Wrangell High School senior Keegan Hanson displays his state championship medal for first place in the 152-pound weight class, flanked by Brayden Woods of Homer (left) who took second place, and Keagan Stanley (right) of Kenai Central who placed third at the Dec. 15-16 competition in Anchorage.
Senior wrestler Keegan Hanson's near-perfect season culminated in triumph, as he earned the title of state champion over the weekend.
Hanson defeated all four competitors in his 152-pound weight class - expanding his season's record to 30 wins and only one loss - to earn first place at the Division II state championship tournament held at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 15-16.
The Wrangell Wolves earned 71.5 points overall, putting them in 12th place among Division II teams, while the girls squad earned 63 points, putting them in eighth place.
Head wrestling coach Jack Carney was happy with the Wolves' achievements in wrestling. "We exceeded our goals for this season," he said. "I was hoping for 10 or 12 kids to get to state this year. We got 16."
During the tournament, Hanson grappled with Carson Crotts of Anchorage's Grace Christian School and pinned him in a minute and 29 seconds, defeated Landon Metzger of Valdez in 1:26, and won by technical fall over Carlos Sandoval of Mt. Edgecumbe, which left him to face Brayden Woods of Homer in the final round, which Hanson won by decision 6-1.
"He never stops moving," Carney said. "If he makes a mistake, he just wiggles his way out of it and just starts attacking. So that relentless style of attack just really worked out for him."
Wrangell sophomore Ben Houser at 125 pounds won his earlier rounds at the state tournament only to lose in his final match against Kyler Matteson of Eielson High School (Fairbanks) to place fourth.
Freshman Jackson Carney at 130 likewise won his earlier matches but lost to senior Aaron Mute of Bethel by decision and also placed fourth.
In the Division II girls competition, with 32 wins and four losses for the season, junior Della Churchill at 114 won third place at state in her final round by pinning Nevaeh George of Mt. Edgecumbe in 1:51.
"Della is from a wrestling family," Carney said, referring to her brother Randy Churchill who won state last year and her uncle Harry Churchill, who also earned a state championship banner 20 years earlier. "She's looking to be the third Churchill to go up on the wall. That's been a goal she's had for a long, long time."
With several wins and losses during her rounds, Wrangell freshman Hailey Cook at 107 battled back in her final round to defeat Megan Cornett of Kodiak in 1:29 to win fifth place in her bracket, while senior Mia Wiederspohn at 152 lost to Aspen Kelly of Colony High School (Palmer) in her final round, leaving her in sixth place.
Carney expressed pride in how all his wrestlers performed at state, particularly the younger ones like Jackson Carney, Houser and Cook, who held their own and maintained their poise against upperclass competitors with more experience. "Just really proud of them," he said. "They're right on track."
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