List: 2020-21 Montana high school wrestling returning state placers

Montana's high school wrestling season is officially rolling, as programs across the state were allowed to conduct practices beginning on Monday, Dec. 7. While the 2020-21 season will certainly don a different look due to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions, the talent pool remains deep.

The majority of wrestling competitions will feature duals between two programs, where teams are allowed two dual matches per day, while smaller schools will be able to compete in mixers, though they will be capped at 40 wrestlers.

The postseason will also feature a different look, with Billings' First Interstate Arena at MetraPark not able to host the all-class state tournaments, with individual classifications instead set for tournaments at four different sites -- Class AA, Class A, Class B-C and the inaugural girls state tournament.

In total, 148 wrestlers return to the mats after placing last year, according to the Montana High School Association brackets from a year ago -- 47 in Class AA, 50 in Class A and 51 in Class B-C. Twenty-six of those placers won individual titles in Billings last February, up one from the 25 returning titlists a year ago.

Reigning Class A champion Sidney boasts the most returning placers, 12, as well as state champions, five, under coach Guy Melby and the staff. Two of those champions, Aden Graves and Riley Waters, are chasing their third individual titles this winter.

RELATED: 2020 STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT COMPLETE COVERAGE

Glasgow, last year's Class B team champion, returns three state gold medalists, while Class C champion Circle and Class AA champion Great Falls High bring back two individual champions.

Two wrestlers -- Lewistown's Cooper Birdwell and Eureka's Gunnar Smith -- will draw all of the attention during the postseason, as each chases a fourth-consecutive state championship. Nine other wrestlers enter the season as two-time state champions.

Below is a list of the returning state placers from last year’s Montana high school state wrestling tournaments. Athletes are listed by school, place, weight bracket and this season’s class standing. Please feel free to correct any errors you may notice by emailing them to richie.melby@ktvh.com.

2020-21 returning state wrestling placers

Class AA

Belgrade
-Carter Schmidt, 2^nd, 113 (sophomore)

Billings Senior
-Holden Howe, 6^th, 103 (junior)
-Daylan Forshee, 3^rd, 103 (junior)
-Jalen Vladic, 3^rd, 113 (junior)
-Idren Peak, 3^rd, 138 (junior)
-Thomas Klepps, 1^st, 160 (senior)
-Peyton Morton, 2^nd, 182 (junior)

Billings Skyview
-Hunter Ketchem, 1^st, 103 (junior)
-Cameron Savaria, 5^th, 145 (senior)
-Paolo Salminen, 2^nd, 152 (sophomore)

Billings West
-Jase Van Pelt, 2^nd, 103 (junior)
-Jesse Aarness, 1^st, 120 (sophomore)
-Drake Rhodes, 2^nd, 126 (junior, 113-pound champ as freshman)
-RJ Lowdog, 4^th, 132 (senior)
-Gavin Stodtmeister, 5^th, 132 (senior)
-Zac Malcolm, 5^th, 285 (junior)

Bozeman
-Avery Allen, 1^st, 132 (sophomore)

Bozeman Gallatin (2020-21 is first year of competition for Raptors)
-Felix Peterson, 6^th, 138 (junior)

Butte
-Trey Whitlock, 5^th, 103 (junior)
-Kyler Raiha, 6^th, 113 (junior)
-Keagan Gransbery, 2^nd, 120 (senior)
-Dominik Scown, 6^th, 170 (senior)

Great Falls CMR
-Colton Martello, 3^rd, 120 (junior)
-AJ Lafurge, 4^th, 152 (sophomore)

Great Falls High
-Aaron Liscum, 4^th, 103 (sophomore)
-Irish Furthmyre, 5^th, 126 (sophomore)
-Mason Huber, 5^th, 138 (senior)
-Cache Hilliard, 4^th, 145 (senior)
-Brendan Lockart, 3^rd, 160 (sophomore)
-Payton Gonser, 6^th, 160 (senior)
-Liam Swanson, 3^rd, 182 (senior)
-Elijah Davis, 1^st, 205 (senior, 2x state champion)
-Ethan DeRoche, 1^st, 285 (senior, 2x state champion)

Helena Capital
-Carson DesRosier, 2^nd, 132 (junior, 120-pound champion as sophomore)
-Dylan Graham, 5^th, 152 (sophomore)
-Noah Kovick, 1^st, 182 (senior)

Helena High
-none returning

Kalispell Flathead
-Cade Troupe, 4^th, 126 (sophomore)
-Asher Kemppainen, 3^rd, 132 (junior)
-Fin Nadeau, 2^nd, 145 (junior, 2x runner-up)
-Noah Poe-Hatten, 3^rd, 152 (sophomore)
-Chase Youso, 5^th, 160 (junior)
-Zaybin Stewart, 5^th, 205 (senior)

Kalispell Glacier
-Teegan Vasquez, 1^st, 113 (sophomore)

Missoula Big Sky
-Israel Moreno, 5^th, 120 (sophomore)
-Carter Johnson, 6^th, 132 (junior)
-Hunter Meinzen, 1^st, 152 (senior, 2x state champion)

Missoula Hellgate
-none returning

Missoula Sentinel
-Novick Thomas, 6^th, 126 (senior)

Class A

Billings Central
-none returning

Browning
-none returning

Butte Central
-none returning

Columbia Falls
-Justin Windauer, 3^rd, 113 (sophomore)
-Lucas Thacker, 5^th, 152 (senior)
-Josh Bertram, 6^th, 170 (senior)

Corvallis
-Kanyon Stoker, 5^th, 120 (sophomore)
-Jason Davis, 5^th, 132 (sophomore)

Dillon
-none returning

Frenchtown
-Landen Stewart, 2^nd, 103 (senior)
-Eli Warner, 2^nd, 120 (senior)
-Zane Schroeder, 6^th, 132 (sophomore)
-Canyon Shope, 5^th, 182 (senior)

Glendive
-Espyn Hostetler, 5^th, 138 (sophomore)

Hamilton
-Andrew Carmody, 5^th, 103 (junior)

Hardin
-Sean Mehling, 6^th, 126 (sophomore)
-Dante Pallone, 6^th, 285 (junior)

Havre
-Mick Chagnon, 4^th, 113 (senior, 103-pound champion as junior)
-Riley Pleninger, 3^rd, 120 (junior)
-Orion Thivierge, 1^st, 160 (junior)
-Brayden Stadell, 6^th, 182 (senior)

Laurel
-Noah Michaelson, 6^th, 103 (junior)
-Johnathan Herr, 4^th, 120 (senior)
-Tyler Emineth, 6^th, 152 (senior)
-Connor Ulschak, 5^th, 205 (senior)

Lewistown
-Damen McCord, 3^rd, 103 (sophomore)
-Kason Olson, 6^th, 120 (junior)
-Cooper Birdwell, 1^st, 126 (senior, 3x state champion)
-Keaton Potter, 5^th, 170 (senior)
-Landon Farrar, 3^rd, 205 (senior)
-Dylan Morris, 5^th, 285 (junior)

Libby
-Xander Spady, 4^th, 126 (senior)

Livingston
-Danyk Jacobsen, 3^rd, 132 (sophomore)
-Cade Gubler, 6^th, 138 (junior)
-Alex Kober, 5^th, 145 (senior)
-Adin Gibson, 4^th, 152 (senior)

Miles City
-Currey Brown, 3^rd, 126 (sophomore)
-Damian Leidholt, 1^st, 138 (senior)
-Gabe Walker, 4^th, 285 (junior)

Polson
-Logan Adler, 6^th, 182 (sophomore)

Ronan
-Daniel Collins Bishop, 5^th, 160 (senior)

Sidney
-Owen Lonski, 1^st, 103 (sophomore)
-Kaden Wise, 4^th, 103 (sophomore)
-Zander Dean, 2^nd, 113 (sophomore)
-Jordan Darby, 1^st, 132 (senior)
-Kolton Reid, 3^rd, 138 (senior)
-Zander Burnison, 4^th, 138 (junior)
-Aden Graves, 1^st, 145 (junior, 2x state champion)
-Kade Graves, 3^rd, 152 (senior)
-Dylan Lutz, 3^rd, 160 (senior)
-Easton Hopes, 4^th, 170 (senior)
-Riley Waters, 1^st, 182 (senior, 2x state champion)
-Brodey Skogen, 1^st, 285 (senior)

Stevensville
-Sahkaia Wehr, 4^th, 182 (sophomore)

Whitefish
-none returning

Class B-C

Alberton-Superior
-none returning

Anaconda
-Nate Blodnick, 1^st, 103 (sophomore)

Arlee
-Colt Crawford, 5^th, 145 (senior)

Baker
-Damien Nesbitt, 4^th, 145 (junior)

Belt
-none returning

Bigfork
-none returning

Broadus
-none returning

Cascade
-Caden Crowell, 5^th, 170 (junior)

Chester-Joplin-Inverness
-none returning

Chinook
-Wyatt Dunbar, 5^th, 285 (junior)

Choteau
-none returning

Circle
-Krayle Stormer, 1^st, 113 (senior, 2x state champion)
-Tugg Taylor, 4^th, 120 (junior)
-Bryson Bartelson, 6^th, 120 (junior)
-Canyon Casterline, 3^rd, 138 (junior)
-Cole Becker, 1^st, 145 (senior)

Colstrip
-Zach Valdez, 5^th, 138 (junior)
-Rylin Burns, 1^st, 160 (senior, 2x state champion)

Columbus
-Cooper Cook, 3^rd, 126 (junior)
-Brady Ellison, 4^th, 132 (junior)

Conrad
-Jeff Colesworthy, 5^th, 120 (junior)
-Roper Mycke, 2^nd, 126 (junior, 2x runner-up)

Cut Bank
-Austin Vanek, 3^rd, 160 (junior)

Deer Lodge
-none returning

Eureka
-Pancho Ibenez, 4^th, 103 (sophomore)
-Gunnar Smith, 1^st, 126 (senior, 3x state champion)
-Kyle Durden, 2^nd, 132 (senior)

Fairfield
-Miguel Ramos, 2^nd, 113 (junior)
-Kolter Bouma, 5^th, 205 (senior)

Florence
-Adyn Meinzen, 6^th, 132 (sophomore)

Forsyth
-Camron Reilly, 4^th, 126 (senior)

Fort Benton-Big Sandy
-Trevor O’Hara, 6^th, 103 (sophomore)
-Hayden Axtman, 6^th, 182 (senior)

Glasgow
-Jake Kuka, 5^th, 103 (junior)
-Colten Fast, 1^st, 132 (senior, 2x state champion)
-Kyler Hallock, 5^th, 160 (junior)
-Dylan Nieskens, 1^st, 182 (senior, 2x state champion)
-Cooper Larson, 1^st, 205 (senior)
-Mayson Phipps, 2^nd, 285 (senior)

Great Falls Central
-none returning

Harlem
-none returning

Huntley Project
-Gavin Nedens, 2^nd, 103 (sophomore)
-Cooper Lane, 5^th, 113 (sophomore)
-Wylee Lindeen, 4^th, 152 (sophomore)
-William Loveridge, 3^rd, 170 (junior)
-Stran Selman, 3^rd, 182 (junior)

Jefferson
-Leo Anderson, 3^rd, 103 (junior)

Malta
-Cameron Mikesell, 3^rd, 113 (sophomore)
-Camryn Mears, 6^th, 145 (sophomore)

Manhattan
-none returning

Plains-Hot Springs
-none returning

Poplar
-Jase Frederick, 4^th, 113 (junior)
-Jacob Berger, 4^th, 205 (junior)

Shelby
-Harold Miller, 5^th, 126 (junior)
-Cameron Brusven, 4^th, 170 (junior)

Shepherd
-Langdon Smith, 6^th, 113 (junior)

Simms
-none returning

St. Ignatius-Charlo
-none returning

Thompson Falls
-Trae Thilmony, 1^st, 120 (junior)

Three Forks
-none returning

Townsend
-Riley Richtmyer, 3^rd, 132 (junior)

Valier
-none returning

Whitehall
-Dawson Powers, 3^rd, 120 (senior)
-Trentin Walker, 6^th, 138 (senior)
-Dallen Hoover, 2^nd, 145 (senior)
-Miles Hoerauf, 4^th, 160 (sophomore)