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 3rd.
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
| ROUND # ð | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| TIME ð | 10:00A | 11:30A | 1:00P | 2:30P | 4:00P | 5:30P | 7:00P |
POOL | SCHOOL | ê ê ê MAT # ê ê ê | ||||||
1 | Glacier | 2 |
|
| 5 |
| 3 |
|
1 | Sentinel |
| 1 |
| 5 |
|
| 1 |
1 | West | 2 |
|
|
| 1 |
| 1 |
1 | Belgrade |
| 1 |
|
| 1 | 3 |
|
2 | GFH | 3 |
|
| 4 |
|
| 2 |
2 | Flathead | 3 |
|
|
| 2 |
| 3 |
2 | Conrad |
|
| 4 |
| 2 |
| 2 |
2 | Ronan |
|
| 4 | 4 |
|
| 3 |
3 | Corvallis | 1 |
|
| 3 |
| 2 |
|
3 | Big Sky |
| 2 | 3 |
|
| 2 |
|
3 | Huntley |
| 2 |
| 3 | 5 |
|
|
3 | Butte | 1 |
| 3 |
| 5 |
|
|
4 | Skyview | 4 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 5 |
4 | Polson |
|
| 5 |
| 3 |
| 5 |
4 | Beaverhead |
|
| 5 | 2 |
|
| 4 |
4 | Helena High | 4 |
|
|
| 3 |
| 4 |
5 | Senior |
| 4 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
|
5 | Anaconda |
| 4 |
|
| 4 |
| 1st open |
5 | Sidney |
| 5 |
|
|
| 1 | 1st open |
5 | Capital |
| 5 |
| 1 | 4 |
|
|
6 | Havre |
| 3 | 1 |
|
| 5 |
|
6 | Bozeman | 5 |
| 2 |
|
| 5 | |
6 | C Falls |
| 3 | 1 |
|
| 4 |
|
6 | CMR | 5 |
| 2 |
|
| 4 | |
SATURDAY
MAT TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE. MATCHES WILL START AT CONCLUSION OF PREVIOUS MATCH
| ROUND # ð | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| TIME ð | 9:00A | 10:30 | 12:00 | 1:30P | 3:00P | 4:30P | 6:00P |
PLACE | SCHOOL | ê ê ê MAT # ê ê ê | ||||||
| WINNER POOL 1 | WCP 1MAT 1 | 1 vs 2 MAT 1 | ||||||
| RUNNER -UP POOL 4 | WCP 4 | 3 vs 4 MAT 2 | ||||||
| RUNNER -UP POOL 5 | WCP 3 MAT 2 | |||||||
| WINNER POOL 2 | WCP 2 | |||||||
| RUNNER -UP POOL 3 | 2CP1 MAT 1 | |||||||
| RUNNER -UP POOL 6 | 3CP4 | |||||||
| WINNER POOL 3 | 2CP2 MAT 2 | |||||||
| WINNER POOL 6 | 3CP3 | |||||||
| RUNNER -UP POOL 2 | 2CP3 MAT 3 | |||||||
| WINNER POOL 4 | 3CP2 | |||||||
| WINNER POOL 5 | 2CP4 MAT 4 | |||||||
| RUNNER -UP POOL 1 | 3CP1 | |||||||
| 3RD POOL 1 | ||||||||
| 4TH POOL 5 | ||||||||
| 4TH POOL 4 | ||||||||
| 3RD POOL 2 | ||||||||
| 4TH POOL 6 | ||||||||
| 4TH POOL 3 | ||||||||
| 3RD POOL 3 | ||||||||
| 3RD POOL 6 | ||||||||
| 4TH POOL 2 | ||||||||
| 3RD POOL 4 | ||||||||
| 3RD POOL 5 | ||||||||
| 4TH POOL 1 | ||||||||
