The Wrangell High School wrestling squad poses for a team photo after competing at regionals in Ketchikan last Saturday. Back row, from left: Steven Bales, Abree Powers, Elias Decker, Jackson Powers, Kyan Stead, Cody Barnes, Ian Nelson Devlyn Campbell and Lucas Schneider. Front row, from left: Ethan Blatchley, Katelyn Gillen, Della Churchill, Boomchain Loucks, Vanessa Johnson and Randy Churchill.
There was plenty of tough competition last Friday and Saturday as the Wrangell High School wrestling squad attended the Southeast Division II regional championship competition in Ketchikan.
Head coach Jack Carney's strategy to curb any risks of injury over the previous weeks paid off as grapplers brought home six first-place wins, one second-place finish, four third-place, two fourth-place, one fifth-place and one sixth-place win.
The Wrangell squad placed second overall behind Mt. Edgecumbe High School, beating out Petersburg, Haines, Sitka, Craig, Metlakatla Yakutat, Skagway, Hydaburg and Hoonah.
"None of our wrestlers give up," Carney said. "Many came back from point deficits early in matches. Some fought off their back to win. I'm proud of each of them."
Once again, seniors Ethan Blatchley and Randy Churchill topped their respective weight classes to be crowned regional champs, with Blatchley taking first in the 171-pound class and Churchill winning the 160-pound class. Churchill took down junior Jonas Anderson of Petersburg in 51 seconds, while Blatchley bested sophomore Richard Didrickson of Mt. Edgecumbe in 3:46. Blatchley was voted the Division II outstanding mens wrestler.
Freshmen Boomchain Loucks and Shiah Rivers of Mt. Edgecumbe battled it out for the 112-pound class, with Loucks pinning his opponent in 3:55 for the first-place win.
In the girls division, sophomore Della Churchill took down freshman Summer Boling of Ketchikan in 3:42 to win the 114-pound class. Sophomore Vanessa Johnson pinned senior Isabella Kness of Mt. Edgecumbe in 5:50 for first place in the 165-pound class, while teammate sophomore Katelyn Gillen took down Mt. Edgecumbe's Taylor Bloomstrand, a freshman, in 2:26 in the 185-pound class.
Senior Elias Decker took second place in the 140-pound class, beating senior Aidan Cotta of Petersburg.
Junior Abree Powers took third place in the 126-pound class after being pinned by freshman Halena Slats of Mt. Edgecumbe in 1:40. Other third-place winners were Cody Barnes in the boys 215-pound class, which he earned by pinning freshman Dylan Peterson of Yakutat in 3:00.
Freshman Ian Nelson took down Kenny Heath of Craig in 48 seconds to earn third in the 135-pound class. Sophomore Lucas Schneider took third in the 125-pound class after falling to Jackson Bennett of Craig.
Senior Devlyn Campbell took fourth place in the 119-pound class after beating teammate sophomore Kyan Stead, landing Stead in the fifth-place position. Campbell was taken down in a 9-4 decision by freshman Colton Combs of Haines.
Freshman Jackson Powers was pinned by freshman Nolan Wald of Haines in 3:57 to take fourth place in the 130-pound class.
Senior Steven Bales landed in sixth place in the 152-pound class after losing to Emett Fairbanks of Craig in a 16-9 decision.
Seven of Wrangell's wrestlers qualified for state. Carney said they will have to wait to see if anyone else in the squad gets picked for at-large bids. "(There is) lots of potential this weekend at state," he said.
"Randy and Ethan are both ranked first and Della Churchill is ranked third," Carney said. "We've been working since (the Anchorage Christian School tournament) to prepare Della for a No. 1 placement. There are several others that are capable of placing if they compete to their potential."
The team is scheduled to travel for the state competition scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Anchorage.
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