Can Leo Anderson be stopped? Yes, it turns out – but not by many. The Jefferson High sophomore placed third at last weekend’s B/C State Wrestling Tournament, besting his fourth-place finish last year.
The Panthers sent five wrestlers to the all-class Friday and Saturday at the Metra Center in Billings. Besides Anderson at 103 pounds, Cody St. Clair wrestled at 120, John Armstrong at 138, Dakota Dorn at 182, and Matt Riehl at 205.
In the first round, Anderson and Riehl secured wins, Anderson by pin. This put them both into the quarterfinals, where Anderson won by pin once more, guaranteeing himself a spot on the awards podium. Riehl lost and would wrestle in the consolation bracket with his teammates.
In the first consolation round, St. Clair, Armstrong and Dorn all won, with Armstrong notching a pin. A win in the next round would qualify the wrestlers for the second day of competition. Unfortunately, all four lost and were eliminated, leaving only Anderson to compete in day two. At the end of the day Jefferson was in 19th place, among 41 schools, with 22 points.
In Saturday’s semifinal, Anderson lost a hard fought 8-4 decision to end his hopes of competing for the championship. But he won by major decision, 9-0 in the consolation semifinals. And in the consolation finals, he registered a second-period pin to finish in third place, putting himself among the state’s elite wresters.
That win was Anderson’s 42nd on the season, tying the JHS season record. Anderson also had 39 pins, a new JHS season record. Jefferson maintained its position in the middle of the pack, finishing in 21st place.
