Wrestlers Kick Off Season in Havre

The Malta Wrestling Team saw their first action of the season last weekend in Havre, at the Havre Mixer and Havre Invitational Events.

"Everyone did well this weekend," Malta Head Coach Jake French said. "We had a total of 28 wins and 19 losses, well over 50 percent."

Malta will host a Mixer event with Fairfield, and possibly Choteau, this Thursday, December 8, at 6:00 p.m. and all are welcome to attend. The event will be held at the Malta High School gymnasium.

This past weekend, Malta was led by senior Spencer Gibbs who went 7-0 last weekend despite having to wrestle in a combined class of wrestlers consisting of 205 pounders and heavyweights.

"He had a good weekend," Head Coach Jake French said. "That was pretty awesome of him to handle that challenge and just dominate."

He was 4-0 at the mixer and 3-0 in the tournament.

Gibbs won his championship match in the 285 class against Pierce Caplette of Havre by 15-2 Major Decision.

Gibbs pinned Havre's Brandon Healy in :42 in the 285 semi-final round.

Colton Mears took second place in the 170 weight class after Fergus' Wyat Elam earned an 11-2 victory by Major Decision in the Championship Round. Colton was 1-1 in the Mixer and 1-1 in the tournament. He earned a trip to the 170 championship by pinning Havre's Landen Caplette in 1:52 during the semi-finals.

Kohner "Chaka" Schipman took second in the 132 pound class after pinning Butte Central's Marcus Shuley in 1:51. He was 2-1 in the mixer and 2-1 in the tournament.

Isabel "Izzy" Hansen earned third place in the 126 class after she was pinned by Havre's McKenna Caplette in 2:41. Hansen was 1-2 at the tournament and 1-1 in the mixer.

Taylin Johannesen went 0-3 at the mixer, but bounced back by going 2-3 during the tournament and took fourth in the 145 class after he was pinned in the Consolation Finals by Chinook's Lane Snyder in 1:14.

Johannesen reached the Consolation Finals by pinning Fergus' Richard Clark in :24.

Senior Camryn "Reggie" Mears went 3-1 in the tournament and 3-0 in the mixer, and took fifth place by pinning Lewistown's Seth Hicks in 2:46 in the 182 Consolation Semifinals.

Colton Honey took fifth place in the 160 class after pinning Chinook's Wyatt Olmstead in :48.

Straud Sims went 3-2 last weekend. He was 2-0 in the mixer and 1-2 at the invitational.

Ava Hanson was 0-2 in the mixer. Hanson did not wrestle during the tournament.

Hanson and Hansen are the first girls to wrestle with Malta in recent history.

"Ava had to bump up to a weight class heavier than her and it was the first time that she had ever wrestled as far as I know," Coach French said.

Coach French said that she improved from her first to second match.

The coaching staff was pleased with the team's outing this weekend, but they know that there is plenty of work to be done.

"It is the beginning of the season, so we are showing technique more so than conditioning, so that showed a little bit this weekend," Coach French said. "But we will whip them into shape these next few weeks and hopefully that helps."

He said that the team was pretty excited on the trip back to Malta and that they spent time watching film with the coaches.

"It seems like they are taking criticism constructively, so we are looking forward to the rest of the season," Coach French said.