Keeling, Mears, Mikesell, place at State

Despite having only four wrestlers, the Malta Mustangs Wrestling team ended the year with three wrestlers on the podium, and scored 55.5 points, and placed 11th as a team at the 2021 State B Wrestling Tournament at Shelby High School last Saturday.

"I'm really excited," Malta Head Coach Jake French said. "I am really excited for Jaden and excited for all of our wrestlers. They wrestled hard."

Senior Jaden Keeling led the Mustangs with a third-place finish in the heavyweight class and 24 points scored. He pinned five of his six opponents, including Chinook's Wyatt Dunbar at 4:14 in the third-place match.

"I stayed solid and wrestled hard," Keeling said. "It feels really good especially after having only one-and-a-half years of wrestling."

Coach French went on record and said that Keeling was the team's most improved wrestler of the year this season.

Keeling's lone loss was in the quarterfinals by the hand of Glasgow's Mayson Phipps, who won the heavyweight title.

Sophomore Camryn Mears took home third place, in the 160-pound weight class, pinning Max Hannum of Thompson Falls at 1:26 in the consolation finals.

"I am feeling good," Mears said after his win. "It's nice to win the last match of the season and it's going to be a fun bus ride home."

Mears was able to pin his opponent by cradle after Hannum slipped and did a split on the mat.

Cameron Mikesell placed sixth in the 126 weight class. He qualified for placing by defeating Chase Kirkland of Three Forks in the quarter-finals by 17-4 major decision.

"I knew that he was strong and he had a really good high-crotch, so I had to switch up my style and adapt," Mikesell said.

Mikesell was the first Mustang to get into day two, winning his first two matches on Friday, pinning Whitehall's Dane Hoover in the opening round at 4:28, and then Kirkland.

"I knew that I only had to win two matches to get to the semis and then I wouldn't have to wrestle anymore, so I had to win those matches," Mikesell said.

When asked what he thought of state wrestling being at a smaller venue instead of at Billings MetraPark, Mikesell said that he had no feeling about the change.

Mears later earned his way into the 160 semifinals. He said that he was happy to reach the state semis for the first time in his high school career. He defeated Hunter Haskins of Superior Alberton by pinfall in the quarterfinals.

"He was kind of gassed and I knew that I had a lot more energy than him because he was in an overtime match before. I pushed the pace and kept the pressure on him."

Mears reached the quarterfinals after his opening opponent left the match due to injury. Mears would go on to lose his semifinal match to Wylee Lindeen of Huntley Project by 3-1 decision.

Mears was more critical of the running of the tournament in Shelby because the first day ran three hours late and the uncomfortable seating, but he said he enjoyed himself.

"There was a bigger turnout than I thought that there would be and a lot more kids," Mears said.

Mears defeated Fairfield's Miguel Perez by 19-2 tech fall in 3:48 in the consolation semifinals to reach the third-place match.

Senior Colt French also wrestled for Malta in the 182-pound class, but lost in the first round of consolation to Peter Johnson of Simms by 8-2 decision. French lost his opening match to Dane Chojnacky of Thompson Falls by 11-2 major decision.

Coach French was asked how he thought the season ended given the team's weight changes, COVID-19, and other adversities throughout the year.

"They kept their heads level," Coach French said. "We all went through adversity and they grew and they battled through. It makes me feel good as a coach."