With the high school season complete, the wrestling world this month enjoyed a short middle school campaign — and Panthers were in the thick of things.
Wrestlers from Boulder, Clancy and Montana City schools competed together as one team in several mixers and two major tournaments. Members included sixth graders Dillon Jackson, Conagher Lian, Jenna Richard and Corbin Robinson; seventh graders Jacob Buckley, Joseph Deichert-Fitzgerald, Riggins Mikesell, Rider Schreiner and Kahner Wing; and eighth graders Daniel Ahkivgak, Jack D’Ambra, Kayle Deichert-Fitzgerald, Walker Duenas, Mason Gallert, Bella Hays, Rocky LaLiberty, Isabella Mikesell, Anya Schatzel and Jesten Sullivan.
The Boulder/Clancy/Montana City squad traveled to the Butte Civic Center on March 7 for the Mining City Middle School Tournament. There, a program-record three Panthers were crowned champions: Buckley, Deichert-Fitzgerald and Isabella Mikesell. Duenas, Hays and Riggins Mikesell each placed third; Richard was fourth; and Ahkivgak, Deichert-Fitzgerald, Gallert, Lian, Sullivan and Schatzel finished in fifth place.
As a team, Boulder/Clancy/Montana City finished in ninth place, their highest finish ever. Middle school tournaments aren’t separated into AA, A and B/C divisions as in high school competitions, so finishing so high amid much bigger schools was a great accomplishment. (If divisions has been observed, the Panthers would have been third among B/C schools.)
On March 14 the team competed in the Dillon Jaycee Tournament. Just 10 athletes competed in this event, putting Boulder/Clancy/Montana City into the small team division. Still, eight young Panthers found the awards podium, with D’Ambra and Richard finishing as champions. Gallert placed second while Riggins Mikesell and Wing were third. Ahkivgak and Sullivan were fourth, and Schatzel finished in fifth place. Jackson and Robinson battled hard, but the 6th graders were unable to reach the podium.
Overall, the Panthers finished second in the small team division, the third straight year they’ve brought home a trophy from this competition.
This marks the end of the middle school season. But several of the middle schoolers will continue on with club wrestling, where they’ll be joined by some high school Panthers. Jefferson High School wrestling has a bright future with a so many talented athletes in the pipeline.
