Thompson Falls youth wrestlers divided and conquered last week as the Little Guys competed in the Valley Tournament in Superior Saturday, while four other Falls grapplers went at it in the three-day Montana AAU tourney in Great Falls last weekend.

In the Valley Little Guy tournament, the first qualifier for the State tourney in Kalispell in two weeks, several Falls Little Guys earned berths into the next qualifier, the Inter-Valley tournament in Stevensville this Saturday.

Isaiah Sprecher won second place in the Middle – 70 pound class in Superior, Liam Pallister earned third place in the Novice-85 division, Noa Stevens won fourth at Novice-100, and Michael Koskela placed seventh at Novice-65.

Those four Falls Guys and all Beginner wrestlers are now eligible for the Inter-Valley in Stevi this week.

Reported incorrectly last week, Tristan Kelly actually won second place in the Beginner-55 class at the Kootenai Classic in Libby a week earlier.

Blue Hawk Wrestling Club coach Mike Thilmony accompanied Elijah Ratliff, Max Hannum, Trae Thilmony and Roman Sparks to the Montana AAU Folkstyle tournament in Great Falls last week and reports that all four of those grapplers performed very well in that event.

The tournament was wrestled off at Great Falls High School, and Sunday doubled as a qualifier for Montana teams making their pilgrimage to Des Moines, Iowa for the annual National Duals tournament. The Montana AAU is truly an open tournament, with competitors from all corners of the Big Sky Country, including from the bigger towns and programs.

“This brings in kids from all over the state, from towns and schools of all sizes from around Montana,” coach Thilmony said. “To do well in this tournament really says something because the competition there can be brutal.”

Ratliff led the Falls grapplers in Great Falls by winning third place in the Schoolboy – 105 pound division, Hannum claimed sixth in the Schoolboy-115 class, Trae Thilmony won sixth at Cadet-106 and Sparks did not place at Cadet-120.

After sticking around Sunday through the qualifying competition for the Montana National Duals team, which will head to Iowa March 27 for competition with other teams from around the nation March 29-31, Trae Thilmony qualified on the No. 2 Montana team at 105 pounds, and Ratliff earned an alternate slot for his weight.

Coach Thilmony will accompany those two to Des Moines, and says Hannum and Sparks could still eventually earn invites as well. “They could still be selected, depending on whether other kids cannot go for some reason,” he said, “and we are still hoping they will be able to go with us.”

This will be the second trip to Iowa for Trae and Elijah, as both also made the grade and competed in the big event in Iowa last year.

“Wrestling tournaments like this has elevated our program,” coach Thilmony said, “and is beginning to prove out with our high school team, too. Quality competition like this only makes our kids better in the long run.”