TF wrestler stays focused

It's a historical wrestling season for Thompson Falls senior Trae Thilmony, but that's not what he's focused on. "This year I've just been wrestling, having fun. I wasn't too nervous," Thilmony said after he won his fourth divisional meet, a record for Thompson Falls High School. "I've just been working to get better."

Last week at the divisional tournament, Thilmony became the first wrestler in school history to win the divisional title four times. He's also on track to become the winningest wrestler in school history.

At the state meet in Billings this weekend, Thilmony has the potential to set yet another milestone for the school. If he wins a state title this year, he will be the first Blue Hawk wrestler to win three championships. But that's not his focus as he prepares for the state tournament.

"My dad always says just one match at a time," Thilmony said of his father and head coach, Mike.

Looking at the results in Thilmony's 145-pound bracket from the divisional tournament, he makes winning a divisional tournament look easy, but that's far from the truth. His quest for the title began with a pin over Justin Jette of Anaconda in the first period. Then he met Dominic Peltier of Eureka, winning with a 15-0 technical fall in the second period. Thilmony was looking forward to his semifinal matchup, meeting Matthew Larson of Cut Bank. Thilmony won 15-2.

"I got a pretty good match in the semifinals," Thilmony said of the match with Larson. "I'm happy I got to wrestle him." He then was challenged by Roper Mycke of Conrad, winning 19-4. Thilmony said with the strong competition at the divisional meet and the tough two-day tournaments the team went to during the season, he feels he's wrestled everyone in the state at 145 pounds that he needed to in order to prepare for state. "There's actually more people in each bracket (at divisional) than the state tournament. It's a tough tournament."

The Thompson Falls senior is quick to support his teammates as well.

"Everyone battled hard. Saturday morning we had four in the semis, and all four made it to the championship. We all wrestled hard." Thilmony said the most challenging moments of his senior wrestling season have been things he can't control, from the snowstorm that kept the team from traveling to Cut Bank for a tournament to various sicknesses affecting the team through the winter. "We worked through all that."