VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Add another national accolade to the Weber family trophy case.
Michael Weber, who captured Montana’s Class B-C 145-pound state championship this winter in Billings, earned runner-up honors in the 2018 National High School Coaches Association High School Nationals on Sunday. Weber lost a 7-1 decision against McKay Foy of Utah in the 145-pound junior division.
Despite the loss, Michael, the youngest of the Weber clan, added to a wrestling legacy set by older brothers Luke, Matt, Brandon and Nathan. Nathan and Michael each won high school state titles this season, helping break a tie with their friends and rivals from Colstrip, the Currier family, for most state championships won by a single family. Matt and Luke became the 25th and 26th four-time state champions in Montana’s history, while Brandon added three titles.
Nathan won championships as a freshman and senior, placing runner-up to Jackson Currier in his sophomore and junior campaigns. Michael has won three straight titles and can join Matt and Luke as four-time champions next February.
Michael Weber won the NHSCA nationals last year, winning at 138 pounds last year. He added a triple crown in 2017, winning titles at the USA folkstyle nationals in Iowa and Worlds 15U in Reno, Nevada.
Montana fared well in the NHSCA nationals, earning seven all-American honorees over the weekend. Frenchtown’s Riley Gurr, a three-time state champion between Washington and Montana, placed third in the 132-pound senior division. Gurr earned a 6-0 decision over Dawson Bates of Georgia.
Havre state champion Martin Wilkie also placed third at 132 pounds, defeating Missouri’s Garrett Kloeppel 9-2 in the junior age division consolation. Colstrip junior Jackson Currier, a three-time state titlist, fell 4-1 in his 126-pound consolation match against Colton Camacho of Pennsylvania.
A trio of Treasure State standouts placed sixth in the prestigious tournament, including Bozeman’s sensational freshman Coy Cohenour. The Montana 160-pound runner-up lost a 12-7 decision to New Jersey’s Jack Farinaro in the 152-pound freshman division fifth-place match.
Billings West heavyweight Levi Malcolm, who placed third and second, consecutively, in the past two Montana state championships, dropped a close 3-1 decision in the 285-pound junior division fifth-place match. Christian Bryant of Maryland defeated Malcolm in the bout.
Butte sophomore Kameron Moreno was pinned in the fifth-place match of the 182-pound sophomore division, falling to Nicholas Benton of Florida.
