CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Havre’s Martin Wilkie is a national champion.
Wilkie won the 145-pound Juniors bracket at the 2019 USAW Jr/16U Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls by 8-5 decision over Dawson Sihavong of California on Saturday afternoon.
Wilkie, who became a four-time state champion in Montana back in February, disposed of three opponents on Friday to advance to the semifinals, where he met George Ruiz of California on Saturday. Wilkie won by pinfall at the 5:04 mark in the match to advance to the championship, where he took care of Sihavong for the title.
Wilkie was one of five Havre wrestlers to compete on the weekend but was the only Blue Pony still in the winner’s bracket. Connor Harris, in the same 145-pound Junior bracket as teammate Wilkie, fought his way back through the consolation bracket to finish third, winning a 5-3 decision over Kurt Trumbull of California.
Helena Capital’s Carson DeRosier was still competing Saturday, too, as DeRosier began his day in the consolation Round of 16 in the 120-pound 16U bracket. DeRosier won his opening match of the day against Kolten Crawford of Iowa but lost the ensuing match to Drew Arnold of Nebraska. DeRosier fell to the seventh-place match, where he won by forfeit over Indiana’s KT Nelson.
Full brackets and results can be found at www.trackwrestling.com.
Helena Capital's Carson DesRosier earned a seventh-place finish at the USAW 16U Folkstyle national tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (Photo courtesy: Howard DesRosier)
