Great Falls Trib coverage of 2012 TOC

MENDENHALL SHINES AGAIN
By JESSE GELEYNSE February 18, 2012

The first thing that stands out is the barren upper lip of Cole Mendenhall.

Since winning his fourth state title last weekend at the All-Class state wrestling tournament in Billings, the Great Falls High senior has shed the Adam Morrison-esque stash that both he and teammate Josh Morin grew all season.

"I told everyone I would shave it after the season, so I just shaved it," Mendenhall said. "I miss it, though."

Whatever luck the moustache brought Mendenhall did not vanish with the shave as the Bison star claimed the 140-pound title at the Fourth Annual Tournament of Champions All-Star wrestling tournament Saturday at the Paris Gibson Education Center.

"It's definitely different not going to practice and thinking it's over, but it hasn't really kicked in," Mendenhall said. "It's pretty sweet to finally be over with it. (Winning four state titles) was my goal since I was five years old."

Though Mendenhall was the only GFH wrestler to win a title, a number of other Bison wrestlers competed in the event, which is sponsored by the personal injury law firm of Hoyt and Blewett PLLC.

GFH's 98-pounder Jarren Komac upset Class B-C champion Maestro Martinez in the semifinals by pinning the Wolf Point grappler in 5:01. Komac went on to lose the championship match 5-0 to Bozeman's Vito Degidio, the AA runner-up last week.

Josh Morin advanced to the 135-pound finals with a 10-6 decision over Dawson's Layne Lantis. But B-C state champ Brandon Weber of Forsyth pinned Morin in the title match.

Casey Dobson (105), Josh Smart (112), Austin Shupe (125) and Andre Geranios (215) all fell in the preliminary rounds. Havre's Grayson Brenna and Kameron Pribyl each lost in the preliminary rounds, as did Fort Benton's Riley DeBruycker.

Mendenhall was one of three four-time state titlists who won Saturday, joining Chinook's Benjamin Stroh and Conrad's Luke Schlosser. Glasgow's Luke Zeiger, the fourth to win four last Saturday, injured himself in Billings, which did not allow a potential championship showdown with Mendenhall to materialize.

"I was looking forward to it," Mendenhall said. "He told me down in Billings that he got hurt or something, but it happens."

Stroh earned a first-round bye and needed just 2:28 to pin Billings West's Jake Leinwand in the championship match. It was the second TOC title in as many tries for the Wyoming recruit, who has not lost since his freshman year.

"It's an honor to come here and I don't understand why everybody doesn't," Stroh said. "I didn't make it up my first two years because I was injured and I missed a lot. You sit in the hotel, BS with the best guys in the state all night. Nobody gets to bed. You don't know if anybody practiced the night before. It's just a good time."

Choteau's Jack Clark echoed Stroh's sentiment after pinning Chester's Shalon Norick in 1:55 to win the heavyweight title.

"I love this tournament," Clark said. "It's a ball. It's so laidback. Everybody here is good and it's fun to watch. These are the best matches you're going to see."

Clark was the B-C state runner-up at heavyweight last weekend, although he weighs nowhere near that, checking it at about 190. But Clark wanted to avoid Stroh and didn't want to "step on the toes" of 215-pound teammate Owen DeBruycker, who finished second to Chinook's Jorrell Jones in the B-C championship match.

"We gave it a run," said Clark, who lost 10-4 to Colstrip's Tucker Yates last week in Billings. "I didn't get pinned, so it was better than wrestling Stroh."

Schlosser needed just 52 seconds to pin Dawon's Tyler Forcella in the 119-pound championship match. Chinook's Jones outlasted Class A champion Austin Boucher of Laurel 4-3 to win the 215-pound title.

Other winners included Butte's Bryan Armstrong at 105, Helena's Grant Boggs at 112, Belgrade's Bryce Weatherston at 125, Bozeman's Marcus Kolp at 130, Broadwater's Shay Christianson at 145, Drummond's Barrett Stanghill at 160 and Laurel's Dylan Kramer at 171.

"I love this meet and I want to tell Blewetts, 'Thank you so much,'" Stroh said. "This is the best meet out there. They treat you so well. They pay for your fuel getting up here, they put you in a motel. They treat you excellent -- I don't think they could treat you any better."