Athlete of the Week

Last week Cut Bank……..this week both our male and female Athletes of the week hail from Choteau and both had big accomplishments over the weekend.

Male athlete of the week honors go to Choteau senior Steeler French, an undefeated State Champion as a junior…..who appears to be on a track right back to where he ended last year. Steeler has lost 1 match this season, at the CMR Holiday Classic, but still on track to have a big year with a 22-1 record currently. He won the Cut Bank invitational last weekend at 182 with a tight 3-2 win over two-time defending State Champion Jase Stokes of Havre. Stokes is a high quality opponent who as a junior has a solid opportunity to be a four time State Champion. French has now compiled a 135-30 career record and has placed at state all three years of his career sixth as a freshman, third as a sophomore and the championship last year.

Female athlete of the week honors go to Choteau junior Molly Salmond who led the Lady Bulldogs to victories over Shelby with 17 points and Rocky Boy, 15, last weekend. You wonder how much those two performances had to do with the fact that Salmond knew it would be the last two games of her junior Season because she has now had surgery for a knee injury that she has played with all season. Choteau Coach John Shepherd says in fact, Molly has had a great year, averaging 12 points a game and six rebounds while shooting almost 85-percent at the free throw line. Shepherd says she is deserving and has been very consistent even while playing with a damaged knee Salmond also played through that injury in volleyball where she was the 1b district’s MVP with first team all-conference and all-state accolades.

Also nominated this week, Cory Richter of the CJI hawks with a 28 point game against Big Sandy and 16 points, ten rebounds against North Star, both CJI victories.

The athlete of the week is sponsored locally by McDonalds in Cut Bank. McDonalds provides our athletes with two free value meals each.