BILLINGS — If Brent Tezak was feeling any pressure, only he would have known it.
The Dillon senior entered the weekend’s all-class state wrestling tournament as a two-time defending champion, looking to make program history with his third individual state championship. But when asked about his mindset and nerves inside Rimrock Auto Arena, Tezak shrugged his shoulders at the thought.
“Shoot, I don’t know. I would say my biggest challenge this weekend was the bus breaking down,” he laughed.
It’s partially that sense of humor that has kept Tezak so level-headed throughout his prep wrestling career. Off the mats he doesn’t take things too seriously, but when the clock countdown begins, Tezak is dialed in.
His first two wins Friday each came via pinfall, before one of the more challenging matches of his senior season in the semifinals. Tezak survived an 8-7 decision against Sidney junior Jett Jones, advancing back to the title match for his date with Dillon destiny.
Tezak won that match, a 9-4 decision over Glendive’s Tyler Clapp, adding the third individual title to his resume and finally breaking the program record that had been linked to his name since last February.
“That was a lot of fun. It was fun for the school and hopefully does well in the town. I hope they enjoy this,” he said.
Worried more about winning for his community than himself, the weight was lifted from Tezak’s shoulders as he stood atop the Class A podium accepting his gold medal. How long until he can look back and reflect on his three titles, and which one might be his favorite?
“I don’t know, maybe they all just blur together,” he laughed. “I guess we’ll find out, though.”
Maybe there’s still a little pressure left after all.
