The Wrangell Wolves high school wrestling team participated in the tournament at Anchorage Christian Schools last Friday and Saturday. A statewide event, the ACS tournament is generally a big predictor for the State Championship.
“It went very well,” said the team’s coach, Jeffery Rooney. The Wolves placed 12th out of 45 schools.
Individually, three wrestlers ranked in the top of their weight class. Roger Miller earned fourth place for 138, Justus Mikkelsen took fifth for 195, and Chet Armstrong came in sixth for 160.
“We had a lot of really tough competition,” he said. “But they wrestled tough.”
“They started off really strong,” said Jack Carney, Wrangell Public Schools activities director. “For a while they were in the top ten.”
Carney explained the Wolves would have taken top points for small schools if the high school had 80 or fewer students; enrollment this year at WHS is 87.
“As far as Southeast teams were, we’re the third-highest scoring behind Ketchikan and Mt. Edgecumbe,” said Rooney.
The Wolves scored a total of 83 points, just four behind Mt. Edgecumbe. Kotzebue High School won the tournament, and Bethel came in second.
“It just shows their caliber,” Carney said of Kotzebue. Wrangell placed just behind the school at the invitational in Petersburg last month and had bested them for pins. “The farther you go up in these brackets, the harder your competition.”
“I was very pleased,” said Rooney. “I’d like to see a couple of the guys maintain the weight to what they were,” but overall the coach felt his team had a shot for a region title this year. “We’re really hoping to this year.”
The team experienced some shoulder, rib and knee injuries and a few bouts of illness by the weekend’s close. Rooney expects four or five wrestlers will not be able to make it for this upcoming weekend at Mt. Edgecumbe.
The losses should not affect the team’s chances at regionals. Rooney explained the next few tournaments are just builders.
“We’re right on track where we want to be,” he said.
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