PREP WRESTLING: Badger girls on top in season opener, Van Tuinstra duals

SANDPOINT — Neveah Therrien (114, 2-0), Sofia Brown (132, 3-0), Aubree Graves (138, 2-0) and Savannah Rickter (152, 3-0) all took first in the season opener leading the Badgers girls wrestling team to victory at Blizzard Invite held at Sandpoint Middle School on Saturday, Dec. 2. 

Every Badger girl placed at the invite. 

The Badgers were on fire, with sophomore Therrien, 2023 state champion, going 2-0 and two-time state placer Savannah Rickter going 3-0. 

Rickter pinned all her opponents in under 40 seconds. 

Therrien wrestles at 107, but the 107 and 114 weight class were combined for the Blizzard Invite. 

Bonners Ferry head coach Travis Stolley said the team was down wrestlers due to illness and some athletes not having enough practices in. 

The past week several boys and girls wrestlers have been out sick. 

Many of the girls have either never wrestled before or haven’t wrestled at the high school level. He said at all the tournaments this last weekend, the Blizzard Invite and Van Tuinstra championship duals at Spirit Lake, the Badgers showed they were in better shape than many of their opponents. 

Stolley said having an assistant girls coach in Kyle Watts allows the girls to go to tournaments where they will face additional competition. 

“Seeing our effort in practice transfer to the mat during a tournament is exciting,” he said. “This week moving forward the wrestlers are reviewing what worked in the tournament and what they need to do to be competitive next weekend at George Wild in Kellogg this weekend.”

George Wild has 32 man brackets, which will give the Badgers plenty of mat time. 

Rickter will be competing at a tournament in Flathead, Mont., instead of George Wild. 

Blizzard Invite: Girls TEAM SCORES

1, Bonners Ferry 118.5; 2, Post Falls 91; 3, Sandpoint 81; 4, Lakeland 63; 5, Kellogg 42; 6, Priest River 24. 7, Coeur d'Alene 22. 8, Moscow 8. No score – Lake City, Lewiston, Orofino, Potlatch, St. Maries, Timberlake, Wallace.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES

100 – 1, Mackenzie Donenfeld, Sandpoint, d. Ezrah Vollendorff, 11-4. 114 – Nevaeh Therrien, Bonners Ferry, p. Hunter Edmondson, Sandpoint, 0:30. 120 – Isabella Rice, Post Falls, md. Alyssa Foreman, Lakeland, 15-2. 126 – Chase Smith, Priest River, p. Verity Zichek, Lakeland, 0:46. 132 – Sofia Brown, Bonners Ferry, p. Raylee Reynolds, Post Falls, 0:00. 138 – Aubree Graves, Bonners Ferry, p. Bayah Ratigan, Sandpoint, 2:15. 145 – Izzy Davis, Kellogg, won p. Aubrey Wells, Bonners Ferry, 4:34. 152 – Savannah Rickter, Bonners Ferry, p. Sophia Stewart, Post Falls, 0:00. 165 – Brooklyn Anderson, Coeur d Alene, d. Annika Thompson, Lakeland, 7-4. 185 – Savannah Urrutia, Post Falls, p. Emma Hilton, Sandpoint, 0:00. 235 – Gracelyn Brockman, Post Falls, inj. Lilli Marti, Sandpoint, 4:22.

THIRD-FOURTH PLACE

100 – No match. 114 – Teagan Patrick, Lakeland, p. Sophia McLain, Kellogg, 2:31. 120 – Emma Garman, Sandpoint, p. Keira Zimmerman, Moscow, 3:40. 126 – Ireland Grady, Bonners Ferry, p. Maddison White, Kellogg, 0:28. 132 – Izzy Stark, Sandpoint, p. Emma Younger, Post Falls, 1:26. 138 – Addison Autonowicz, Post Falls, default. 145 – Chloe Thomas, Post Falls, d. Teegan Newsom, Sandpoint, 9-3. 152 – Zxyloh Johnson, Sandpoint, p. Karma Nutter, Post Falls, 0:00. 165 – Emma Roberts, Bonners Ferry, d. Sylvia Becker, Sandpoint, 9-4. 185 – No match. 235 – Devlyn Hernandez (Post Falls), default.

SEASON OPENER: Tuinstar championship duals

SPIRIT LAKE — Saber Blackmore (120) went 2-2 for Bonners Ferry boys varsity team at the Van Tuinstra championship duals on Dec. 2. 

The Badgers competed in five duals against regional teams. 

Bonners Ferry head coach Travis Stolley said the five duals gave the Badgers the opportunity to wrestle four to five matches. He added the team has been plagued with illness as many wrestlers were out due to fever. 

Facing 5A Coeur d’Alene to open the season was a bit of a “welcome to high school wrestling” for many freshmen and younger wrestlers, Stolley said, but he was proud of the effort the team had. 

“We have a young team and know where we need to go,” he said. 

He added that the team spirit and encouragement Badger wrestling displayed last weekend at the three tournaments embodies what the program is all about. 

Also for the Badgers, Hunter Pope (132) and Taylor Dodd (285) went 2-2. 

Kellogg 63, BF 18. Badger round winners: Saber Blackmore (120), Alexander Taylor (160) and Eli Leyden (170).

Post Falls 63, BF 18. BF round winners: Hunter Pope (132), Stryder Liermann (138), Taylor Dodd (285). 

Coeur d’Alene 82, BF 6. BF round winners: BF round winners: Gage Kunsky (195) win be forfeit. 

East Valley (Spokane) 42, BF 30.  BF round winners: Eivind Falk (113) win by forfeit, Saber Blackmore (120), Hunter Pope (132), Gage Kunsky (195) and Taylor Dodd (285). 

St. Maries 64, BF 12: Saber Blackmore (120) and Taylor Dodd (285). 

Wrestlers Aubrey Wells, Emma Roberts and Stryder Liernman have been named team captains after writing an essay on why they want to be team captains and were interviewed by coaching staff and Badger football coach Danny Swift. Stolley said the captains show up to practice to work hard and lead by example and are epitome of the principles the program is trying to instill in athletes. 

JV Boys at Blizzard Tournament

SANDPOINT — Junior Varsity Badger boys wrestling took ninth at the Blizzard Tournament on Dec. 2. 

Hunter Fulton (132) took second to Finn Case of Coeur d’Alene, 3:26. 

Alex Stoley (160) took third, beating out Wyatt Crouse of Coeur d'Alene by pin at 3:40.

Badgers Israel Johnson (145) and Jacob Solt (170) took fourth. 

JV TEAM SCORES

1, Coeur d'Alene 270; 2, Lakeland 219.5; 3, Post Falls 212; 4, Moscow 210; 5, Lake City 194; 6, Sandpoint 181; 7, Kellogg 106.5; 8, Priest River 57; 9, Bonners Ferry 52; No score – Lewiston, Orofino, Potlatch, St. Maries, Timberlake, Wallace.