Butte High wrestlers Crew O’Connor and Mattie Stepan are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.

The honors come after the Bulldogs completed the season at the Montana High School Association All-Class Wrestling Tournament at MetraPark Arena.

O’Connor, an eighth grader, takes home the boys’ honor after winning the state title at 103 pounds. He beat teammate Renzy LeProwse in the championship match.

O’Connor became the first Bulldog eighth grader to win a state title. He is also the first Class AA wrestler to win a title while in the eighth grade.

His pin against LeProwse in the third period was by far his closest match of the tournament. He pinned his first two opponents in the first period before ending his semifinal win over Bo Porter of Great Falls High with a technical fall 11 seconds into the third.

O’Connor closed his first season with the Bulldogs with a 33-7 record.

Stepan, a senior, takes home the girls’ accolade. She wrapped up her remarkable career by placing fourth at 155 pounds.

She advanced to the semifinals before dropping a 9-6 overtime thriller to Macy Tate of Baker.  

Stepan became the first four-time place winner in Butte High girls’ wrestling history. She placed fourth as a junior, sixth as a sophomore and fourth as a freshman.

Stepan is also the first girl in the program to register 100 wins, and she also holds the Butte High girls’ record for most career wins with 108 victories.

She placed in every high school tournament she competed in.

For the fourth year, Leskovar Honda, home of the non-commission sales staff that always has your back, is teaming up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.

Photos of O’Connor and Stepan provided by Alycia Holland Photography.