Two Wolves crowned Region V champions

Great athletes may be born, but champions are coached and bred into reality.

Nothing truer than those words can be said of Tanner Thomassen and Kurt Dingwall, two members of the Wrangell High School wrestling team who took home a region championship at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka last weekend.

The pair of juniors has wrestled hard all season, with Thomassen (145-pound) amassing a 29-6 record, and Dingwall (138-pound) tendering a season win-loss ratio of 17-3.

Head coach Jeff Rooney said he was proud of the way his two top juniors fought their way through a series of wins.

“Both Kurt’s and Tanner’s style and intensity are rivaled by few in our region and we have our sights set on the State Championships coming this next weekend,” Rooney said.

According to Rooney, Thomassen made quick work of his opponents on his way to the top spot in his bracket.

“Tanner anchored the number one spot once again in his bracket,” Rooney said. “With no rest for the champion, he quickly dispatched his opponent Cobin Latimer of Craig in an early second period pin, then Dalton Tuohy of Haines, also an early second period pin. Tanner’s semi final match against Frank Hoogendorn of Edgecumbe resulted in third period pin.”

After working his way through the bracket, it was onto the finals for Thomassen.

“Tanner then met his seasoned rival, the No. 3 seed, Jake Licari of Sitka,” Rooney said. “Licari came out with the home field advantage and wrestled a tremendous match. Tanner and Jake wrestled one of the best matches of the tournament battling back and forth, where Tanner came out victorious with a close 13-12 victory landing him the title and the 145-pound Championship for Region V.”

Rooney was equally effusive over the performance of Dingwall during the competition.

“Kurt received a Technical Fall over Marty Lopez of Kake, a 43-second pin over River Quitsland of Petersburg, and a second period pin over Luther Jensen of Thorne Bay, landing him in the finals,” Rooney said. “Kurt’s finals match put him up against Kenny Thomsen of Haines, the same tough opponent we met at the previous tournament in Thunder Mountain. Kurt and Kenny battled through all three periods at 0-0 until late in the 3rd period, where Kurt received an escape and a takedown earning him 3 points and the much desired as the 138-pound regional champion.”

Aside from Thomassen and Dingwall, Devon Miller, Jeff Rooney, Jr., Lorenzo Silva and Steven Barger will attend the Alaska State 1A-3A Championships this weekend at Nikiski High School.