Fresh off the state championship wrestling tournament, a few local athletes have been invited to compete at the 4th annual Tournament of Champions All-Star Wrestling Event in Great Falls this weekend.
Glacier’s Shane St. Onge, Lucas Mantel, and Mack Sutherland, Flathead’s Larry Francis and Libby’s Kyle Leir and Mitch Haugen have been selected to wrestle in the one-day, single elimination tournament on Feb. 18.
Francis, St. Onge, Leir and Haugen all won state titles at last weekend’s All-Class State Wrestling Tournament in Billings.
The tournament will feature the three state champions from AA, A and B/C, from last week’s All-Class State Wrestling tournament, plus an additional wild-card entry. Last year’s event drew more than 30 state champions from Classes AA, A, and B/C, according to a press release.
The law firm of Hoyt and Blewett in Great Falls, which sponsors the event, provides free lodging for coaches and wrestlers and compensation for gas mileage. Attorney Zander Blewett and his sons, Anders and Drew, are former wrestlers who now practice personal injury law.
“We are excited to see this event take off. The word is out, the champs are attending and the wrestling doesn’t get any better,” Anders Blewett said in a press release. “The tournament will resolve all debates about who is the king of the mat in Montana.”