Colony'€™s 22 qualifiers leads Valley contingent

PALMER — Colony has already hit one four-peat.

But this weekend, the Knights will aim for the one they really want.

Colony is in search of its fourth straight state title as grapplers hit the mats for the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Wrestling Championships at Chugiak High School today.

The Knights are armed with 22 qualifiers as they try to become just the second 4A team in Alaska prep wrestling history to win four consecutive championships, and the first team to win at least four straight since West Valley grabbed five state titles in a row from 1987-1991.

The three-time defending state champs and four-time defending Northern Lights Conference champions expected to be in contention for yet another title. But Colony may be in better shape to notch the four-peat than the Knights may have thought.

“We exceeded our expectations by two kids,” Colony head coach Dave Booth said after won the NLC title at Wasilla High School last week. “We qualified 22 kids for the state tournament. We thought we’d qualify 20. You can’t beat that.”

A pair of those 22 wrestlers will enter the tourney as a top seed. Senior and defending state champion Eric Fan, who has not lost a match since the state semifinals during his sophomore season, is the top wrestler at 215.

Senior Kenny Boykin is seeded first at 171.

Senior Charles Coisman, a three-time NLC champion and past state finalist, is seeded second at 119.

Senior Sam Loggins, a two-time NLC champ, is seeded second at 130.

Senior Chase Montgomery (140) is seeded third for the Knights, while freshman Noah Roetman (103) and junior Renn Wright (285) are both fourth seeds. Senior Chad Lowery (135) is seeded fifth for the Knights.

The Wasilla Warriors finished second in the NLC championships and moved 15 wrestlers into the state tourney.

Jeremy White earned the lone individual conference title for WHS and is seeded fourth at 189 pounds for Wasilla.

Josh Brown (130) and Jacob Marshall (160) each earned No. 3 seeds after finishing as conference runners-up last week.

Cole Miller (112) and Tyler Adams (119) are seeded fifth. Jacob Johnson (215) is seeded sixth.

Senior Evan Parsons, who finished sixth in the NLC tourney at 189, leads five Palmer Moose into the state tourney.

Four Houston Hawks, including Mid-Alaska Conference runner-up Arron Reese, will also compete in the tournament.

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

ASAA/First National Bank State Wrestling Championships

Mat-Su Valley qualifiers

Colony (22 state qualifiers)

103 — Noah Roetman (3rd); 112 — Isaac Wilson (1st); Warren Meilke (112); 119 — Charles Coisman (1st); 125 — Gabe Loggins (1st); Janae Shannon (5th); 130 — Sam Loggins (130); Luke Faulkner (3rd); 135 — Chad Lowery (1st); Oscar Nurgusson (5th); 140 — Chase Montgomery (2nd); 145 — Kyle Boss (1st); Nate Wolfe (3rd); 152 — Joe Fujimoto (3rd); Nick Bassenett (5th); 160 — Ryan Knutson (3rd); Colton Foster (5th); 171 — Kenny Boykin (1st); Logan Elliott (3rd); 189 — Tommy Class (6th); 215 — Eric Fan (1st); 285 — Renn Wright (3rd).

Palmer (5 state qualifiers)

103 — Flint Warner (6th); 119 — Luke Huen (5th); 130 — Jered Kemp (6th); 135 — LJ Leppannen (6th); 189 — Evan Parsons (3rd);

Wasilla (15 state qualifiers)

112 — Cole Miller (2nd); 119 — Tyler Adams (2nd); 125 — Christian Lowe (3rd); Chris Campbell (6th); 130 — Josh Brown (2nd); Jentry Diederich (4th); 140 — Derek Johnsen (4th); 160 — Jacob Marshall (2nd); Alex Fuller (4th); 171 — Yuriy Miktrin (5th); 189 — Jeremy White (1st); 215 — Jacob Johnson (3rd); Drew Yeager (4th); 285 — David Green (4ht); Ryan Pomrenke (5th).

Houston (4 state qualifiers)

125 — Drew Drake (3rd); 145 — Andy Gocke (3rd); 152 — Arron Reese (2nd); Garrett Elder (3rd).

** Conference finish in parenthesis.

4A seeded wrestlers (top-six).

103 — 1. Eddy Burris, 2. Nathan Marquez, 3. Hope Steffensen, 4. Noah Roetman, 5. Codi Sloan, 6. Gage Wright

112 — 1. Dillon Achman, 2. Cody Decker, 3. Johnny Hogenson, 4. Conrad Lacey, 5. Cole Miller, 6. Adam Wood

119 — 1. Joe Hughes, 2. Charles Coisman, 3. Ross Sanford, 4. Bryce Wilson, 5. Tyler Adams, 6. Tyler Mockta

125 — 1. Mat Malonske, 2. Cyle Ercolina, 3. Eric Tupper, 4. Jacob Russell, 5. Jake Burrego, 6. Dominic Taus

130 — 1. Skylar Moore, 2. Sam Loggins, 3. Josh Brown, 4. Kyle Curry, 5. Luke Faulkner, 6. Brent Amos

135 — 1. Ben Sullivan, 2. Jake Rahlfs, 3. Chris Frazier, 4. Ian Fultz, 5. Chad Lowery, 6. Taylor Osborn

140 — 1. Nathan Hoffer, 2. Austin Tennis, 3. Chase Montgomery, 4. Pearson Brodie, 5. Steven Temple, 6. Ken Banning

145 — 1. Grant Sullivan, 2. Drake McGraw, 3. Kevin Jutila, 4. Kyle Boss, 5. Larry Swanson, 6. Derrick Burlison

152 — 1. Luke Shelley, 2. Trent Lemons, 3. Mitch Wyatt, 4. Jared Thomas, 5.Mike Miranda, 6.Sam Cordero

160 — 1. Budde Pressler, 2. Fred Pollard, 3. Jacob Marshal, 4. Nathan Such, 5. Ryan Knutson, 6. Brandon Wiese

171 — 1. Kenny Boykin, 2. Trent Shepersky, 3. Kyle Kirn, 4. Cameron Fronimos 5.John Dennehy, 6. Steve Lawson

189 — 1 Stephen Ellis, 2 Daniel Wilson, 3 Ross Moorehouse, 4 Jeremy White 5, Nick VanBruggen, 6 Garrett Morrison

215 — 1. Eric Fan, 2. Nick Archeuleta, 3. Brandon Nichols, 4. Andy Enz, 5. Donny Dormandy, 6. Jacob Johnson

285 — 1. Nathan Strieby, 2. Anthony Antonio, 3. Caleb Green, 4. Renn Wright, 5. Dylan Short, 6.Jason Jeffords