4 Valley grapplers perfect during first day of Reno Tournament of Champions

RENO, NEV. — Four Valley wrestlers have advanced to the championship quarterfinals of the Reno Tournament Champions.

Palmer’s Mason Cochran and Ben Button, Wasilla’s Nate McKimson and Colony’s Ian MacKenzie also finished 3-0 on the championship side of the bracket during the first day of the two-day tournament in Reno, Nev., on Friday. Each Valley grappler is two wins away from an appearance in the championship round of what most consider one of the top high school tournaments west of the Mississippi River.

McKimson, an Alaska 4A defending state champion, is seeded third in the 152-pound bracket. The Wasilla senior scored wins by decision, major decision and pin during the first three rounds.

Cochran, another Alaska 4A defending state champion, pinned his first two opponents scored a third win by two points.

MacKenzie, an Alaska 4A state runner-up at 220 pound last year, needed a 2-1 overtime win during the third round to advance to the quarterfinals. He had pinned his first two opponents.

Button used wins by pin and major decision and a third win by a 5-4 margin to advance to the quarters. Button now moves on to face Jeremy Sweany of Vacaville, Calif., the top seed at 220 pounds.

Of the eight wrestlers in the 220-pound quarterfinals, three are from Alaska. Dillingham’s Thomas Hoseth, who finished runner-up to Houston High’s Luke Wagner at the 123A state meet, also advanced to the quarterfinals, which begin Saturday.

Palmer started with 11 wrestlers in the Reno tourney, and stood in a three-way tie for 24th place in the tournament with 59.5 total points. There are 110 teams in the tournament.

Palmer’s Aaron Molesky (126 pounds) and Hunter Molesky (160) are also still alive in their respective brackets after the first day of action.

Colony is represented by MacKenzie and Kamber Lucas in the tournament. Lucas finished 3-1 at 152 pounds during the first day, finishing a win shy of the quarters.

McKimson is representing Wasilla.

Reno Tournament of Champions

Valley wrestlers:

106 pounds:

Andrew Laliberte, Palmer: 0-2

Champ. Round 1- C. Smith (Wasatch) p. Laliberte 0:30; Conso. Round 1- J. Urquidez (Sunnyside) p. Laliberte 3:59.

126 pounds:

Jesse Sanders, Palmer: 2-2

Champ. Round 1- bye; Champ. Round 20 B. Cross (Cheyenne East) p. Sanders 3:40; Conso. Round 1- bye; Conso Round 2- Sanders m.d. F. Sanchez 14-0; Conso Round 3- Sanders p. T. Patchonka 3:29; Conso Round 4- M. Fikngas p. Sanders 1:44.

Aaron Molesky, Palmer: 4-1

Champ. Round 1- Molesky d. G. Bradley (Wasatch) 9-3; Champ. Round 2- Molesky p. J. Cole (Borah) 2:40; Champ. Round 3- A. Sabatino (Churchill) 6:00; Conso. Round 3- Molesky p. C. Heit (Reed) 2:14; Conso. Round 4- Molesky p. B. Bannon (Cook Country) 3:45

132 pounds:

Mason Cochran, Palmer: 3-0

Champ. round 1- Cochran p. R. White (Churchill) 1:18; Champ. round 2- Cochran p. M. Jordan (Temecula Valley) 4:30; Champ. Round 3- Cochran d. D. Harris (Redwood) 11-9.

138 pounds:

Wyatt McGann, Palmer: 1-2

Champ. Round 1- bye; Champ. Round 2- J. Cortez (Temecula Valley) m.d. McGann; Conso Round 1- bye; Conso Round 2- McGann d. B. Hockett (Wasatch) 4-2; Conso Round 3- R. Heywood (Columbia) d. McGann 6-4.

Nathan Pempek, Palmer: 2-2

Champ Round 1- bye; Champ Round 2- A. Wokasch (Queen Creek) d. Pempek 4-1; Conso Round 1- bye; Conso Round 2- Pempek p. C. Clark 3:40; Conso Round 3: Pempek t.f. T. Spezia-Shaw (Hood River) 16-0; Conso Round 4- T. Norland (Temecula Valley) d. Pempek 9-2.

145 pounds

Eli Fouch, Palmer: 1-2

Champ Round 1- M. Provost (Wasatch) p. Fouch 4:35; Conso Round 1- Fouch p. D. DeMayda (Columbia) 5:00; Conso Round 2- A. Marsh (Bingham) d. Fouch 6-5.

152 pounds:

Kamber Lucas, Colony: 3-1

Champ Round 1- bye; Champ Round 2- Lucas d. A. DeHart (Hood River) 10-3; Champ Round 3- Lucas d. A. Jepperson (Wasatch) 9-5; Champ Round 4- D. Reece (Chandler) m.d. Lucas 12-4; Conso Round 5- Lucas d. R. Huffer (Chugiak) 4-3;

Nate McKimson, Wasilla: 3-0

Champ Round 1- bye; Champ Round 2- McKimson m.d. T. Turco (Ponderosa) 20-8; Champ Round 3- McKimson d. A. Ingram (Sutter Union) 8-3; Champ Round 4- McKimson p. J. Brewer (Green Valley) 0:59.

160 pounds:

Hunter Moleskey, Palmer: 2-1

Champ Round 1: bye; Champ Round 2- Molesky d. D. Lopez (Lenmore) 11-10; Champ Round 3- Molesky p. T. Bailey (Damonte Ranch) 3:54; Champ Round 4- J. Chavez (Centennial) won by inj def Molesky 4:40.

Austin Farris, Palmer: 0-2

Champ Round 1- bye; Champ Round 2- J. Funes (Bingham) p. Farris 3:54; Conso Round 1- bye; Conso Round 2- J. Johnson (Vacaville) p. Farris 2:13.

195 pounds:

Caleb Deemer, Palmer: 2-2

Champ Round 1- Deemer p. P. Charron (Lenmore) 1:25; Champ Round 2- Deemer won by fft; Champ Round 3- H. DiLulo (Meridian) d. Deemer 6-2; Conso Round 5: K. Powers (Kodiak) m.d. Deemer 10-1.

220 pounds:

Ben Button, Palmer: 3-0

Champ Round 1- Button p. L. Parks (Yukon) 5:38; Champ Round 2- Button m.d. D. Chavez (Pomona) 3:34; Champ Round 3- Button d. A. Hernandez (Meridian) 5-4.

Ian MacKenzie, Colony: 3-0

Champ Round 1- MacKenzie p. J. Germaine (Queen Cook) 5:04; Champ Round 2- MacKenzie p. N. Sosa (Lehi) 4:29; Champ Round 3- MacKenzie d. T. Rasmussen (Cook County) 2-1 OT.