Malta Wrestlers Take to the Beach...oops, the Mat, at the Disney Duals in Florida

Are we supposed to be wrestling? We thought this was a vacation!

To say Team Montana had a good time at the 2024 Disney Wrestling Duals, at least for the four Malta wrestlers who went, would be an understatement!

After a few days of beach life, fun in the sun, fishing in open waters, and almost catching a record fish, the boys and their coaches had to get to the business of what the trip was really about. Wrestling.

Malta had four wrestlers; Kohner Schipman, Lane Salveson, Straud Sims, and Trooper Stiles head to Florida to compete as part of Team Montana-Conrad. Malta coaches Jake French and Nolan Simanton joined them as part of the coaching team.

First day of wrestling results in Florida at the 2024 Disney Wrestling Duals, Trooper Stiles (138 lbs.) went 1 - 3, Kohner "Chaka" Schipman (144 lbs.) went 0 - 3, Lane Salveson (155 lbs.) went 1 - 3, and Straud Sims (165 lbs.) went 2 - 2.

Coach Jake French stated, "That was their record for today, Chaka lost them all, but it was all close matches. And Lane Salveson got a win! That's huge! Straud is looking tough, plus he is wrestling up a weight class, too." He said, "They all look like they have improved quite a bit from Sidney."

On Tuesday, June 25, the four Team Montana Malta wrestlers had another good day on the mat. Stiles went 1 - 3, Schipman went 4 - 1, Salveson went 1 - 4, and Sims went 3 - 1. The first- and second-days results include exhibition matches the team wrestled.

The coaches are happy with how the boys are wrestling against some tough competitors from all over the nation and are looking forward to seeing what they will do in the 2024 - 2025 wrestling season here in Montana.

The final records after the last day of wrestling on Wednesday, June 26, not including the exhibition matches were; Stiles 5 -5, Schipman 6 - 4, Salveson 2 - 8, and Sims 7 - 3.

"As a team, we had small improvements that will make a big impact on the upcoming season," Coach Nolan Simanton said.

Due to Sims not having more than three losses in his final record, he is a 2024 Disney Wrestling Duals All-American. "That is quite an accomplishment since he is wrestling at a heavier weight than usual", Coach French mentioned. Fellow Team Montana teammates from Conrad, Tegan Jones, and Christopher Graham, also made All-American status.