Malta Wrestlers at Cowboy and Cowgirl Invitationals in Miles City

The Malta Wrestling teams had a total of three placers at the 64th Annual Cowboy Invitational and one placer at the Second Annual Cowgirl Invitational last weekend in Miles City.

Malta Head Coach Jake French is encouraged by his wrestlers' efforts at the two day event which started on Friday, January 13, and ended on Saturday, January 14.

"I really think that we had a turnaround weekend," Coach French told the PCN. "It was a tough tournament and I think that it was a lot tougher than last year and we did well."

Coach French said that there were teams from five different states at the meet, including teams from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

For the Malta Girls' Team, senior Isabel Hansen was Malta's lone varsity wrestler, and took third place in the 126 class at the Cowgirl meet. She was also selected as Malta's Co-Wrestler of the Week, alongside Colton Mears. Hansen wrestled in a total of nine matches and won seven, with her losses coming to eventual champion Meadow Mahlmeister of Lockwood, an eighth grader.

Hansen defeated Lockwod's Jaycee Britton in the third place match by pinfall at 2:42. Hanson went 5-1 at the Invitational, and all of her wins were by pin fall. She scored a total of 24 points at the event, enough points to place 14th out of the 25 girls teams.

The Boys team was 16th out of 30 teams at the Cowboy Invitational with a total of 65 points.

The boys team was led by senior Camryn Mears who went 3-1 and placed second in the 182 pound weight class. He scored a total of 24 points.

Mears lost the championship to Chinook's Tyler Schoen by 7-0 decision. Mears reached the championship match by defeating Tristan Pekas of Hettinger/Scranton by 7-3 decision.

Senior Spencer Gibbs went 5-1, placed third in the 205 weight class and scored 20 points for Malta. He defeated Nathan Arthur by pin fall at 1:37.

Gibbs' only loss came to Gering's Collin Schwatzkopf, who won the 205 championship.

Colton Mears was 4-3 and placed sixth in the 170 class. He scored 13 points for Malta.

Malta went undefeated in the junior varsity event, though results were not available.

"All of our wrestlers had a good tournament," Coach French said. "And we didn't get pinned as much."

Coach French said that every time a wrestler gets pinned, they need to do 25 burpees.

"This is the least amount (that we have had to do)," he said. "The most this weekend was 50 burpees. It was awesome. We were fighting off of our backs. I think we turned a corner this week and what a tournament to do it at. I'm really proud of the kids this weekend."

The following are the full results of the varsity matches at the Miles City Invitationals via Trackwrestling.

126: Isabel Hansen (5-1) placed 3rd and scored 24.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Isabel Hansen (Malta) 5-1 won by fall over Daneya Pretty Paint (Billings Senior) 3-10 (Fall 4:46). Quarterfinal - Meadow Mahlmeister (Lockwood) 3-0 won by fall over Isabel Hansen (Malta) 5-1 (Fall 1:44). Cons. Round 2 - Isabel Hansen (Malta) 5-1 won by fall over Avery Pedersen (Glasgow) 0-4 (Fall 0:52). Cons. Round 3 - Isabel Hansen (Malta) 5-1 won by fall over Braelyn Bartelson (Circle) 1-2 (Fall 0:33). Cons. Semi - Isabel Hansen (Malta) 5-1 won by fall over Taylee Moss (Billings Skyview) 3-5 (Fall 4:24). 3rd Place Match - Isabel Hansen (Malta) 5-1 won by fall over Jaycee Britton (Lockwood) 3-2 (Fall 2:42)

132 Kohner Shipman (24-14) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Reece Graves (Sidney) 25-5 won by tech fall over Kohner Shipman (Malta) 24-14 (TF-1.5 5:34 (18-1)). Cons. Round 1 - Kohner Shipman (Malta) 24-14 received a bye () (Bye). Cons. Round 2 - Kohner Shipman (Malta) 24-14 won by major decision over Wyatt Maynard (Billings Senior) 1-3 (MD 10-2). Cons. Round 3 - Trae DeSaveur (Livingston) 20-5 won by tech fall over Kohner Shipman (Malta) 24-14 (TF-1.5 1:47 (15-0)).

138: Straud Sims (22-13) place is unknown and scored 2.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Antonio Avila (Thunder Basin) 21-0 won by fall over Straud Sims (Malta) 22-13 (Fall 2:22). Cons. Round 1 - Straud Sims (Malta) 22-13 won by decision over Johnny Paxson (Miles City) 0-2 (Dec 3-0). Cons. Round 2 - Straud Sims (Malta) 22-13 won by decision over Trey Balzaldua (Billings Central) 9-16 (Dec 4-2). Cons. Round 3 - Jeff Kordonowy (Lockwood) 2-2 won by fall over Straud Sims (Malta) 22-13 (Fall 0:34).

145: Taylin Johannesen (0-2) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Richie Allison (Moorcroft) 1-2 won by fall over Taylin Johannesen (Malta) 0-2 (Fall 3:12). Cons. Round 1 - Aden Winder (Laurel) 22-9 won by fall over Taylin Johannesen (Malta) 0-2 (Fall 4:14).

160: Colton Honey (7-15) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Colton Honey (Malta) 7-15 received a bye () (Bye). Champ. Round 2 - Jaron Taylor (Circle) 4-1 won by fall over Colton Honey (Malta) 7-15 (Fall 4:20).

Cons. Round 2 - Colton Honey (Malta) 7-15 won by fall over Truck Lowrey (Moorcroft) 4-10 (Fall 2:26).Cons. Round 3 - Kaydence Littlewolf (Colstrip) 11-10 won by major decision over Colton Honey (Malta) 7-15 (MD 14-6).

170: Colton Mears (15-15) placed 6th and scored 13.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Colton Mears (Malta) 15-15 won by decision over Camdin Conk (Billings West) 1-2 (Dec 12-9). Champ. Round 2 - Tucker Shepardson (Livingston) 10-6 won by tech fall over Colton Mears (Malta) 15-15 (TF-1.5 4:22 (16-1)). Cons. Round 2 - Colton Mears (Malta) 15-15 received a bye () (Bye). Cons. Round 3 - Colton Mears (Malta) 15-15 won by fall over Robert Koyama (Hardin) 0-2 (Fall 3:57). Cons. Round 4 - Colton Mears (Malta) 15-15 won by fall over Wyatt Beddes (Shepherd) 10-15 (Fall 2:26). Cons. Round 5 - Colton Mears (Malta) 15-15 won by decision over Tucker Shepardson (Livingston) 10-6 (Dec 5-4). Cons. Semi - Deyton Johnson (Thunder Basin) 14-6 won by decision over Colton Mears (Malta) 15-15 (Dec 5-0). 5th Place Match - James Long (Moorcroft) 13-5 won by decision over Colton Mears (Malta) 15-15 (Dec 7-2).

182: Camryn Mears (19-8) placed 2nd and scored 24.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Camryn Mears (Malta) 19-8 received a bye () (Bye). Champ. Round 2 - Camryn Mears (Malta) 19-8 won by fall over Jace Schaible (Billings Central) 9-10 (Fall 1:32). Quarterfinal - Camryn Mears (Malta) 19-8 won by fall over Wyatt Allred (Moorcroft) 10-13 (Fall 1:07). Semifinal - Camryn Mears (Malta) 19-8 won by decision over Tristan Pekas (Hettinger/Scranton) 20-9 (Dec 7-3). 1st Place Match - Tyler Schoen (Chinook) 4-0 won by decision over Camryn Mears (Malta) 19-8 (Dec 7-0).

205: Spencer Gibbs (24-5) placed 3rd and scored 20.0 team points.Champ. Round 1 - Spencer Gibbs (Malta) 24-5 won by decision over Zane Cox (Livingston) 14-8 (Dec 11-4). Champ. Round 2 - Spencer Gibbs (Malta) 24-5 won by fall over Auggie Bouchard (Billings Senior) 5-16 (Fall 0:58). Quarterfinal - Spencer Gibbs (Malta) 24-5 won by decision over Jaiden Gibson (Miles City) 3-2 (Dec 4-2). Semifinal - Collin Schwartzkopf (Gering) 20-1 won by fall over Spencer Gibbs (Malta) 24-5 (Fall 5:30). Cons. Semi - Spencer Gibbs (Malta) 24-5 won by decision over Taydon Gorsuch (Gering) 17-6 (Dec 4-2). 3rd Place Match - Spencer Gibbs (Malta) 24-5 won by fall over Nathan Arthur (Lockwood) 4-2 (Fall 1:37).