Colony grapplers place in national tourney

PALMER — By winning a state wrestling title in December, Eric Fan established himself as one of the top wrestlers in the state of Alaska.

But on Friday, the Colony High School junior proved he can also hang with the best the rest of the country has to offer. Fan finished second in the 215-pound class of the Western Junior Regionals freestyle wrestling tournament at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

Fan was edged by Trevor Rupp, of Idaho, during the 215-pound finals. But en route to the championship match, Fan beat eight straight opponents, including an Illinois state champion in the semifinals.

“He did fantastic,” Colony assistant coach Tony Olivera said by cell phone from Las Vegas on Friday.

Fan is one of three Colony grapplers Olivera brought to an event the longtime Valley wrestling coach calls, “one of the toughest tournaments in the country.”

Junior Sam Loggins finished fifth in the Western Junior Regionals Greco-Roman wrestling tournament on Wednesday, and senior Angelo Bellotte also competed, finishing 4-4 in total eight matches.

Olivera said he was certainly not surprised by how well the Colony grapplers fared.

“Honestly, I was expecting at least two to place,” Olivera said. “Sam is just a very good thrower, I knew he’d do well in (Greco-Roman). And Eric’s just an animal. I expected him to do what he did.”

The event is tabbed the Western Junior Regionals, but Olivera said the tourney attracts top wrestlers from across the country. It also lures numerous college coaches and scouts mat-side.

“We’ve brought kids down the last couple years for (the competition), but also for the exposure,” Olivera said. “I saw 10 Division I coaches watching Eric’s match. The exposure level’s probably better than most places.”

Fan finished 8-1 in the freestyle event. Loggins was 7-2 in the Greco-Roman tourney and Bellotte was 2-2 in both Greco-Roman and freestyle.

The trio helped Colony win a third straight ASAA 4A state title in December, and also compete for the Tri-Valley Wrestling Club, the four-time Alaska state freestyle champions.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.