2021 Buzz Lucey tournament, Badgers finished ninth

EUREKA, Mont. — A handful of Badgers went to the Buzz Lucey Tournament in Montana last weekend. They finished with 41 team points coming in ninth.

Eureka came in second with 202 points and Libby finished first with 245 points. Only five Badgers competed at the tournament with assistant coach Alec Hamilton, while other members of the varsity team were at the Tri-State Tournament in Coeur d’Alene.

“For Donnie Riess, I think that was the hardest tournament he had thus far,” Hamilton said. “[It was] just a super top heavy, heavy weight bracket and he wrestled hard through it and met the same guy twice.”

Riess wrestled against Tyler Smith of Libby at the beginning of the tournament and again at the semi-finals. He fell to Smith both times, but battled it out against two Lakeland players and finished the tournament 2-2

Joshua Pinkerton ended up meeting some really good competition in the first rounds, said Hamilton, but then fought his way back to get third. Hamilton said he was super proud of Pinkerton for pushing through the competition and kept wrestling. Pinkerton finished 2-1 and placed third at 182 pounds.

Dylan Kraly is a first-year wrestler and surprises the coaches every time he hits the mat, Hamilton said. Kraly is the kid who doesn’t think he is going to win a match, but he ends up winning his matches and comes off the mat excited, he added.

Kraly loves the sport and has genuine fun when wrestling, said Hamilton. He said that for many young wrestlers the fun in wrestling is gone, but Kraly still has it every time he is on the mat.

Dillon McLeish, who wrestles at 138 pounds, was 1-2. Hamilton said that McLeish wrestled some really good matches, but was caught by his opponents a few times and wrestled hard in the end.

Eli Layden, who wrestles at 170 pounds, won his last two matches to claim third place in the tournament.

For a kid who doesn't have a lot of wrestling experience, to go out there and wrestle really technically sound, that is an accomplishment, Hamilton said.

“With the girls wrestling state competition this year, we only want [our girls] wrestling girls,” Hamilton said.

There was no girl’s bracket at the Buzz Lucey Tournament and so no Badger girl’s wrestling members participated. Bonners Ferry came in ninth with 41 points.

138: Dillon McLeish (1-2) place is unknown and scored 4.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 — Elijah Edwards (Libby) 4-1 won by fall over Dillon McLeish (Bonners Ferry) 1-2 (Fall 0:14)

• Cons. Round 1 — Dillon McLeish (Bonners Ferry) 1-2 received a bye () (Bye)

• Cons. Round 2 — Dillon McLeish (Bonners Ferry) 1-2 won by fall over Colin Killian (Lakeland) 2-8 (Fall 2:59)

• Cons. Round 3 — Sky Van Der Gang (Plains) 2-4 won by fall over Dillon McLeish (Bonners Ferry) 1-2 (Fall 0:46)

145: Dylan Kraly (2-2) place is unknown and scored 6.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 — Dylan Kraly (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 won by major decision over Thayer Sabatke (Lakeland) 1-10 (MD 12-3)

• Quarterfinal — Dominic Peltier (Eureka) 9-6 won by fall over Dylan Kraly (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 (Fall 1:25)

• Cons. Round 2 — Dylan Kraly (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 won by fall over Liam Burke (Lakeland) 4-7 (Fall 0:26)

• Cons. Round 3 — Jordan Mee (Columbia Falls) 2-2 won by fall over Dylan Kraly (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 (Fall 1:39)

170: Eli Leyden (2-1) placed 3rd and scored 12.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 — Eli Leyden (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 received a bye () (Bye)

• Quarterfinal — James Warner (Libby) 3-0 won by fall over Eli Leyden (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 (Fall 1:05)

• Cons. Round 2 — Eli Leyden (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 received a bye () (Bye)

• Cons. Round 3 — Eli Leyden (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 received a bye () (Bye)

• Cons. Semi — Eli Leyden (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 won by fall over Jeremy Scott (Glacier) 0-2 (Fall 1:44)

• 3rd Place Match — Eli Leyden (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 won by decision over Stewart Ackroyd (Glacier) 0-2 (Dec 7-2)

182: Joshua Pinkerton (2-1) placed 3rd and scored 14.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 — Joshua Pinkerton (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 received a bye () (Bye)

• Quarterfinal — Westey Banks (Eureka) 9-5 won by decision over Joshua Pinkerton (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 (Dec 6-1)

• Cons. Round 2 — Joshua Pinkerton (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 received a bye () (Bye)

• Cons. Round 3 — Joshua Pinkerton (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 received a bye () (Bye)

• Cons. Semi — Joshua Pinkerton (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 won by fall over Aidan Baier (Glacier) 0-2 (Fall 3:30)

• 3rd Place Match — Joshua Pinkerton (Bonners Ferry) 2-1 won by fall over RJ Marquez (Lakeland) 7-7 (Fall 2:36)

285: Donald Riess (2-2) place is unknown and scored 5.0 team points.

• Champ. Round 1 — Tyler Smith (Libby) 4-1 won by fall over Donald Riess (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 (Fall 0:52)

• Cons. Round 1 — Donald Riess (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 received a bye () (Bye)

• Cons. Round 2 — Donald Riess (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 won by fall over Logan Lee (Lakeland) 4-4 (Fall 1:42)

• Cons. Round 3 — Donald Riess (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 won by decision over Gerald Yeahquo (Lakeland) 5-7 (Dec 8-4)

• Cons. Semi — Tyler Smith (Libby) 4-1 won by fall over Donald Riess (Bonners Ferry) 2-2 (Fall 1:56)