewitt (Glacier Girls) 15-9 won by fall over Ryley Hofeldt (Chinook Girls) 12-12 (Fall 1:37) Cons. Round 1 - Ryley Hofeldt (Chinook Girls) 12-12 received a bye () (Bye) Cons. Round 2 - Ryley Hofeldt (Chinook Girls) 12-12 won by fall over Raimey Hull (Flathead Girls) 7-7 (Fall 0:55)\ Cons. Round 3 - Ryley Hofeldt (Chinook Girls) 12-12 won by fall over Maleigha Fuzesy (Havre Girls) 13-7 (Fall 2:39) Cons. Round 4 - Ryley Hofeldt (Chinook Girls) 12-12 won by fall over Paige Gershmel (Billings Senior Girls) 16-13 (Fall 3:48) Cons. Round 5 - Katie Dolence (Ronan Girls) 15-9 won by fall over Ryley Hofeldt (Chinook Girls) 12-12 (Fall 3:46).

CJI Girls Individual Results

120 - Savannah Riggin (5th Place)

Champ. Round 1 - Savannah Riggin (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 5-2 won by fall over Trinity Bolvin (Flathead Girls) 13-7 (Fall 1:55) Champ. Round 2 - Savannah Riggin (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 5-2 won by fall over Emily Pedron (Glacier Girls) 22-8 (Fall 0:54) Quarterfinal - Keela Kary (Sidney Girls) 36-4 won by fall over Savannah Riggin (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 5-2 (Fall 1:22)

Cons. Round 4 - Savannah Riggin (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 5-2 won by fall over Isabel Hansen (Billings Skyview Girls) 13-10 (Fall 2:00) Cons. Round 5 - Savannah Riggin (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 5-2 won by fall over Aydin Gonzalez (Butte Girls) 24-6 (Fall 4:55) Cons. Semi - Brynn Brower (Billings Skyview Girls) 16-5 won by fall over Savannah Riggin (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 5-2 (Fall 1:00) 5th Place Match - Savannah Riggin (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 5-2 won by fall over Bella Arriaga (Flathead Girls) 21-10 (Fall 3:43)

132 - Averie Mattson

Champ. Round 1 - Katie Dolence (Ronan Girls) 15-9 won by fall over Averie Mattson (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 0-2 (Fall 3:02) Cons. Round 1 - Averie Mattson (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 0-2 received a bye () (Bye) Cons. Round 2 - Maleigha Fuzesy (Havre Girls) 13-7 won in tie breaker - 1 over Averie Mattson (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 0-2 (TB-1 9-8)

170 - Shawna Osburn

Champ. Round 1 - Juna Ashby (Frenchtown Girls) 11-8 won by fall over Shawna Osburn (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 0-2 (Fall 0:31) Cons. Round 1 - Shawna Osburn (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 0-2 received a bye () (Bye) Cons. Round 2 - Paisley Jaeger (Billings Senior Girls) 6-10 won by fall over Shawna Osburn (Chester-Joplin-Inverness Girls) 0-2 (Fall 1:00).

Harlem Girls Individual Results

113 - Izzy Baker

Champ. Round 1 - Izzy Baker (Harlem Girls) 18-11 received a bye () (Bye) Champ. Round 2 - Clancy Setzer (Beaverhead Co.(Dillon) /Sheridan/Twin Bridges Girls) 12-17 won in sudden victory - 1 over Izzy Baker (Harlem Girls) 18-11 (SV-1 9-7) Cons. Round 2 - Izzy Baker (Harlem Girls) 18-11 received a bye () (Bye) Cons. Round 3 - Izzy Baker (Harlem Girls) 18-11 won by fall over Anastasia Saldana (Hardin Girls) 8-26 (Fall 2:48) Cons. Round 4 - Gracelyn Hanson (Billings Senior Girls) 22-6 won by fall over Izzy Baker (Harlem Girls) 18-11 (Fall 1:30)

126 - Kaitlyn Johnson

Champ. Round 1 - Lily Schultz (Gallatin Girls) 17-2 won by fall over Kaitlyn Johnson (Harlem Girls) 10-13 (Fall 1:23) Cons. Round 1 - Kaitlyn Johnson (Harlem Girls) 10-13 received a bye () (Bye) Cons. Round 2 - Kaitlyn Johnson (Harlem Girls) 10-13 won by fall over Ashlynn Kistenmacher (Roundup Girls) 5-6 (Fall 0:43) Cons. Round 3 - Jacey Gorder (Baker Girls) 31-14 won by fall over Kaitlyn Johnson (Harlem Girls) 10-13 (Fall 1:22)

145 - Amilia Blackcrow

Champ. Round 1 - Amilia Blackcrow (Harlem Girls) 16-9 won by fall over Mikayla Iten (Flathead Girls) 0-8 (Fall 0:40) Champ. Round 2 - Amilia Blackcrow (Harlem Girls) 16-9 won by fall over Madisyn Frazier (Glacier Girls) 15-9 (Fall 3:04) Quarterfinal - Gretchen Donally (Huntley Project Girls) 35-5 won by fall over Amilia Blackcrow (Harlem Girls) 16-9 (Fall 1:41) Cons. Round 4 - Amilia Blackcrow (Harlem Girls) 16-9 won by fall over Natalka Rolfson (Billings Senior Girls) 12-8 (Fall 3:19) Cons. Round 5 - Libby Clagg (East Helena Girls) 15-10 won by fall over Amilia Blackcrow (Harlem Girls) 16-9 (Fall 1:34)

152 - Ihte Stiffarm

Champ. Round 1 - McKenna McCarthy (Flathead Girls) 17-8 won by fall over Ihte Stiffarm (Harlem Girls) 5-24 (Fall 0:57) Cons. Round 1 - Ihte Stiffarm (Harlem Girls) 5-24 won by fall over Angelina Caplette (Havre Girls) 3-10 (Fall 2:42) Cons. Round 2 - JJ Carter (Cut Bank Girls) 17-8 won by fall over Ihte Stiffarm (Harlem Girls) 5-24 (Fall 1:44).