Wrestlers take 4th in Ketchikan invitational

Wrangell's wrestlers made a good showing among teams included in this year's Bill Weiss Invitational, held in Ketchikan over the weekend.

"They really did well there," explained assistant coach Jack Carney. Included in the competition were larger schools such as Glenallen, which brought along some of their former state champions for the ride.

"We had some real stiff competition from Bethel," Carney noted.

Dawson Miller and

Dillon Rooney both competed in the 160 bracket, with

senior Miller finishing up in

second. He pinned Hydaburg sophomore Guy Sanderson in the opener and bested

Sydnee Kimber of Metlakatla by 7-2 decision, before proceeding by forfeiture to the finals. He competed against last year's third-placer at State,

Glennallen's Caden Gerlach, who ended the match by fall in 4:26. Rooney placed fifth for the bracket, proceeding through the secondary with four wins and two losses.

Freshman Hannah Brown took second place for the girls 132 bracket, winning four of five matches in the round robin.

"I was proud of her for that," commented Carney.

Sophomore Elizabeth Johnson finished just behind her teammate in third for the

bracket, finishing up three of her five rounds in wins.

Bracket winner Andrea Prince of Metlakatla took five for five, continuing an unbeaten streak for the season.

Jonah Comstock also took second for the 98 weight bracket, besting Ketchikan wrestler Dwight King in a 1:30 pin and taking a fall to Bethel student Diesel Geerdts in 2:27 during a round-robin.

In the crowded 152 weight bracket, freshman Hunter Wiederspohn wrestled Kyler Sumauang of Sitka High School. Sumauang won the match-up by majority decision.

Caleb Groshong took second place in the 220-pound bracket, opening with a win against Hydaburg senior Traesean Miramontez and Bethel's Drew Pekar. In the final he faced Thunder Mountain junior Carl Tupou, who won the bracket by 5-2 decision.

For the 182 bracket, Darren Shilts came away with a third placement. After winning an opening match in a 2:30 pin, he was sent into the secondary bracket after the next round. Shilts went on to finish his next match against Nicoli Bolshakoff of Ketchikan in a 4:05 pin, before besting Petersburg junior Brandon Ware by 4-2 decision in the final.

Jonathan Barratt

came in fourth place for the 106. The junior won an opening pairing against Thunder Mountain's Ricky Ramirez,

finishing in a pin in 2:46. He was then sent to the secondary after Ketchikan's Matthew Rodriguez won by sudden victory. Barratt went on to

win one more in a 6-1 decision before finishing up to

third-placer Connor Norman from Thunder Mountain in the final.

Classmate Ian Jenson

also finished fourth for his 132 bracket. He won two by

fall, first against Klawock freshman Ruben Hoppe and then against Hydaburg's

Roger Dilipou. After heading to the secondary bracket

following a 3-2

decision, Jenson picked up another win before a close final matchup with Troy Harris of Ketchikan, who won by 8-6 decision.

Seniors Sam Armstrong

and Sig Decker both competed in the 145 weight bracket,

with Armstrong finishing in fourth place. Armstrong

opened with a pair of wins, against Glennallen's Paul Scott and Ketchikan's Justin Albecker, before losing to Aaron Olsen of Bethel. Decker won his first match against Petersburg's Ethan File, before moving to the secondary

bracket. He bested Scott and and Metlakatla's

Merrick Dundas before

squaring off against teammate Armstrong. Armstrong won by forfeiture, and in the finals

followed up to James

Heppe of Klawock in a 7-0 decision.

Of the 15 teams participating in the tournament, Wrangell placed fourth overall, behind Ketchikan, Bethel and Glenallen.

"We definitely learned

a lot," said Carney, which will be good preparation for the team's upcoming competition at the Anchorage Christian Schools Invitational this weekend. Featuring teams from schools around the state, the annual tournament features some tough competition and prepares teams for the rigors of state competition later in the season.