Billings West added two top-ranked individual wrestlers to vault to the top of the team rankings in the latest Montana Class AA wrestling rankings, which were released Wednesday.
The Golden Bears had two wrestlers -- Jesse Aarness at 126 pounds and Drake Rhodes at 152 -- with No. 1 rankings last week. Keyan Hernandez and Jase Van Pelt moved into the No. 1 rankings at 103 and 113 pounds, respectively, this week.
Hernandez went 3-0 last week, recording two falls, including one over fourth-ranked Junior Madrid of Billings Senior, and a tech fall. Van Pelt was ranked second at 113 pounds last week but moved to the top spot this week with Billings Skyview's Hunter Ketchem moving up to 120. Van Pelt had a 6-0 win over third-ranked Demetri Sallaris of Billings Senior last week.
The four top-ranked wrestlers helped West to 93 points and the No. 1 spot in the team rankings. Jaydon Hoff (second at 285 pounds), RJ Lowdog (third at 138), Nathaniel Hoff (fifth at 132) and Gavin Stodtmeister (sixth at 145) are also ranked for the Golden Bears.
Kalispell Flathead is second in the team rankings, followed by Great Falls High, Billings Senior, Butte and Belgrade. Great Falls High, the reigning Class AA state champion, was first last week.
Montana Class AA wrestling rankings
Week Two – Jan. 13, 2021
Team rankings (based on awarding points for each ranked wrestler): Billings West 93, Kalispell Flathead 90, Great Falls High 87, Billings Senior 84, Butte 63, Belgrade 52.
Individual rankings
103 pounds: Keyan Hernandez (3-0), Billings West; Trey Whitlock (3-0), Butte; Davin Naldrett (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; Junior Madrid (2-1), Billings Senior; Garrett Bosch (2-1), Kalispell Glacier; Cooper Samson (1-1), Great Falls High.
113: Jase Van Pelt (3-0), Billings West; Colton Gutenberger (3-0), Belgrade; Demetri Sallaris (2-1), Billings Senior; Josh Melton (3-0), Kalispell Glacier; Maverick McEwen (3-0), Butte; Dylan Kratofil (2-1), Kalispell Flathead.
120: Teegan Vasquez (3-0), Kalispell Glacier; Mason Gutenberger (3-0), Belgrade; Jaylen Vladic (3-0), Billings Senior; Hunter Ketchem (3-1), Billings Skyview; Kyler Raiha (3-0), Butte; Holden Howe (1-0), Billings Senior.
126: Jesse Aarness (3-0), Billings West; Keagan Gransberry (3-0), Butte; Logan Cole (2-1), Billings Senior; Bryson Danzinger (2-0), Missoula Sentinel; Ethan Freund (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; Blake Eatman (2-1), Belgrade.
132: Carter Schmidt (3-0), Belgrade; Idren Peak (2-0), Billings Senior; Israel Moreno (3-0), Missoula Big Sky; Kip Pumnea (3-0), Butte; Nathaniel Hoff (3-0), Billings West; Talon Barrington (2-1), Billings Skyview.
138: Carson DesRosier (3-0), Helena Capital; Asher Kemppaninen (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; RJ Lowdog (3-0), Billings West; Mason Huber (1-1), Great Falls High; Connor Konda (2-1), Butte; Dylan Emborg (3-0), Billings Skyview.
145: Avery Allen (2-0), Bozeman High; Colton Martello, Great Falls CMR; Cade Troupe (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; Irish Furthmyre (2-0), Great Falls High; Jesse Horner (3-0), Missoula Sentinel; Gavin Stodtmeister (2-1), Billings West.
152: Drake Rhodes (3-0), Billings West; Fin Nadeau (2-0), Kalispell Flathead; Paolo Salminen (3-0); Billings Skyview; Cache Hilliard (2-0), Great Falls High; Blake Jolma (1-1), Missoula Sentinel; Anthony Liva (3-0), Butte.
160: Hunter Meinzen (3-0), Missoula Big Sky; Noah Poe-Hatten (2-1), Kalispell Flathead; AJ Lafurge (2-0), Great Falls CMR; Donovan Mahoney (2-0), Great Falls High; Cameron Savaria (3-0), Billings Skyview; Conner Kovick (3-0), Helena Capital.
170: Thomas Klepps (1-0), Billings Senior; Brendan Lockhart (2-0), Great Falls High; Dylan Graham (3-0), Helena Capital; Chase Youso (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; Kaleb McKay (2-1), Helena High; Isaiah Murch (1-1), Billings Senior.
182: Peyton Morton (3-0), Billings Senior; Liam Swanson (1-1), Great Falls High; Ryan Nelson (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; Dilen Barrington (2-0), Billings Skyview; Mason Chrisitan (2-0), Butte; Kael Willis (1-1), Kalispell Glacier.
205: Elijah Davis (2-0), Great Falls High; Noah Kovick (3-0), Helena Capital; Xaden Cunningham (2-1), Belgrade; Zac Crews (3-0), Missoula Sentinel; Gaige Winter (2-1), Kalispell Flathead; Ethan Eppard (2-1), Missoula Hellgate.
285: Ethan DeRoche (2-0), Great Falls High; Jaydon Hoff (3-0), Billings West; Zack Tierney (3-0), Butte; Timber Richberg (3-0), Kalispell Flathead; Rocco Beccari (2-1), Kalispell Glacier; Talon Marsh (2-1), Helena Capital.
