Maroons Make Statement on Idaho Mats

Butte Central’s wrestling program made the most of a rare out-of-state trip last weekend, sending four competitors to the Madison Invitational in Rexburg, Idaho, and coming home with wins, a podium finish, and a better sense of where they stack up against tough regional competition.

Sophomore Amira Gonzales led the way for the Maroons on the girls side, placing sixth at 125 pounds in a deep bracket. Gonzales had to forfeit her fifth-place match because of injury, but not before she pinned Burley’s Esmeralda Ronquillo in 1 minute, 40 seconds to highlight her day.

Freshman Felicity Stevens also turned in a solid showing at 115 pounds, going 1-2 with a lightning-quick 31-second pin over Pressly Palfreyman of Burley. Gonzales and Stevens combined for 15 team points, good enough to put Butte Central 17th in a 27-team field won by Idaho Falls, with Skyline and Burley rounding out the top three.

On the boys side, Jace Rauch and Kelsen Brackett both battled through tough draws and found their way into the win column. Wrestling at 98 pounds, Rauch went 1-2 on the day, picking up his victory with a 2:10 pin over Snake River’s Theo Nickell-Wood.

Brackett provided one of the weekend’s big moments at 120 pounds, securing a fall over Skyline’s Juan Sepulveda with just one second left in the second period for a 3:59 pin. He finished 1-2 in a loaded bracket, helping BC total nine team points and place 22nd out of 24 teams, as host Madison claimed the boys title with Blackfoot and South Fremont close behind.

While the overall team scores were modest, the trip delivered exactly what the Maroons were looking for: quality mat time and pressure situations against unfamiliar opponents. The Idaho weekend forced Gonzales, Stevens, Rauch and Brackett to wrestle through adversity, adjust to different styles, and finish periods strong, the kind of habits that matter when the postseason comes into focus back in Montana.

With a small but hungry roster, Butte Central will look to turn the lessons from Rexburg into continued growth as the schedule shifts back to in-state tournaments and mixers. If the grit and flashes shown on the Idaho mats are any indication, the Maroons are building toward a finish that could surprise some people later this winter.