The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
Rowdy Pfeil shows the champion belt that he won at the Ron Thon Battle For The Belt Tournament.
Parker Schlater took sixth place at the tournament.
The Wolves wrestling team traveled to Riverton this past weekend to wrestle in the 20th annual Ron Thon Battle For The Belt Tournament. This is the toughest tournament on their schedule with 44 teams from across the state and 350 wrestlers on the varsity side alone from all classes, 1A/2A, 3A and 4A combined, to find the true champion in every weight class.
The Wolves brought home one champion, Rowdy Pfeil, and one placer, Parker Schlater.
Champion – 170 Rowdy Pfeil pinned his way to the quarterfinals where he won by medical forfeit to advance into the semifinals. There he won with a pin in 3:57 to move into the finals. In the finals, he met Kole Kraus of Kelly Walsh and the two battled it out for the whole six minutes. Both came out strong and fast with Pfeil scoring the first take down in the first period and Kraus with an escape to end the first period, 2-1.
The second period started in the neutral position, each fighting for the take down, but they both held each other off with no score. Going into the third period, the score was still 2-1 and Pfeil picked down.
He fought to get off bottom for the first minute and a half, finally breaking away to score a one-point escape. The next 30 seconds was a fight for Kraus to get a takedown but Pfeil held him strong and, as the time ran out, Pfeil won the match, 3-1 to take the championship at 170 pounds and brought home the belt.
Pfeil is only the second Moorcroft wrestler to ever win a championship at the Ron Thon Tournament, following Dylan Humes, who won it in 2016.
Sixth Place – 195 Parker Schlater made it into the quarterfinals where he lost by decision to move him into the consolation rounds. There, he won round four with a pin in 0:21 and round five with a pin in 2:47 to advance him into the consolation semifinals where he lost to move him into the placing rounds. In his fifth place match, he lost by fall to place sixth.
As a team the Wolves placed 15th out of 44. Out of 350 wrestlers, Rowdy Pfeil tied for first with the most team points with 32 for the whole tournament.
Next up for the Wolves is the Greybull duals this Friday, February 1 in Greybull.
