Grabil Takes 2nd at Montana Open

On March 24-26, 2023 the annual Montana Open Wrestling Tournament took place in Billings, MT. With a record-setting 2,486 wrestlers registered from 10+ states, it was an epic battle that will go down in history.

Second-grader Kyla Grabil of Whitehall, MT was the lone standing wrestler from our community. Weighing in at 57.5lbs, Kyla chose to wrestle in the 8U (8 and Under) 62-pound girls weight class, primarily because her best friend from Deer Lodge was wrestling 8U 58; this ensured both a shot at the coveted Montana Open trophy "The Bull."

In the first match, Grabil pinned her opponent in 11 seconds, utilizing the head and arm wrestling move.

The second match was a re-matchup that had been going on since February with a Manhattan wrestler. As it stood, Grabil was 2-1, the last match conducted in the finals at the SWMLG championship. The rematch resulted in an 8-6 victory for Grabil to propel her into the finals.

In the finals, she was matched up with an impressive wrestler from North Montana Wrestling Club who threw Grabil in an over/under and planted her shoulders into the mat. This momentarily knocked the wind from Grabil, causing her to lose by pin.

In true form of a good tournament, second place is not automatic; in this type of bracketology, second and third-place matches are wrestled.

The second-place match was against a wrestler from Project Wrestling Club and resulted in a 7-1 victory for Grabil.

Kyla Grabil closed her season with a 2023 record of 20-2 W/L. She has been wrestling for five years.