Three Mustang Champs Crowned at Malta Invitational

The Malta Mustang Wrestling Teams hosted the home mixer and the Malta Invitational last weekend at the MHS Gymnasium.

Malta will head to Wolf Point this weekend for the Eastern B/C Divisional Tournament. The event begins on Friday, February 2, and ends on Saturday, February 3, at Wolf Point High School.

In all, Malta had three top finishers, and seven wrestlers finished in the top six in Malta.

As a team, the Malta/Whitewater boys finished sixth with 85 points. Choteau won with 163.5 points. Billings Central/Joliet was second with 134 points, Glasgow was third with 116, Chinook was fourth with 101.5, and Havre was fifth with 88 points.

The Malta Girls finished fifth as a team with 18 points. Choteau won the girls' tourney with 59 points, Glasgow was second with 45, Wolf Point was third with 40.5, and Havre was fourth with 26 points.

Malta teammates Kohner "Chaka" Schipman and Trooper Stiles squared off in the 138 class championship. Ultimately, Schipman pinned Stiles at 1:18.

"It feels good," Schipman said of earning the title. "I know I won it last year here as well and it feels good. It felt good to wrestle my own teammate because to get here he beat a kid that he hasn't before and that was great to watch."

He said that he was also happy to see Stiles in the championship because they work with each other in practice everyday.

"We make each other better and I am glad that we had a chance to show it down on the mat for everyone else to see," Schipman said.

Schipman scored 24 points and went 3-0 at the Malta Invitational. Chaka was selected at the 2024 Kevin Salsbery Memorial Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Stiles was 2-1 and scored 16 points.

Stiles was asked what was the key to his success in his home tournament.

"Just wrestling hard and not giving up," Stiles said.

Stiles was asked about his match against Chinook's Gauge Chapman, which Stiles won by 5-4 decision thanks to an escape in the last second of the match. A move that sent the MHS gym into a loud uproar.

"I was really tired but, right at the end, I knew that I needed a point, so I just gave it one big push and got out," Stiles said. "It was pretty intense, loud, and there were a lot of emotions because that kid beat me four times this year."

Senior Colton Mears won the 182 class, winning his two matches of the day, including the first place match by pinning Daniel Mattingly by pin fall at 2:51.

He was asked about his run at the Malta Invitational

"I have beat this kid before (Mattingly), but I took second here in Malta for two years in a row," Mears said.

Mears said that he was determined to earn a first place title. After it happened, he was asked how it felt.

"It feels good to get it now," Mears said. "It feels good. I don't know how to explain it. It just feels good that I kicked it in gear and got it done."

He chose the bottom position in the second round of the championship, thinking that he could earn a point by escape, instead he pinned his opponent with a move that can earn up to five points.

"I got what you call a Granby," Mears said.

Lady Mustang Ava Hanson was Malta's first top finisher of the day, earning her title in the 185 class by pinning Choteau's Abby Zickefoose at 1:41 and then Big Sandy's Daijakin Sunchild in 14 seconds in her final match of the evening. Hanson scored nine points and was 2-0.

"It feels pretty good (winning) in my hometown," Hanson said.

Hanson fell behind early in her match against Zickefoose, but she was able to turn things around.

"I got myself into a little bit of a tough position but I just focused on trying to get myself out and worry about what I could do to change it instead of worrying about the outcome," Hanson said.

She said that she fought off of her back and ended up reversing Zickefoose and pinning her.

"It was a reverse half," Hanson said.

She was asked what she thought of the competition at Malta's home meet.

"I think it gets us ready for these tournaments coming up," she said. "There are some pretty good teams here. It's not a super big one but we still have some competition in our divisions going into tournaments."

Malta's AJ Marquis took fourth place in the girls' 120 class. She had a total of seven rounds, three of which she didn't wrestle because of a bye or forfeit. She won her last match over Raeli Morel of Choteau by 3-0 decision.

Other placers for Malta include Straud Sims who was fourth in the 152 class with 11 points.

Senior Mason Sjostrom was sixth in the 145 class and scored six points.

Malta Tournament Results for Malta / Whitewater

132

Steeler Blunt (6-11) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points. Quarterfinal - Joaquin Torres (Glasgow) 23-22 won by fall over Steeler Blunt (Malta / Whitewater) 6-11 (Fall 3:42)

Cons. Round 1 - Steeler Blunt (Malta / Whitewater) 6-11 won by fall over Xander Hoffman (Wolf Point) 3-17 (Fall 3:45)

Cons. Semi - Rieley Reese (Wolf Point) 6-17 won by decision over Steeler Blunt (Malta / Whitewater) 6-11 (Dec 5-3)

138

Trooper Stiles (24-16) placed 2nd and scored 16.0 team points. Quarterfinal - Trooper Stiles (Malta / Whitewater) 24-16 won by fall over Alexander Bear Don`t Walk (Billings Central/Joliet) 5-10 (Fall 1:23)

Semifinal - Trooper Stiles (Malta / Whitewater) 24-16 won by decision over Gauge Chapman (Chinook) 23-13 (Dec 5-4)

1st Place Match - Kohner Schipman (Malta / Whitewater) 35-7 won by fall over Trooper Stiles (Malta / Whitewater) 24-16 (Fall 1:18)

138

Kohner Schipman (35-7) placed 1st and scored 24.0 team points. Quarterfinal - Kohner Schipman (Malta / Whitewater) 35-7 won by fall over Jake Niles (Shepherd) 9-11 (Fall 1:11)

Semifinal - Kohner Schipman (Malta / Whitewater) 35-7 won by fall over Preston Lee (Choteau) 2-2 (Fall 3:20)

1st Place Match - Kohner Schipman (Malta / Whitewater) 35-7 won by fall over Trooper Stiles (Malta / Whitewater) 24-16 (Fall 1:18)

145

Mason Sjostrom (4-5) placed 6th and scored 6.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Mason Sjostrom (Malta / Whitewater) 4-5 received a bye () (Bye)

Quarterfinal - Trey Bazaldua (Billings Central/Joliet) 13-11 won by major decision over Mason Sjostrom (Malta / Whitewater) 4-5 (MD 12-0)

Cons. Round 1 - Mason Sjostrom (Malta / Whitewater) 4-5 received a bye () (Bye)

Cons. Round 2 - Mason Sjostrom (Malta / Whitewater) 4-5 won by fall over Aurelien Seyler (Roundup) 5-10 (Fall 2:57)

Cons. Semi - Bryce Becker (Circle) 2-2 won by fall over Mason Sjostrom (Malta / Whitewater) 4-5 (Fall 2:49)

5th Place Match - Trey Bazaldua (Billings Central/Joliet) 13-11 won by fall over Mason Sjostrom (Malta / Whitewater) 4-5 (Fall 1:43)

145

Karson Kelsey (1-27) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Ethan Klingaman (Chinook) 8-15 won by fall over Karson Kelsey (Malta / Whitewater) 1-27 (Fall 0:44)

Cons. Round 1 - Aiden Shandorff (Havre) 5-1 won by fall over Karson Kelsey (Malta / Whitewater) 1-27 (Fall 0:50)

152

Straud Sims (20-16) placed 4th and scored 11.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Straud Sims (Malta / Whitewater) 20-16 received a bye () (Bye)

Quarterfinal - Straud Sims (Malta / Whitewater) 20-16 won by decision over Jonah Varilek (Billings Central/Joliet) 11-5 (Dec 10-3)

Semifinal - Khye Gamas (Glasgow) 35-8 won by major decision over Straud Sims (Malta / Whitewater) 20-16 (MD 11-2)

Cons. Semi - Straud Sims (Malta / Whitewater) 20-16 won by major decision over Owen Davies (Chinook) 22-14 (MD 8-0)

3rd Place Match - Nathan Gunderson (Choteau) 3-1 won by decision over Straud Sims (Malta / Whitewater) 20-16 (Dec 7-3)

182

Colton Mears (26-15) placed 1st and scored 22.0 team points. Quarterfinal - Colton Mears (Malta / Whitewater) 26-15 received a bye () (Bye)

Semifinal - Colton Mears (Malta / Whitewater) 26-15 won by fall over Gus Lee (Choteau) 1-1 (Fall 2:29)

1st Place Match - Colton Mears (Malta / Whitewater) 26-15 won by fall over Daniel Mattingly (Billings Central/Joliet) 13-14 (Fall 2:51)

205

Skylar Gilkerson (4-16) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points. Quarterfinal - Sam Cooper (Billings Central/Joliet) 4-20 won by fall over Skylar Gilkerson (Malta / Whitewater) 4-16 (Fall 1:54)

Cons. Round 1 - Skylar Gilkerson (Malta / Whitewater) 4-16 won by fall over Coe Chagnon (Havre) 0-2 (Fall 3:34)

Cons. Semi - Ben Hunt (Shepherd) 7-12 won by decision over Skylar Gilkerson (Malta / Whitewater) 4-16 (Dec 7-2)

120

AJ Marquis (4-18) placed 4th and scored 9.0 team points.

Round 1 - Avery Pedersen (Glasgow) 17-23 won by fall over AJ Marquis (Malta / Whitewater) 4-18 (Fall 0:47)

Round 2 - AJ Marquis (Malta / Whitewater) 4-18 received a bye () (Bye)

Round 3 - Keelie Mckinney-Bruner (Roundup) 10-14 won by fall over AJ Marquis (Malta / Whitewater) 4-18 (Fall 1:55)

Round 4 - AJ Marquis (Malta / Whitewater) 4-18 received a bye () (Bye)

Round 5 - Brooklyn Wilting (Havre) 4-1 won by major decision over AJ Marquis (Malta / Whitewater) 4-18 (MD 8-0)

Round 6 - AJ Marquis (Malta / Whitewater) 4-18 won by forfeit over Cierra Norton (Circle) 0-5 (For.)

Round 7 - AJ Marquis (Malta / Whitewater) 4-18 won by decision over Raeli Morel (Choteau) 6-28 (Dec 3-0)

185

Ava Hanson (22-9) placed 1st and scored 9.0 team points.

Round 2 - Ava Hanson (Malta / Whitewater) 22-9 won by fall over Abby Zickefoose (Choteau) 12-7 (Fall 1:41)

Round 3 - Ava Hanson (Malta / Whitewater) 22-9 won by fall over Daijalin Sunchild (Big Sandy) 11-8 (Fall 0:14)