Boxing past helps Bison mat star Wienholz thrive

Scott Mansch
Great Falls Tribune

Russell Wienholz is several years removed from his boxing career, yet on Tuesday he was sporting a shiner that would have made a puncher proud.

The Great Falls High senior is still fighting all right.

“I’ve made great friends throughout my entire wrestling career,” said the Bison 145-pounder. “All my best friends are here and I’ve come to appreciate all the hard work that comes with wrestling.”

Wienholz and his teammates made their home debut Tuesday night as a highly regarded team from Bozeman visited the old GFH gymnasium for a dual. The Bison won, 33-31, in a match that featured dramatics from start to finish.

Wienholz, who enjoyed a stellar boxing career in Great Falls from age 4-14, is more interested in pins than punches these days. He quit boxing five or six years ago.

Russell Wienholz is a senior 145-pounder for Great Falls High.

And he misses it.

“A little,” he said. “I still go down to the gym to spar once in awhile.”

He had about 50 organized bouts. The number of victories?

“About 42,” he said. “I took third at National Silver Gloves once.”

Wienholz been on the Great Falls High varsity wrestling team for four years.

“This year’s speeding by,” he said.

He took a record of 12-4 entering Tuesday’s match against highly regarded Bozeman. The Hawks’ 145-pounder is Chance McLane, rated No. 1 in the weight class by the AA coaches.

Great Falls High's Russell Wienholz attempts to pin his CMR foe last season.

Wienholz, who has three narrow losses to Havre star Martin Wilkie, began the week ranked third in the weight class. He looks forward to matches against highly touted opponents.

“It’s way funner,” he said. “When you have to go out there and give it your all to get the win.”

He’s proud of his boxing past. And hopeful for the sport’s future here.

“There’s still a ton of kids down there (at the Electric City Boxing Club),” he said.

And is his fight career history?

“We might be picking it up again here after wrestling season,” Wienholz said with a grin.

Russell Wienholz accumulated plenty of victories - and trophies - during his youth boxing career.

Steve Komac, the veteran Great Falls High wrestling coach, smiled when asked what makes Wienholz a talented wrestler.

"He’s bullheaded,” Komac said. “Bullheaded in a good way. And stubborn and difficult at times, but I’m close to Russell so it’s all pretty easy.”

Other standouts on the Bison team this season include Jordan Komac, the head coach’s son who is ranked No. 1 among AA 160-pounders, Travis Tomei (No. 2 at 182), Easton Shupe (No. 5 at 113), Cache Hilliard (No. 5 at 126), Braden Lomas (No. 6 at 132), Elijah Davis (No. 5 at 170), and Alan LaRocque (No. 6 at 205).

Komac, who has been head coach of the Bison for 14 seasons, led the Bison to three consecutive team state championships in 2013-15. His program annually shoots for the top.

And this year is no different. Entering the week, defending champion Kalispell Flathead was ranked the No. 1 team in the state, followed by Bozeman, Billings Skyview and the Bison.

Many of the teams will be competing this weekend at C.M. Russell High as the Rustlers of coach Aaron Jensen play host to the annual CMR Holiday Classic.

“We always have high hopes,” Komac said. “Carrying a tradition here at Great Falls High is so important to me. The day that I came into the program it was obvious the tradition that’s here. I knew about it before I moved to Great Falls, and the day coach (Joe) Aline stepped down and I came in, it was very important for me to continue that tradition.

“It’s hard, sometimes, to stay at that championship level. But we’ve also stubbornly made up our minds that whether we have the experience or don’t have the experience, whether we have the talent or don’t have the talent, that we’re going to push to be that way. And our kids really buy into it. The work ethic of our kids is outstanding.”

Perhaps that is not the norm in prep athletics across the land these days.

“I hear all the time that kids are changing and don’t want to work hard all the time,” Komac said. “That kids aren’t tough like they used to be and maybe need different motivation and relationships with people in order to buy in. But I find that they’re still tough and they still want to work here. And I really like that.”

And that’s precisely why Komac is fond of Wienholz.

“We want to scrap, and have everyone to go out there and compete as hard as we can,” Wienholz said.

He was asked if boxing helps a wrestler.

“Yes,” he said. “When people are trying to hit my head, movement always helps. And I feel like my feet are a little bit quicker than most people.”

So what happened with the black eye?

“Got head-butted,” he said. Then he grinned. “It’s no big deal.”

The Bison have won only six state team titles in school history. The 1999 team of coach Mike Ranieri won it all. Great Falls High also won state championships in 1970 and 1972.

An Alan LaRocque pin sealed a GFH victory over the Hawks, with the 205-pounder finishing Sonny Gavert in 27 seconds. The fall pushed the Bison lead to eight heading into the final match, providing a necessary cushion as Bozeman heavyweight Tom Walkup recorded the six-point pin to push the final score to 33-31. 

“Bozeman is a good team and always very well-coached. To get that win tonight was very exciting for our teams,” said Bison coach Steve Komac. “Both teams wrestled hard and there some very good matches. Our junior varsity also competed well. We were pleased with everyone’s effort."

Jack Dresel also earned a fall victory for the Bison at 138, pinning ranked foe Brock Rodrigues after falling behind early. 

Komac said Dresel's triumph provided GFH with a big spark. 

“That is a great effort for Jack and was a big moment in the dual," he said. 

Also picking up wins for the Bison were top-ranked 160-pounder Jordan Komac (7-3), Elijah Davis at 170 (8-4) and Travis Tomei at 182 (2-1). 

State AA Coaches' Poll

Teams: Kalispell Flathead, Bozeman, Billings Skyview, Great Falls, Butte, Billings Senior.

Individuals

103: Alejandro Madrid, Senior; Brenden Barnes, Flat; Will Queer, But; Wyatt Van Pelt, West; Dre Coles, GFH; Dylan Miller, Gla.

113: Isaac Romero, Helena; Trevin Welzein, MBS; Bryce Shaffer, Flat; Jaiden James, Boz; Easton Shupe, GFH; Gentry Lamb, Sky.

120: Gabe Tierney, But; Sterling Quinn, Boz; Bridger Lamb, Sky; Dominic Battello, Flat; Dakota Thomas, Sent; Jalen Rambin, Senior.

126: Leif Schroeder, Boz; Austin Murphy, Helena; Carter Carroll, CMR; Justin Kovalicky, Sent; Cache Hilliard, GFH; Braydon Terzo, Hellgate.

132: Charlie Klepps, Senior; Reece Eckley, Sent; Dayton Evans, MBS; Noah Kovick, Cap; Caleb Partride, Sky; Braden Lomas, GFH.

138: Kai Stewart, CMR; Devin Crawford, Helena; Dougie Swanson, MBS; Beau King, Sent; Brock Rodrigues, Boz; Lee Lambrecht, Cap.

145: Chance McLane, Boz; Travis Shulte, Cap; Russell Weinholz, GFH; Tanner Russell, Flat; Cameron Hegel, Sent; Kyle Gordon, MBS.

152: Keegan Mulhill, Boz; Jace Rhodes, West; Cade Kay, Sky; Luke Joy, Sent; Kenyon Fretwell, Flat; Logan Twedell, Sky.

160: Jordan Komac, GFH; Connor Peterson, Sky; Stormee Kipp, MBS; Carl Anderson, But; Garrett Rieke, Flat; Coy Cohenhour, Boz.

170: Payton Hume, Flat; Brock Bushfield, Sky; Jacob Fritzler, Senior; Kobe Moreno, But; Elijah Davis, GFH; Reese Rahn, Sent.

182: Tucker Nadeau, Flat; Travis Tomei, GFH; Brandon Cooper, Boz; Kameron Moreno, But; Brenner Bushfield, Sky; Dylan Goforth, Sent.

205: Bryar Newbary, Sent; Jarrett Leinwand, Senior; Seth Jensen, Cap; Hunter Wellcome, Flat; Noah Thomas, Sky; Alan LaRoque, GFH.

285: Jeff Queer, But; Levi Malcolm, West; Alex Paull, Flat; Michael Lee, Flat; KC Buday, CMR; Justin Jenks, Cap.