U-Hi tops field in Missoula

The third time was the charm for Mead sophomore Jordan Rogers against defending state champion Jake Mason of University.

Rogers won the 160-pound bout 10-4 and earned outstanding wrestler of the meet as one of three champions for the Panthers at the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic Saturday in Missoula.

U-Hi would not be denied in the team race. Led by Ryan Zumwalt’s first-place finish at 152, the Titans took the tournament team title with 238.5 points, beating the 189 of Havre, Mont.

Competing against Havre’s Kent Pattison, Zumwalt earned four takedowns, including a pair in the second round, to earn the 9-4 decision, allowing the four points on escapes.

Rounding out the top five were Flathead, Mont. (179.5), Mead (165) and Coeur d’Alene (149).

Jacob Trotter (215) and Jeremy Golding (125) each added titles for Mead, but U-Hi built up its points with a pair of second-place finishes and four third-place finishes, despite leaving with only one champion.

The season-long duel between Mason and Rogers had been one-sided up until the Rocky Mountain Classic, with Mason edging Rogers by one at Tri-State and then earning a second-round pin at their GSL dual match.

Rogers, the reigning state champion at 145, finally took the upper hand with the 10-4 decision on Saturday.

•Ray Westberg Tournament: Nick DesRoches (189 pounds), Hunter Orgill (215) and Colby Mead (285) won consecutive titles for Riverside to propel the Rams to the top spot at the Ray Westberg Tournament in Ellensburg.

The Rams scored 184.5 points to overtake Selah (180) and Othello (178.5).

DesRoches started the comeback with a 3-1 decision over K.W. Williams of Thomas Jefferson, then Orgill beat Othello’s Joey Gomez 9-3.

Mead then sealed the deal for Riverside, taking first when Thomas Jefferson’s Zak Walin could not go at 285, losing by injury default.

•Rocky Mountain Rumble: Jared Berlinger topped Korbin Levin of Pleasant Grove 5-1 in his championship match at 112 pounds to lift North Central to fourth place with 193.5 points at the Rocky Mountain Rumble in Orem, Utah.

Finishing behind the Indians was Deer Park with 186.5 points, led by Shawn Burton’s second-place finish at 285.

Millard won the team title with 266 points, followed by Payson (251) and Delta (230).

•River City Duals: Columbia (Mont.) beat host Post Falls 41-19 in the championship at the River City Duals in Post Falls.

The closest match came at 135, as the Trojans’ Tyler Booth won a 6-2 decision.