Chinook boys shine with a fourth-place finish at State

What a weekend for the Chinook wrestling teams.

At the 2026 All-Class State Wrestling Tournament last weekend in Billings, the Chinook boys nearly climbed their way to a trophy as the Sugarbeeters scored 82 points to finish fourth in the Class B standings.

Chinook's strong finish at the Metra in Billings was aided by an outstanding performance from Charlie Buck at 103 pounds. Buck reached the final of the 103-pound bracket. Buck was pinned by Huntley Project's Brogan Burton in the final, but it was still a special tournament for Buck, who went 3-1. In the last two weeks, his only losses were in the finals at the Eastern A and the B-C state championship match.

In all, Chinook sent four grapplers to the podium, including Julian Powell, who placed fourth at 215 pounds. It was a long tournament for Powell, who fell to Darby's Eli Spross in the consolation match.

At 132 pounds, Hayden Berreth won his fifth-sixth-place match to finish fifth for the Beeters. Berreth beat Choteau's Blake Hodkiss in the fifth-place match. Joining Berreth was Patrick McKenzie, who finished fifth after beating Poplar's Jaden Eder in the fifth-place match.

Chinook's team was strengthened at state by Griffen Crowley at 165 pounds, Kegan Green at 144 pounds, Owen Davies at 175, and Sam Sanders at 126.

Huntley Project won the Class B championship yet again with 286.5 points, easily pulling away from Glasgow, which finished second, and Malta, which finished third. Circle repeated as the Class C champion, while Fort Benton was second, Cascade was third, and Big Sandy finished fourth.

The Chinook girls also saw two grapplers reach the podium last weekend in Billings. Lynley Conrad wrestled her way to a seventh-place finish at 170 pounds, while Kimber Klein was eighth at 100 pounds. Bailey Billmayer also competed for the Sugarbeeters at state. The Harlem girls also got an outstanding second-place finish by Emma Klingaman at 135 pounds. Conrad won the Class B girls title, while Fort Benton finished first in Class C with 97 points, and Big Sandy earned a third-place trophy.

Class B top five team scores

Huntley Project 286.5, Glasgow 173.5, Malta 113, Chinook 82, Colstrip 78.5.

Individual order of finish

103

Championship: Brogan Burton, Huntley Project, p. Charlie Buck, Chinook, 1:58.

132

Fifth place: Hayden Berreth, Chinook, m. for., Blake Hodgskiss, Choteau.

175

Fifth place: Patrick Mckenzie, Chinook, md. Jaden Eder, Poplar, 17-3.

215

Third place: Eli Spross, Darby, p. Julian Powell, Chinook, 0:52.

Girls

Class B top five team scores

Conrad 85.5, Baker 70, Glasgow 64, Manhattan 47.5, Choteau 41.

Individual order of finish

135

Championship: Cadence Weis, Laurel, p. Emma Klingaman, Harlem, 4:15.