Colony Middle wins Tanana wrestling tourney

Colony Middle School scored another Tanana Invitational title. CMS won Alaska’s unofficial middle school state wrestling championship with 287 total points.

Colony was also among four local programs to finish in the top-6 of the tournament hosted by the Fairbanks middle school at the end of each season. Palmer Junior Middle School placed third with 266 points. Wasilla Middle was fifth with 189 points, and Redington finished sixth with 187.5 points.

Eleven Valley grapplers advanced to the finals, and five earned individual titles. Isaiah Smith led CMS with the 126-pound title. Connor Murphy (118 pounds) and Ty Harmon (122) advanced to the finals and placed second.

Palmer Junior led the Valley with two champs. Kael Salisbury-Gum (77) and Spencer Jacobs (148) each won their weight class. Cody Vansiegman (105) and Carter Paulson (210) finished second for PJMS.

Wasilla Middle’s Kody Hammers (105) and Teeland Middle’s Matthew Mitchell (114) also won titles. Houston’s Keldin Nicoll finished second at 148.

Four Valley wrestlers won titles in the middle school girls tournament. Colony’s Grace Loutzenhiser (81), Wasilla Middle’s Amelia Fawcett (104,5), Redington’s Mya Campbell (113) and Teeland’s Taylia Hardy (120) were all crowned champions. Palmer Junior’s Ariana Belk (120) and Teeland’s Gia Jones (175) placed second.

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