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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Tessa Ganzenmueller, Hudson Luedtke
Butte Central swimmer Tessa Ganzenmueller and Butte High basketball player Hudson Luedtke are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
Ganzenmueller, a junior, takes home the girls’ honor after delivering the the school its first girls’ individual state championship in swimming. She won the Class AB title in the 100-yard breaststroke Saturday at the 57th Annual Montana High School State Swimming Meet at Great Falls High School.
Ganzenmueller finished the race in 1 minute, 14.38 seconds for the victory. BC coach Mariya Peck said, “That swim will be remembered for a long time.”
Ganzenmueller also placed fifth in the 200 freestyle and swam a leg in BC’s fifth-place 200-freestyle relay team and sixth-place 200 medley relay team, making her a four-time All-State swimmer in one meet.
Luedtke, a senior, takes home the boys’ honor after another incredible week. The award is designed to be spread around to many athletes, but it is impossible to not acknowledge the run Luedtke is on.
Butte High is riding a four-game winning streak, and Luedtke scored 115 points over that span of four games in eight days. He scored 26 points in Thursday’s home win over Helena Capital before tossing in 26 in Saturday’s win at Helena High.
Luedtke has also threatened a triple-double with rebounds and assists in that span.
Already the career leading scorer for Butte High boys, Luedtke has 1,568 points in his four seasons at Butte High. With three regular-season games and the playoffs left, Luedtke is 129 points shy of breaking Lexie Nelson’s city record of 1,696 points in a high school career.
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.
Photo of Ganzenmueller provided by Mariya Peck. The photo of Luedtke courtesy Alycia Holland Photography.
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Omission: BC’s Gonzales qualifies
DILLON — Butte Central’s Amira Gonzales qualified for the Girls State wrestling tournament Saturday.
The junior placed fourth at 125 pounds for the Maroons at the girls’ Western A Divisional meet at the B.W. Lodge Gymnasium. She will compete in the state meet, which runs Thursday through Saturday at the Billings Metra.
Gonzales also competed for the Maroons at 125 points at last year’s state meet.
Here name was omitted from a story posted Saturday night due to incomplete results on trackwrestling.com.
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Dougie Peoples hits COI milestone
Butte Central graduate Dougie Peoples was not the team leader in points when he tossed in four points in the defending NAIA national champion College of Idaho’s 84-59 win Saturday at Bushnell (Oregon).
That distinction belonged to Alex Germer, who scored 20 points to lead three Yotes in double figures scoring.
Peoples, though, reached a major milestone in the victory. The junior became the latest College of Idaho player to reach 1,000 career points.
The Yotes are 18-8 overall and 13-5 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Peoples is averaging 15.0 points per game, shooting 40 percent from 3-point range. He scored 21 points in COI’s 93-65 win over Oklahoma Wesleyan in the NAIA national championship game in Kansas City.
Milestones are old hat for Peoples, who is best known for hitting the long, buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Butte Central a win over Lewistown in the 2022 Class A State championship game in Missoula.
He closed his Butte Central career with 1,683 points. Only Butte High star Lexie Nelson scored more points playing high school basketball in the Mining City. She closed her career with 1,696 points.
Following his senior season in 2023, Peoples was named the Gatorade Montana Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
The Yotes play at home Friday and Saturday against Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon. Then they head to the Cascade College Conference Tournament Feb. 25 through March3 in Olympica, Washington.
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of Feb. 16.
This is the final week of the Winter season. The season-ending double-loss tournament will begin next week, and the Spring league will open shortly after that.
Monday
7 p.m. — Kenworthy vs. Washington Generals
8 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Poi Time
9 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. HoopballasTuesday
7 p.m. — Someday Starters vs. ButteSports
8 p.m. — Someday Starters vs. JellyfamWednesday
7 p.m. — ButteSports vs. Poi Time
8 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. KenworthyThursday
7 p.m. — City Boys vs. Washington Generals
8 p.m. — City Boys vs. Hoopballas
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Four Maroons qualify for State
DILLON — Four Butte Central wrestlers have qualified for the last weekend of the season.
Junior Jack Holmes and eighth graders Braydon Armstrong, Jace Rauch and Jampel Hanley extended their season Saturday at the Western A Divisional meet at the B.W. Lodge Gym.
Hanley led the way for the Maroons, placing second at 103 pounds. He fell to Caleb Weldon of Frenchtown in the first period of the title bout. The top eight in each weight class move on to the All-Class State tournament next Thursday through Saturday in Billings.
Armstrong placed seventh at 118 pounds, Rauch took eighth at 103 pounds, and Holmes took eight at 132 pounds.
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Six Dog wrestlers win divisional title
Butte High qualifies 15 boys, 10 girls for State tournament
MISSOULA — Four boys and two girls from Butte High claimed divisional wrestling titles during the Western AA Divisional tournament Saturday at Missoula Sentinel.
Crew O’Connor, Keegan Hunt, Ryder McEwen and Bridger Garrison won crowns on the boys’ side. Adalie Hazlett and Mattie Stepan delivered titles for the girls.
In all, the Bulldogs will send 15 boys and 10 girls to next week’s All-Class State Tournament in Billings.
O’Connor, an eighth grader, took home the title at 103 pounds. He pinned teammate Reny LeProwse in 1 minute, 48 seconds in the title bout. The top eight in each weight class move on the boys’ side.
Hunt, a senior who won state title a year ago, claimed the 110-pound crown. He pinned Dayton Naldrett of Kalispell Flathead in 51 seconds in the championship match.
McEwen, a senior, won at 150 pounds, pinning Jasper Bench of Flathead in 1:44 in the title match. Junior Bridger Garrison won at 165 pounds, with a 6-3 decision over Connor Lamping of Helena High in the chipper.
Hazlett, a junior and 2025 state champion who has been wrestling through an injury, took second at 157 pounds. He dropped an 8-1 decision to Flathead’s Brett Chivers.
Bradey Doyle (132 pounds), Kuley Queer (110) and Bridger Brancamp (215) placed third, and Reveles McEwen (118), Darryn Rossiter (126) Waylond Hicks (285 limit) placed fourth. Kasen O’Keefe (175) placed fifth, Aiden Maesar (118) took seventh and Blaise Perez (138) finished eighth.
For the Bulldog girls, Hazlett, an eighth grader, continued her remarkable first year with the Bulldogs by winning the 125-pound title. She pinned Trinity Stoner of Helena Capital in 2:21. The top three move on automatically on the girls’ side. The rest are based on a formula.
Stepan, a senior, won the 155-pound division. She stuck Kassidy Lingle of Glacier in 2:46 in the title bout.
Butte High senior Peyton Liva took second at 100 pounds. She fell to Katelyn Sphuler of Glacier in 3:53 in the championship match.
Eighth grader Loretta Matteson finished second at 140 pounds. She fell to Addison Clixby of Missoula Big Sky in 2:00.
Lilyi Malone (110), Jessica Blow (125), Sage Queer (145), Rylee Radcliffe (170) and Chyanne Robinson (235 limit) placed third for Butte High. Allie Ballensky (235 limit) placed fourth, while Irelynn Cullen (105), Deearea Naugle (120), and Mattison Neighbor (155) placed fifth.
Brooke Johnson (145) took sixth place, and Chalie Richter (130) and Brooklyn Hettick (110) placed eighth. Even though they placed, Cullen, Naugle, Neighbor, Richter, Johnson and Hettick will be left out based on the predetermined formula to qualify.
The State meet runs Thursday through Saturday at the Billings Metra.
Complete results can be found at trackwrestling.com.
Note: this story was updated to reflect the six Butte High wrestlers who placed in their weight classes but will miss out on State based on the formula to qualify.
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Bulldog girls swim to sixth place with six earning All-State honors
GREAT FALLS — The Bulldog swimmers ended the season on a high.
With six All-State performers, the Butte High girls placed sixth in the Class AA at the 57th Annual Montana High School State Swimming Meet, which concluded Saturday at Great Falls High School.
All-State honors go to the top six place winners. Those who place seventh through 12th are considered all-conference.
Freshman Adalie Grochowski led the way for the Bulldogs, maintaining her third place in the 50-yard freestyle race. She also stayed at fifth place in the backstroke, making her a two-time All-State swimmer in individual events.
Junior Alaina Grochwoski took sixth in the 100 butterfly for an All-State nod. She also took eighth in the 100 breaststroke.
Senior Tatum Trefts wrapped up her stellar Bulldog swimming career by placing sixth in the 100 breaststroke to claim an All-State mention. Senior Olivia Thurmond took 12th in the 100 freestyle.
The Bulldogs also captured All-State in a pair of relays. Another earned all-conference.
Adalie Grochowski, Trefts, Alaina Grochowski and Thurmond placed fifth in the 200 medley relay. Alaina Grochowski, Bella Corrales, Thurmond and Adalie Grochowski took fifth in the 200 freestyle relay.
Bryher Fitzpatrick, Trefts, Ely Rumler and Corrales placed eighth in the 400 freestyle relay.
Butte High’s boys saw four all-conference swims.
Senior Nathan Stone moved up one place from the prelims to take 11th in the 100 butterfly. Freshman Alex Sonnemann took 12th in the 100 backstroke.
Sonnemann, Stone, Gunnar Benson and Gage Plum took 10th in the 200 medley rely, and Benson, Tucker Kissell, Sonnemann and Stone moved up one spot for eighth place in the 200 freestyle relay.
“We ended the season on a really good note,” Bulldog coach Lynn Shrader said. “I am proud of everyone.”
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Ganzenmueller swims to state title, Maroons place fifth
GREAT FALLS — Butte Central has another state champion.
Junior Tessa Ganzenmueller won the Class AB 100-yard breaststroke Saturday at the 57th Annual Montana High School State Swimming Meet at Great Falls High School. Ganzenmueller finished the race in 1 minute, 14.38 seconds for the victory, which is the first for a Maroon girl this century.
“Tessa dropped 4.77 seconds and stood on the top step of the podium,” BC coach Mariya Peck said. “That swim will be remembered for a long time.”
As a team, the BC girls placed fifth in the meet.
“In a field that included Billings Central, Havre, Hardin, Whitefish, and Bigfork, the Maroons finished fifth in the state,” Peck said. “There were time drops across the board. There were podium finishes. There was a state championship. This group did not just attend state. They competed.”
Ganzenmueller also placed third in the 200 freestyle in 2:14, one place ahead of teammate Morgan Hardy, who tapped in 2:14.30. Ganzenmueller dropped nearly nine seconds in that race, while Hardy dropped time and “raced tough” in the finals.
The top six swimmers in each event earn All-State honors.
BC’s girls’ 200 freestyle relay team placed fifth in 2:04.35. That team is made up of Ganzenmueller, Alex Morey, Hardy and Tia Thompson. The team cut 2.80 seconds from the prelims to score valuable team points.
Hardy, Tompson, Arwen Regester, Ganzenmueller and Alex Morey make up the 200 medley relay team, which placed sixth in 2:15.79, also dropping time from the prelims.
BC’s boys saw a handful of Maroons just miss the finals Saturday. They are Shamus Peck, Connor Hardy, Joe Bradshaw and Conan Homes.
(The 2025 State Butte Central swimming team is shown in the top photo, which is provided by Mariya Peck.)
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Bulldogs battle back, sweep Bengals
Valentine’s Day was a good day for the Bulldogs. But it took a while for them to get going.
Butte High’s varsity boys’ and girls’ basketball teams swept Western AA games with Helena High Saturday. Both were come-from-behind wins.
The Bulldog boys went to the Capital City for a 52-42 victory, rallying in the fourth quarter. Butte High’s girls stormed back to erase a double-digit deficit — and then some — for a 63-47 victory at the Richardson Gym.
The Bulldog boys will travel to Missoula Hellgate on Thursday before hosting Missoula Sentinel next Saturday. Butte High’s girls will play host to Hellgate for Senior Night on Thursday before heading to Sentinel on Saturday.
Butte High’s teams close out the regular season Feb. 27 against Missoula Big Sky. The boys will play at home, and the girls will be on the road.
GRILS
Butte High 63, Helena High 47
It might have been the best second half of the season for the Bulldogs.Butte High outscored Helena 40-16 after the intermission, overcoming a 31-23 halftime deficit for the victory. Butte High trailed by double digits multiple times in the first half.
Elli and Cadence Graham led the way for the Bulldogs. The sisters combined for 33 points in the win. Elli Graham, a freshman, scored 11 of her team-leading 17 points in the second half. That includes two of her 3-pointers.
Cadence Graham, a junior, scored 16 in the victory that lifted the Bulldogs to 10-6 overall and 8-3 in the Western AA.
Seven different Butte High player scored points in the win. Franki Salusso and Emma Johnson each poured in nine points. They both scored seven of their points in the second half. Saege Grey tossed in seven, Avery Barsness drained a 3-pointers, and Allie Becker netted two.
Kendallyn Schad also contributed for the Bulldogs.
Lauren Lieberg scored 24 points to pace the Bengals, who fell to 7-9 and 5-6. Dakota Lieberg added 12 points for Helena, which got six from McKenna Pipinich, four from Cassidy Smith and one from Emmie Bermingham.
HELENA HIGH (7-9 and 5-6) — Lauren Lieberg 9 6-8 24, Dakota Lieberg 3 5-6 12, Alexa Lundstrom 0 0-0 0, McKenna Pipinich 2 1-2 6, Cassidy Smith 2 0-1 4, Emmie Bermingham 0 1-2 1, Kortney McKay 0 0-0 0, Presley Swenson 0 0-0 0, Greta Peterson 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 13-19 47.
BUTTE HIGH (10-6, 8-3) — Allie Becker 1 0-4 2, Cadence Graham 4 7-12 16, Elli Graham 4 4-5 17, Franki Salusso 4 1-4 9, Emma Johnson 4 0-0 9, Saege Grey 1 4-8 7, Kendallyn Schad 0 0-0 0, Avery Barsness 1 0-0 3. Totals 20 16-33 63.
Helena 21 10 8 8 — 47
Butte 13 10 22 18 — 63
3-point goals — Helena 2 (Lieberg, Pipnch), Butte 7 (E. Graham 3, C. Graham, Johnson, Grey, Barsness). Fouls — Helena 22, Butte 12. Fouled out — none. Technical — Butte High coach.
BOYS
Butte High 52, Helena High 42
HELENA — The Bulldogs erased a 37-33 deficit with a 19-5 run in the fourth quarter.Hudson Luedtke scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the final frame, and Brady Hanson had a big dunk as the Bulldogs closed out the game in style.
Butte High trailed 14-10 after the first quarter and 28-25 at the half.
Mitch Verlanic scored 11 points for Butte High. That includes six points in the fourth quarter. Josh Liston tossed in nine, and Hanson finished with four. Cayde Stajcar, who played even after aggravating his ankle injury, tossed in two while serving as a force on the boards.
Rhett Arntson, Kendel Noctor and James Pearston also contributed for the Bulldogs, who improved to 14-3 and 8-3.
Tyse Todorovich scored 18 points to lead the Bengals, who fell to 8-7 and 5-5. Seth Lieberg tossed in four points for Helena, which got four from Gracen Silvonen and Chase Foster, three from CJ OneSpot-Danforth and one from Reece Silvonen.
BUTTE HIGH (13-3, 8-3) — Cayde Stajcar 1 0-1 2, Hudson Luedtke 7 9-15 26, Mitch Verlanic 3 3-4 11, Josh Liston 3 1-2 9, Brady Hanson 2 0-2 4, Rhett Arntson 0. 0-2 0, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0, James Pearston 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 13-26 52.
HELENA HIGH (8-7. 5-5) — Pacer Lybert 0 0-0 0, Reece Silvonen 0 1-2 1, Seth Lieberg 5 1-2 12, Tyse Todorovich 7 3-3 18, Gracen Silvonen 11-2 4, CJ OneSpot-Danforth 0 3-4 3, Kale Day 0 0-0 0, Seth Kiser 0 0-2 0, Chase Foster 2 0-0 4, Cole Beaver 0 0-0 0, Jonathan Laboy 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 9-15 42.
Butte 10 15 8 19 — 52
Helena 14 14 9 5 — 42
3-point goals — Butte 7 (Luedtke 3, Verlanic 2, Liston 2), Helena 3 (Lieberg, G. Silvonen, Todorovich). Fouls — Butte 16, Helena 20. Fouled out — Stajcar, G. Silvonen. Technical — Stajcar. -
Bulldogs, Maroons swim into finals
GREAT FALLS — Butte High and Butte Central’s swimmers had a nice day Friday at the 57th Annual Montana High School State Swimming Meet at Great Falls High School.
Butte High is competing in the Class AA competition, while the Maroons are in the Class AB meet.
Butte High will have 14 swimmers in the finals on Saturday, with a strong contingent of girls leading the way. Those who make the top-six finals have already secured All-State honors. Those who make the finals for seventh through 12th place are all-conference.
Six girls for the Bulldogs have already secured All-State recognition.
Freshman Adalie Grochowski dropped tine off her personal best in the 50-yard freestyle and is seeded third. She also dropped 3 seconds in the 100 backstroke to sit in fifth place.
Senior Tatum Trefts finished secured the fourth seed in the 100 breaststroke, shaving 4 seconds off her best time.
Bulldog coach Lynn Shrader said the most exciting moment of the day was when junior Alaina Grocowsky cut more than 3 seconds off to tie for sixth place in the 100 butterfly. She had to do a swim-off to break the tie and earn All-State, dropping another tenth of a second to win.
She also is sitting seventh in the 100 breaststroke.
Senior Olivia Thurmond had best times in the 50 and 100 free. She is sitting in eighth in the 50 free and 12th in the 100 free.
The 200 medley relay team of Adalie Grochowski, Trefts, Alaina Grochowski, and Thurmond dropped 4 seconds to claim the fifth seed in the finals. In doing so, they broke a 15-year-old school record in this event.
The 200 freestyle relay team made up of Alaina Grochowski, Bella Corrales, Thurmond, and Adalie Grochowski dropped time to be sitting in fifth place. In the 400 freestyle relay, Bryher Fitzpatrick, Trefts, Elly Rumler, and Corrales are sitting in eighth place.
For the Butte High boys, senior Nathon Stone is sitting in 12th place in the 100 butterfly, and freshman Alex Sonnemann sits in 12th in the 100 backstroke.
Butte High’s 200 freestyle relay team of Gunnar Benson, Tucker Kissell, Sonneman Stone are sitting in ninth place. In the 200 medley relay, Gage Plum, Stone, Benson and Sonneman are seeded 10th.
“We had almost all best times today, with swimmers moving up places and some just missing out into the top 12,” Shrader said. “I am proud of how everyone swam and how hard they worked throughout the season. This has been the most swims that Butte High has had in finals for a long time. I am looking forward to seeing how they do in the finals.”
For the Maroon girls, Tessa Ganzenmueller had a great day. She is seeded first in the 100 breaststroke and in the top six of the 200 freestyle.
Morgan Hardy also qualified for the finals in the 200 freestyle, while Tia Thompson, Hardy and Alex Morey also made the 200 freestyle finals.
Hardy, Thompson, Ganzenmueller and Arwen Register qualified in the 200 medley relay.
BC’s boys saw a handful of swimmers just miss the top six. Shamus Peck took seventh in the 200 individual medley and eighth in the 100 butterfly.
Connor Hardy placed ninth in the 100 backstroke and 10th in the 100 breaststroke, and Joe Bradshaw finished 10th in the 500 freestyle.
Bradshaw, Conan Holmes, Hardy and Peck placed seventh in the 200 individual medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay.
Results will not be available until the meet after the meet concludes on Saturday.
