Scottie Wrestlers Finish Sixth Overall In Havre

The Glasgow wrestling team got some big performances from its veterans and a few surprises from its freshmen this weekend, finishing sixth at the Havre Invitational.

The Scotties were the top Class B/C finisher at the tournament, beating out Fort Benton and Chinook with 92 points. Great Falls won the tournament, scoring 313 points.

“We went in there with individual goals in mind,” head coach Byron Hallock said. “The team thing we're not really worried about until we get our full team.”

Glasgow senior Luke Zeiger highlighted the tournament getting in a pair of battles with fellow three-time state champion Cole Mendenhall, of Great Falls. Zeiger beat Mendenhall in pool play on Friday, winning 9-7 in triple overtime after the Bison wrestler cut him loose in the final frame and was unable to make a move late. The two met again in the 140-pound finals on Saturday, where Mendenhall got the best of Zeiger, winning another close match, 6-5.

“They were great matches,” Hallock said. “Both times they got a standing ovation, which they should. Neither one held anything back. It was just fun to watch. As a coach you just live for those days, and as a fan, that's what you pay the money for. As a parent, I'm sure their parents were over the edge. That's what makes wrestling wrestling.”

This is the second year in a row Zeiger has wrestled a three-time state champion, having beat Billings Senior's Tanner Sprenkle in a close match at the Cowboy Classic last season. Sprenkle went on to win a fourth state title at State last season.

“Those were both some of the best matches that I have ever been wrestled in the state in my opinion,” Hallock said. “Obviously, I'm a little biased.”

Zeiger's wasn't the only strong performance in Havre. Senior 160-pounder Ryan Bergtoll finished second in his weight class, clearing through the division before being pinned in the final by Havre's Kameron Pribyl, who finished in third place at 152 pounds in Class A last season.

“Ryan wrestled really well,” Hallock said. “He beat this kid from Libby (Dylan Berget), who was third in Class A last year (160 pounds). Then in the finals he lost to the Havre kid who is really good.”

Freshman lightweight Jake Shawver finished in third at 105 pounds, pinning CMR's Mike Enochs in 2:32 in the consolation final. Shawver lost to Enochs in pool play on Saturday and was beating him 8-1 before he pinned him in the third-place match.

Junior Robbie Henville finished fifth in his weight class and freshman Joe Doney took sixth at heavyweight.

“Overall it was a really good learning experience for our team,” Hallock said. “There was no JV matches, just varsity so some kids had to learn in a hurry.”

The meet was a chance for much of the team to wrestle in its first meet. The Scotties have 10 freshmen out this season, many of whom have no wrestling experience.

“They got to see what those matches look like,” Hallock said. “I think they were all surprised at how intense it was. We do it in practice but it's not the same until you get out there. So they got to see it and some took to it and others were a little bit deer in the headlights. It was a good, fun weekend.”

This week will be busy for the Glasgow wrestlers. The varsity wrestles in Lewistown on Thursday and hosts the Glasgow Invitational on Saturday. In between, the JV will make a trip to the Wolf Point Mixer.

“The young kids will get a lot of matches. They'll get about 10 matches over the week. That's what we need is a lot of mat time.”