Wrangell's Vanessa Barnes wrestles Mt. Edgecumbe's Georgina Tocktoo in the varsity 185 division Friday at Sitka High School.
Wrangell's Michael Cook wrestles Juneau's Quintin McCoy in the 135-pound varsity weight class Saturday at Sitka High School.
Wrangell's Hailey Cook wrestles Mt. Edgecumbe High School's Loleta Hannon in the varsity 107-pound division Friday at Sitka High School.
One day Wrangell will attend a wrestling meet where they don't come home with a podium finish. The Sitka Invitational on Nov. 22-23 was not that day.
Four Wrangell wrestlers ended the weekend on the podium's top step. Two finished with silver medals and two more finished third. The team finished in fourth place, just 10 points behind third-place Ketchikan.
Mt. Edgecumbe High School won the meet, but Wrangell boasted the highest winning percentage, beating opponents in 53 of their 75 matches. The Wolves pinned their opponents 24 times, more than the sum of Metlakatla, Sitka and Hoonah put together.
"I'm super proud of the team," head coach Jack Carney said. "We've been wrestling six weeks in a row, and we are all feeling it. Even though we felt muggy, you could tell we were the best and most disciplined team at the individual level."
Senior captain Della Churchill returned to the top step of the podium in the girls 126-pound bracket, pinning Mt. Edgecumbe's Tahira Akaran in the championship match to secure the win. Cooper Powers came in first in the boys 135-pound division while Hailey Cook took first in the girls 107-pound bracket. Notably, Powers' victory was his first-ever first place finish.
"He was able to battle back, come from behind, and win by one point," coach Carney said proudly.
Rounding out the Wrangell champions was Ben Houser, who beat Mt. Edgecumbe's Ralphie Steeves by major decision in the boys 125-pound division.
Wrangell's two silver medalists were Cody Barnes in the 215-pound bracket and Jackson Carney, who lost out to longtime Ketchikan rival Gage Massin by decision in the 140-pound championship match.
Vanessa Barnes finished third in the girls 185-pound division and Everett Meissner secured the team's final bronze medal when he pinned Juneau's Orrin Noon in the boys 160-pound third place match.
The team had several fourth-place finishes in addition to the eight podium finishers. Lennex Gurule, Lucas Stearns, Michael Cook and Kalee Herman all finished fourth in their respective weight classes.
The meet in Sitka was the team's final competition before a week off to prepare for the run-up to the state championship. Coach Carney is making sure to give his wrestlers ample rest during the off week so that they can hit their stride in the season's final weeks.
"We're just looking forward to a nice weekend off," he said. "We're going to have short practices. We slow down for Thanksgiving weekend so that they can peak for the final push when we come back."
They will wrestle in the final regular season meet of the year in Petersburg on Dec 6-7. The next week, Wrangell will attend the Southeast championship in Haines before attending the state championship in Anchorage to close out the season.
The team will host a fundraiser dinner Saturday evening, Nov. 30, from the Stikine Inn – pickup only between 5 and 7:30 p.m. Wrestling team members are selling the tickets, with a pickup time designated on each ticket. A silent auction also is planned for the evening, starting at 4:30 p.m.
Whether you purchase deep-fried halibut or just want to support the wrestlers, all donations will help support the team's operating and travel costs.
Reader Comments(0)