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The Blue Hawk wrestling team traveled to Billings for the Montana state all-class wrestling tournament, with four of their five wrestlers earning a trip to state and battling from start to finish. Two Hawks earned medals in Billings, with Roman Sparks finishing second and Trae Thilmony earning third place.

Sophomore Sparks led the Hawks with a second-place finish in the 120-pound bracket. Sparks' championship match was a familiar sight as he met returning state champion Gunnar Smith of Eureka. The two battled for the Western B-C division championship the weekend before, with Smith winning 2-0. Smith again got the best of Sparks in the state championship, winning the title with an 8-0 major decision.

"Roman wrestled a great tournament," Blue Hawk Coach Ian Taylor said. "We're very proud of him."

Sparks started his fight to the championship against Cody St. Clair of Boulder, pinning him in 1:20. In the quarterfinals, Sparks earned a 7-2 decision over Ashton Christman of Huntley Project. That set Sparks up for a semifinal match Saturday against Camron Reilly of Forsyth, also a returning state champion. Sparks and Reilly went three periods, with Sparks coming out on top in a 4-3 decision. "Roman was in control of that match from start to finish," Taylor said.

The win over Reilly in the semifinal moved Sparks into the divisional rematch with Smith, who was injured in his own semifinal match against Colstrip's Zach Valdez. Smith still bested Sparks in the championship for a second state title.

Thilmony, a freshman, earned a quick pin against Lily Grismer of Cascade in 1:10 in his first match of the state tournament. In the quarterfinals, he met Circle's Bryson Bartelson, winning in a 11-1 major decision. That put Thilmony in the semifinals Saturday morning against Columbus/Absarokee's Tanner Cook, the first-place finisher in the Southern Division. Cook pinned Thilmony in 3 minutes and went on to win the 113-pound championship. "He is a tough upperclassman," Taylor said of Cook.

The loss pushed the Thompson Falls wrestler into the consolation bracket. There, Thilmony met Cook's teammate Brady Ellison. Thilmony pinned Ellison in one minute, setting up a rematch in the consolation finals between Thilmony and Circle's Tugg Taylor. Taylor and Thilmony were 1-1 for the season going into the consolation final match. Thilmony took the advantage, and the third-place medal at state, with a 12-7 decision over Taylor. Thilmony said the match against Taylor was similar to their other meetings this year, but the freshman stayed focused and came up the winner.

"Trae will come back next year stronger than ever," Taylor said. "To come back from a loss and dominate two tough kids in the consolation was super. He wasn't going to be denied third place."

During the consolation final, Hawk assistant coach Mike Thilmony, Trae's dad, had a special surprise for his son. Coach Thilmony donned a tie that his wife had made for him. The tie was made using a drawing that Trae had made for his dad when he was 7 years old, the first year they moved to Thompson Falls and became Blue Hawks, and Mike wore it for the championship matches.

Taylor said Coach Thilmony is a good fit as an assistant coach. "He worked hard for the team this seaons and I'm happy to have his help.

Shane Reishus and Dakota Irvine also wrestled for the Blue Hawks at the state tournament, in the 126 and 182-pound brackets, respectively. Reishus, a Noxon freshman wrestling for Thompson Falls, wrestled Whitehall's Trenton Walker in his first match of the state tournament, losing by pin in 3:50. Reishus, who finished second at divisionals in Thompson Falls, then fell in 4:20 to Canyon Casterline of Circle.

"Shane is young," Taylor said, "but we're happy with the season he had. He's a good hard worker."

Annie Wooden

CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT - Hawk sophomore Roman Sparks tries to escape the clutches of Eureka's Gunnar Smith during the 120-pound Class B-C title match Saturday.

At 182 pounds, Irvine pinned his first opponent, Carter Morgan of Choteau, in 4:40 before falling to Colstrip's Nakoda Siegel in the quarterfinals by pin in 3:32. In the consolation bracket, Irvine met up once again with Trey Green of Clark Fork (a collaboration of Superior and Alberton). Green, who beat Irvine in the division championship the week before, was upset in the first round by Keegan Goddard of Columbus/Absarokee. Coach Taylor said they weren't expecting that upset, or the rematch with Green in the consolation bracket. "It was a tough draw" for the junior wrestler said Taylor, who is already looking forward to next year. "We're going to get Dakota on the podium next year."

Taylor is looking forward to having all his wrestlers back next year, and doing some work in the off-season. He noted that later this month, the team will have their post-season banquet. Each year, Taylor gives out an award for outstanding wrestler of the year. He noted that this year, that decision will be particularly tough, as he had two wrestlers earn their way to the podium in Billings and finish strong seasons. "That's going to be a tough decision to make," Taylor said.