The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

The Chinook Sugarbeeters and Harlem Wildcats participated in the Chinook Mixer on Friday night, giving a chance for fans of both the 'Beeters and the Wildcats to see their team's wrestlers and how they competed. On Saturday, the Chinook Girls as well as the Harlem Lady Cats wrestled in the 2024 Fergus Girls Invite. The Lady Cats finished second in the tournament with a large contingent scoring points. The Lady Cats were led on the podium by Senior Kaitlyn Johnson who went 4-1 on the weekend and finished 3rd at 126 pounds. Johnson won the third place match by a 7-0 decision over Fort Benton's Etta Wicks. The Lady Cats also had a strong showing by sophomore Izzy Baker who went 4-1 and placed 3rd in the 114 pound weight class. Baker defeated Fort Benton's Taylor Benhart by fall in a time of 4:47. Also getting on the podium for Harlem was freshman Jarah Wilson who placed third in the 185 pound weight class.

All three Sugarbeeters found their spot on the podium. Sophomore Emma Klingaman finished second in the 126 pound weight class by going 4-1 and falling to Missoula/Big Sky's Lucia Schlapfer in the championship round in a time of 1:39. Junior Grace Buck also found the podium, finishing third in the 107 pound weight class. Buck won by a 7-0 decision over Simm's Cadence Crookston in the third place match. Finishing it out for the Sugarbeeters was sophomore Bailey Billmayer who placed 5th with a record of 3-2 in the 114 pound weight class. In the fifth place match, Billmayer won by fall over Missoula/Big Sky's Brooke Jamison in 54 seconds.

Chinook Head Coach, Ben Stroh addressed his team's performance over the weekend. "The boys wrestled well at home. It was good to see the team come out and show off what they have been working on since a year ago, when a lot of the fans last saw them compete. The fans were great, it was an awesome environment for our team to witness. Whenever a Chinook wrestler finished a match, the gym would erupt!"

"Saturday, we went to Lewistown with the girls. That was a tough tournament with a lot of double A schools there. We competed hard and lost a couple of close bouts, but that is why we went. I told the girls not to dwell on those losses but rather use those losses to motivate them to change some things before state."

Mari Anne Skoyen/Kerry Johnson Photos

Harlem's Head Coach, Jonny Baker, summarized his team's weekend by saying, " the boys wrestled and learned new lessons Friday night. They continue to test their discipline and mental game. We had some hard matches and learned the value of patience along the way. I am proud of these boys for continuing to show up with good attitudes and a desire to better themselves. We are hoping to get to a couple of mixers this week and finish up any anxieties they may still be holding on to."

"The girls went to Lewistown on Friday and Saturday for some mixed-class wrestling. The girls wrestling tournaments bring in an enormous amount of statewide action. We see kids we will see at the state level and it gives us a good gauge of where we're at. The girls wrestled well. We saw some tough matches and "ahah" moments among the rookies, that I'm hoping makes a change in their near future. I'm very pleased with their performance this weekend as they also prepare for the final push before divisional week."