A contingent of Broadus wrestlers traveled to the Huntley Project Invitational Tournament on Saturday.
With teams from the larger Billings schools as well as other teams from throughout the area, competition was stiff, but Broadus wrestlers were able to place and earn team points. Broadus took a young team to Huntley, with a number of 8th and 9th graders making the trip.
In the 103 lb class, AJ Schoenbeck placed 8th and scored 8.0 team points. AJ pinned two opponents, and was pinned three times. Coach Schoonover told us AJ (a Freshman) dropped down in weight to wrestle at 103, and was able to manhandle some of his opponents, which is a change from last season when AJ was hovering around 93-95 lbs but still wrestling 103 lb opponents. This change in size necessitates a change in style, Schoonover said, and AJ is still figuring that style out.
In the 152 lb weight class, Hunter Stanton lost two matches in his first competition. Frankie told us the 8th grader shows promise but just needs that all important mat time, and each trip out there is a learning experience for the young wrestler.
Collin Weatherell, at 160 lbs, beat two opponents and lost two, scoring 6.0 team points. Collin is another 9th grader on the team, and Schoonover said he wrestled great in the meet and is one step away from the podium in a tough weight class.
Wrestling at 205 lbs, Reuben Kinzer placed second, scoring 24.0 points. He beat two opponents and lost one match. Reuben has been working his way up the podium each tournament this season.
In the heavyweight class, Freshman wrestler Kordell Schonenbach pinned two opponents and lost two matches. Kordell won 7.0 team points for Broadus. This meet marked Kordell’s first wins in his high school career, as he used his physical strength to overpower his competitors.
Macyn McDowell won two matches and lost two, placing 3rd in the girls 126 class. “Macyn is awesome,” Schoonover said of the 9th grader. “She’s a super hard worker and has so much energy that her opponents don’t like that – she simply outlasts them. As she learns the moves to go with that energy she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
Bonita Kinzer placed 4th in the girls 138, pinning an opponent and losing two matches. Kinzer is only an 8th grader, and had been fighting a cold throughout the week so her calculated style was an advantage as she expended energy where necessary and saved it for important moments…which is a handy skill to have when she came off the mat with blue lips from being short on oxygen from illness.
Novalee Blakeman lost two matches in the Girls 165 class, placing third. Frankie said that Novalee continues to wrestle longer matches and improve in practice, as she searches for her first win.
Aspen Krantz placed 5th in the girls heavyweight class, winning one out of four matches.
“Aspen is a competitive wrestler with a great work ethic,” the coach commented. “She pushes herself to be better, and it shows as she’s placed in every tournament.”
Broadus had 45.0 points as a team, placing 17th out of 20 team at the meet.
Frankie said that the Huntley meet was a great tournament overall for the team, as even with a revolving cast of wrestlers the team continues to place and do well overall.
Schoonover wanted to give a huge shoutout to Cody Kinzer, Steph Schaffer, and Assistant Coach Wyatt Williams for all their help with the team so far this season, and to his managers Talyn Conley and Riley Mitchell for the immense amount of work they do to help the team win.
The team’s next meet will be in Hettinger, North Dakota, on January 5th and 6th. Schoonover noted that Christmas break is a lesson in self discipline for the team – it’s a good time for recovery but also easy to become out of shape, and it takes a lot longer to get back into shape than to stay in shape.
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