Wrangell’s wrestlers took sixth place overall during the weekend’s annual tournament in Anchorage.
The Lime Solar-Anchorage Christian Schools Invitational draws schools from around the state each year, many of them contenders for tops honors at State. Forty-six teams attended this year’s tournament, and Wrangell fielded one of the smaller rosters for teams making the top ten.
Nine Wolves competed, with seven counting toward the team total for points.
In the Varsity 98 bracket, Jonah Comstock bested Eielson High student Jolie Lucas in a 14-11 decision. Eventual second-placer Jacob Andrew from New Stuyahok ended up beating him by fall the next round. Winning by fall over Stephen Maxie of Napaskiak, Comstock placed third for his bracket and earned his team 20 points overall.
In the Varsity 106, JD Barratt ended his first two matches in pins. Chevak’s Ajey Moses was finished in 1:46, and Barratt pinned Dillingham’s Jimmy Nicolai in 19 seconds. He then went against Thomas Dyment of Bethel, who pinned Barratt in 1:10 and went on to win the bracket. Barratt ended up finishing fourth for the bracket and earned 20 team points.
Ian Jenson won by 9-0 majority decision over Homer’s Mose Hayes in the Varsity 132, bested by Bethel’s Hayden Lieb by 8-1 decision the next round. Lieb went on to take silver for the bracket, and Jenson won the subsequent fifth-place match by 14-8 decision. He earned 12 points for his team.
In the Varsity 145, Sam Armstrong and Sig Decker both competed. Armstrong ended his first two matches in pins of 2:44 and 3:42, before ending in a 10-2 majority decision favoring Klawock’s James Heppe. In a rematch for third place, Heppe again won in an 8-2 decision. Decker finished his opening match in a 24-second pin, concluding two more by fall and by 8-5 decision. He went on to win the fifth place match against Mian Alexie-Leonard of Bethel. Armstrong earned 24 points for the team, and led among the Wolves for pins over the weekend.
Hunter Wiederspohn and Dillon Rooney competed together in the Varsity 152 bracket, with Wiederspohn winning by fall against Homer’s Seth Classen in the opener. He narrowly lost to Gabe Martin of Grace Christian, and was a hair shy of making the podium.
Competing in the 160, Dawson Miller finished his first match in a pin, before taking the next in a 7-2 decision. Competing in the third-place match against Barrow’s Isiah Passi, Miller finished fourth overall after a 12-6 decision.
Caleb Groshong took fifth place overall for the Varsity 220, besting Thorne Bay wrestler Luke Congdon in a quick 52-second pin and winning his next in a close 7-6 decision. After a disqualification in the semifinal round, Groshong went on to win the fifth-place match against Andrew Wilson of Aniak in a 10-6 decision.
“We’re really proud of the kids,” said assistant coach Jack Carney. The team finished just behind the leading 2A team, and Wrangell’s players stood out in terms of matchups.
“The Wrangell Wolves got 19 pins over the tournament,” Carney said. “It was really impressive.”
He pointed out most were 32-person brackets, and with that level of competition the team comes away with a better idea of how it will stack up in later tournaments.
“It was fun, but we definitely learned from the tournament,” Carney said. “The guys kind of know where they are now as far as the state goes.”
The team is next headed to Metlakatla before taking a two-week bye. The Wolves will then host its annual tournament before heading into Region V.
“We’re really looking forward to the break,” Carney commented.
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