11 Valley grapplers reach finals on wild first day of Lancer Smith Memorial

WASILLA — A semifinal bout featuring a pair of defending state champions was among the highlights of a wild first day of the Lancer Smith Memorial Friday at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Colony sophomore Levi Hopkins edged Bethel’s Aaron Olsen 7-5 in the semifinals in the 138-pound class. Hopkins captured the 4A state title at 120 pounds last year. Olsen was the 123A champ at 132.

Olsen was one of four defending state champions to lose on the first day of the tournament. Bethel’s Tristan Evans, Grace Christian’s Evan Bockert and Homer’s Levi King are also defending 123A state champions who fell Friday.

Evans was also one of five wrestlers with a top seed in their bracket to be upset during the first day of the tourney. A dozen brackets had at least one of its top 4 seeds upset by a lower seed.

Hopkins is one of five Knights to advance to the championship finals. Rush Fannon (113), Caleb Hopkins (160), Dawson Nash (182) and Robert Haan (195) each advanced to the finals for the Knights, who will enter the second day at the top of the team standings with 207 total points.

Nash will be part of a final featuring a pair of defending state champs. The Colony senior will face Glennallen’s Joseph White.

Wasilla will have a trio of wrestlers in the finals. Defending state champions Micah Mathis (120) and Sam Wolff (145) will be joined in the finals by teammate Andrue Shepersky (160). Austin Farris will represent Palmer in the finals at 220. Marshall Pinard advanced to the 285-pound final for Susitna Valley.

Wasilla finished Day 1 sixth in the team standings with 140 points, while Palmer was eighth with 98.

The Lancer Smith Memorial is hosted annually by Palmer High School. The event was moved to the Menard Arena this season to help accommodate the tournament’s growth. The 2016 event features more than 700 athletes from 46 different schools, in varsity, junior varsity and girls classes.

Wrestling continues Saturday morning. Finals will be at about 6 p.m., according to tournament staff. There will be no planned breaks during the final day.

Lancer Smith Memorial

Friday, Menard Arena

Team scores (Day 1, top 15):

1. Colony 207; 2. South 158; 3. Kethcikan 155; 4. Bethel 151; 4. (tie) Homer 151; 6. Wasilla 140.5; 7. Lathrop 134; 8. Palmer 98; 9. Eagle River 96; 10. Bartlett 92; 11. Chugiak 86; 12. Barrow 81; 13. Glennallen 77; 14. East 65; 15. North Pole 57.5.

Championship semifinals:

98 — L. Craig, Sol d. D. Geerdts 5-3; A. Concepcion, Sou p. S. Benefeld, NP 4:30; 106 — T. Dyment, Bet p. V. Cramer, Col 2:33; W. Newman, Hom p. A. Logsdon, Was 2:10; 113 — V. Tenebro, Ket d. S. Inama, Hom 7-4; R. Fannon, Col m.d. G. Hutchison, Sol 11-1; 120 — B. Linne, Ket d. T. Evan, Bet 5-3; M. Mathis, Was d. J. Shack, Sou 3-1; 126 — L. Fasulo, Hom d. C. Charlie, Bet 14-7; S. Sisco, Col d. I. Elvsaas, Was 3-1 SV; 132 — B. Evans, EEK d. D. Simpson, Was 15-4; J. Opp, Lat d. J. Virgin, Glen 9-2; 138 — W. Bockert, Lat d. J. Brant, Hom 9-7; L. Hopkins, Col d. A. Olsen, Bet 7-5; 145 — M. Lucas, HF d. W. Story, Lat 4-3; S. Wolff, Was d. W. Martin, Sou 10-3; 152 — K McEnerney, Ken p. L. Farris, Pal 5:55; A Shepersky, Was d. B. Easley, Col 3-2; 160 — T. Woo, Hom d. J. Malnoske, East 5-2; C. Hopkins, Col d. E. Bockman, Grace 3-2; 170 — D. Budke, d. T. Farless, Ser 5-1; T. Cook, Hom d. T. Henning, Una 7-3; 182 — J. White, Glen d. B. Antesberger, 3-0; D. Nash, Col p. C. Fontana, NP 0:51; 195 — R. Haan, Col p. C. Minnick, Was 0:29; B. Antgesberger, NP d. K. Wells, Hom 5-1; 220 — C. Weldon, TM p. B. Heather, Bar 1:43; A. Farris, Pal d. I. Christy, Col 6-4; 285 — M. Pinard, SV p. P. Vaafuti, West 1:41; J. Jeong, p. J. Mann, Hom 4:53.