The Mining City Duals wrestling tourney celebrates its silver anniversary this weekend, as athletes from around the state converge on Butte High’s gymnasiums for the two-day event.

Butte High joins 12 of the other 13 Class AA schools (Hellgate won’t compete), as well as nine Class A and two Class B-C powers. The Bulldogs open competition Friday at 10 a.m. against defending state team champion Corvallis, as the teams will meet on mat 1 in the Ross J. Richardson memorial gym.

“We feel pretty good about it,” said first-year Butte High head coach Jim Bob Humphrey. “We’ve got the flu bug knocking us around a bit right now, but other than that we’re pretty excited.”

The flu has struck Butte High hardest at 130 pounds, where both Willy Shea and Gage Weston reside this weekend.

“They’ve both got a touch of the flu,” Humphrey said. “We’ll wait until it’s time to go and stick with whichever one is healthiest.”

As a member of Pool 3 (see full schedule and tournament history at the end of the story), Butte High is joined by Corvallis, Missoula Big Sky and Huntley Project.

“”Right now we’re only focused on Corvallis,” Humphrey said, though Butte wrestles Big Sky at 1 p.m. and Huntley Project at 4. “We just want to focus on what we have to do. Our goal is to get out of our pool on top, but Corvallis is as tough as anyone. We control our own destiny, if we take care of business.”

Following last weekend’s opening action, which included a third-place showing at the Helena Invitational, Butte has been hard at it in the practice room.

“We’ve had an awesome week of practice,” Humphrey said. “A lot of us are battling the flu, but we got in a ton of work and we’re looking forward to Friday. We’ve really been beating up each other all week.”

Butte is basically the same as last weekend, though Kelly Merrick went down to 105, leaving Bridger Mooney in the 112-pound slot. Daniel Kloepfel will also debut in the lineup at 189, as Blake Kraus is nursing an injured shoulder.

Conditioning played a role in a few of last week’s matches against Kalispell Flathead and Glacier, but the Bulldogs are certainly working on it. Rumor is, the workouts are tougher than ever.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you tougher,” Humphrey said with a sly laugh. “We’re working really hard. One of our goals is to be the best conditioned team in the state.”

Butte High MCD lineup

98 – Blake Bowen; 105 – Kelly Merrick; 112 – Bridger Mooney; 119 – Braxton Henningsen; 125 – Joey Blunt; 130 – Willy Shea or Gage Weston; 135 – Levi Renz; 140 – Jarret Rowling; 145 – Tommy Challeen; 152 – Bryce Armstrong; 160 – Nick Challeen; 171 – Lee Cannon; 189 – Daniel Kloepfel; 215 – Johnny Walker; 285 – Billy Robinson

              Mining City Duals top-four history  

                    First                                 Second                        Third                               Fourth  

2011 — Glacier                             Great Falls                  Senior and Skyview didn’t wrestle for 3^rd.

2010 —Bozeman                        Flathead                      Glacier                             Havre

2009 — Flathead                          Havre                           Glacier                             Great Falls

2008 — Havre                               Skyview                       CMR                                Bozeman

2007 — Flathead                          Havre                           Great Falls                      CMR

2006 — Havre                               Flathead                      Great Falls                      CMR

2005 —Sidney                              Flathead                      Skyview                           Havre

2004 — Havre                               Skyview                       Flathead                         Butte

2003 — Skyview                          Butte                           Sidney                              Flathead

2002 —Butte                               Flathead                      Skyview                          Sidney

2001 — Skyview                          Butte                           Great Falls                     Bozeman

2000 —Great Falls                      Skyview                      Sidney                             Butte

1999 — CMR                                 Col. Falls                     Havre                              Sidney

1998 —Great Falls                      Skyview                      Sidney                              Havre

1997 — Skyview                          Butte                           Great Falls                      Flathead

1996 — Skyview                          Butte                            CMR                                Col.Falls

1995 — CMR                                 Dillon                           Polson                            Butte

1994 —West                                Butte                            Great Falls                      CMR

1993 — West                                Butte                           Bozeman                       Col.Falls

1992 —Butte                               Flathead                      West                                Great Falls

1991 —Butte                               Hellgate                      Flathead                         Bozeman

1990 —Bismarck,ND                Butte                           Great Falls                      Hellgate

1989 —Butte                               Flathead                     Eureka                             Capital

1988 —Butte                               Flathead                      Big Sky                             Dillon

15 – Butte has five firsts, seven seconds and three fourths, though the Bulldogs haven’t placed since 2004.

13 – Flathead won twice, was second seven times, third twice and fourth twice.

10 – Skyview finished first four times, second four times and third twice.

9 – Havre has won three times, placed second twice, third once and fourth three times – a.. in the last 13 years.

MINING CITY DUALS WRESTLING TOURNEY

 FRIDAY December 7, 2012

MAT TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE.  MATCHES WILL START AT CONCLUSION OF PREVIOUS MATCH

 
                  SATURDAY

MAT TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE.  MATCHES WILL START AT CONCLUSION OF PREVIOUS MATCH