BOZEMAN — A total of 19 Bozeman High wrestlers will be competing at the Class AA state tournament this weekend at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark in Billings. But there is one who is trying for something special.
Chance McLane, who wrestles in the 152-pound weight class, is looking for his second consecutive championship season as he heads into the 2019 state tournament. McLane’s only losses the past two seasons have come against Forsyth three-time state champion Michael Weber, who defeated McLane in the finals at the Great Falls CMR Holiday Classic in December and the Tom LeProwse Battle in the Bridgers in January.
McLane is undefeated against Class AA wrestlers in each of the past two seasons, according to Bozeman head coach Nate Laslovich.
Now he’s fresh off another title at the Eastern AA divisional tournament, but he’s not going to start underestimating his competition.
“There’s two divisions, so if you win this and place first then you’ll (face) the eighth place from the other division and kind of so on and so on. It will kind of give me an easier first round in theory, but you have to show up for every match, just like any match,” McLane said after winning his divisional title.
McLane is one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the state of Montana and is already committed to wrestle for collegiate powerhouse Oklahoma State next year.
He will look to cap off another championship season as he opens up the state tournament with a first-round match against Kalispell Flathead’s Chance Sheldon-Allen on Friday.
