Knights dominate the duals

ANCHORAGE — Defending class 4A state champion Colony added another title to its resume Saturday, winning the 2007 Alaska State Dual Meet Championships at South Anchorage High School.

The Knights used a 42-12 win over the Lathrop Malemutes in the final dual of the night to win the event formerly known as the Alaska Rumble. Colony has now won three tournaments this season, including the Bob Weiss Tournament in Ketchikan and the Nikiski Duals.

Colony coach Fred McKenney said he enjoys dual tournaments because they’re more fan-friendly than traditional tournaments where matches featuring wrestlers from various schools are spread out over a couple days.

“It’s very confusing for the fans,” McKenney said.

With a duals tournament, fans can cheer for a team, and know exactly when individual wrestlers will compete.

“If a parent shows up, or a kid from the school shows up, they have someone to cheer for,” McKenney said.

The Knights won 10 matches in the win over Lathrop. Charles Coisman started the final dual off with a major decision over Eric Tupper at 103 pounds, and Kyle Wilson scored a major decision at 119. Josh West also had a major decision victory at 140.

Sam Loggins (130), Aaron Boss (135) and Chris Olivera (160) each won their final matches by fall, while Zac Beauchamp (125), Levi Krueger (145), David Crozier (152), and Ren Wright (215) all won decisions.

Following the tournament, West, Coisman and Krueger were named to the all-tournament team.

This year’s tournament marked the first year the event was known as a state championship event, though it did not operate under the direction of the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA). However, it featured several of the top schools in the state, including the top five-ranked class 4A teams (Colony, Chugiak, East, North Pole and Lathrop), as well as three of the top-five 1-2-3A schools (No. 1 Dillingham, No. 2 Kotzebue and No. 5 ACS).

Although the event was not sanctioned by ASAA, McKenney he feels the win qualifies as a state crown.

“Absolutely,” he said. “The best teams were there.”

The Colony coach said he hopes the dual tournament continues to be an annual event because it will help grow the sport’s popularity among general sports fans.

“This is what will stimulate wrestling’s popularity is the dual meets,” he said.

The Knights will look for a fourth tournament title of the season this weekend, when they travel to Kotzebue, a tournament McKenney said he’s been looking forward to all season.

“I like to go out to the Bush at least once a year,” said McKenney, a former head coach of the Kotzebue Huskies.

Going to the remote location, he said, provides a good way to expose Colony’s wrestlers to an area of the state they might never get to visit othewise.

“It’s good for the kids to see what that part of the state looks like,” he said.

Colony moved into the final round with a 39-22 win over East in the semifinals. The Knights dominated Anchorage Christian School in the first round of the championship bracket Saturday, winning every match en route to 72-0 stomping of the Lions.

Wasilla wasn't as fortunate in the first round Saturday, falling 35-22 to Lathrop.

The Warriors did recover, wrestling to a fourth-place finish in the final bracket. Wasilla got wins in the fifth-place dual from Kendra Nelson (103), Mike Chafin (119), Josh Brown (125), Pat Chafin (135), Jake Marshall (145), James Langendorf (152), Karl Rathbun (160), Collin Higgins (171), Matt Kinley (189) and Beebo Russell (215).

The Warriors used a 58-15 win over South Anchorage in the consolation semifinals to move into the fourth-place match, and secured fourth with a 54-17 win over Anchorage Christian.

Colony and Wasilla both wrestled their way into the championship bracket with strong performances Friday.

Wasilla won its opening match with Ketchikan 55-19 Friday morning before falling to Kotzebue in the second round. The Warriors then rallied to beat Anchorage Christian in the afternoon session.

Colony, the state's top-ranked wrestling program according to wrestling Web site Akmat.org, breezed through all three of its dual matches Friday, beating Eagle River 72-3, South 60-21 and Lathrop 42-24.

Friday's matches were used to determine seeding for Saturday's finals. Teams winning their opening match moved into the 16-team tournament's afternoon bracket, while first-round losers will wrestled in Saturday's morning session.

On Saturday, the Palmer Moose bounced back from a tough first day to claim fifth place in the consolation bracket.

Palmer went 0-3 Friday with losses to Chugiak, Service and Ketchikan. But on Saturday, the Moose posted a 54-53 win over Eagle River and a 58-47 win over West Anchorage after suffering a first-round loss to Dillingham, which went on to win the consolation bracket.

L.J. Leppein (112), Joe Romero (125), Nick Stahler (140), Adam Pahnke (145 and Matt Houser (189) all won their final matches for the Moose.

Knights fourth, Houston sixth at Skyview Invite

Colony showed its team depth by placing fourth at the Skyview Invitational over the weekend in Soldotna — despite the fact that most of the team’s varsity wrestlers were occupied at the Alaska Dual Meet Championships.

Dan Gregory was the top Colony finisher, placing second at 130 pounds. Watten Mielke (103), Nate Such (125) and Mike Trask (152) won their third-place matches, while Anthony Smith (135) and Vince Filkin (145) were fourth.

The Houston Hawks placed sixth. Host Skyview won the tournament, while Homer was second and Soldotna third.

Houston’s Garrett Elder placed third at 130 pounds for the Hawks, while Justin Crowley finished fourth at 215.

Alaska Dual Meet Championships

Nov. 9-10, 2007

South Anchorage High School

Finals

Colony 42, Lathrop 12

103 — Charles Coisman, Col, maj. dec. Eric Tupper, Lathrop, 9-0; 112 — Jeremy Simmons, Lathrop, dec. Matt Vukich, Colony, 11-4; 119 — Kyle Wilson, Colony, maj. dec. Joe Hughes, Lathrop, 10-1; 125 — Zac Beauchamp, Colony, dec. Dan Simmons, Lathrop, 4-0; 130 — Sam Loggins, Colony, fall, Kyle Curry, Lathrop, 3:58; 135 — Aaron Boss, Colony, fall, Chris Allen, Lathrop, 1:41; 140 — Josh West, Colony, maj. dec. Brandon Weise, Lathrop, 13-1; 145 — Levi Krueger, Colony, dec. Trent Lemons, Lathrop, 4-0; 152 — David Crozier, Colony, dec. Luke DeBoard, Lathrop, 8-2; 160 — Chris Olivera, Colony, fall, Eddie Hoch, Lathrop, 1:47; 171 — Billy Hoffel, Lathrop, dec. Ronny Barlow, Colony, 11-7; 189 — Kent Osborn, Lathrop, dec. Angelo Bellotte, Colony, 8-4; 215 — Ren Wright, Colony, dec. Hunter Hicks, Lathrop, 6-5; 285 — Peter Amau, Lathrop, dec. Jeff Pritchett, Colony, 7-6

All-Tourament Team

103 — Charles Coisman, Colony; 112 — Jeremy Simmons, Lathrop; 119 — Nathan Hoffer, East; 125 — Dustin Maxwell, East; 130 — Grant Sullivan, Chugiak; 135 — Josh West, Colony; 140 — Wes Richards, Dillingham; 145 — Levi Krueger, Colony; 152 — Douglas Larsguard, Dillingham; 160 — Nick Herron-Webb, East; 171 — Jesse Amos, South; 189 — Kent Osborn, Lathrop; 215 — Andrew Wilson, East; 285 — Peter Amau, Lathrop

Team finishes

Championship bracket — 1. Colony; 2. Lathrop; 3. Chugiak; 4. East; 5. Wasilla; 6. Anchorage Christian; 7. Kotzebue; 8. South;

Consolation bracket — 1. Dillingham; 2. Ketchikan; 3. Service; 4. Bartlett; 5. Palmer; 6. West; 7. Eagle River; 8. Grace Christian

Skyview Invitational

Nov. 9-10, 2007

Skyview High School

Team scores: 1. Skyview, 233; 2. Homer, 195; 3. Soldotna, 180; 4. Colony, 108; 5. Kenai, 105.5; 6. Houston, 104; 7. Barrow, 94; 8. Seward, 87.5; 9. Kalskag 81; 10. Nikiski, 77; 11. Ninilchik, 52.5; 12. Seldovia, 35; 13. Cook Inlet Academy, 14.

Championship matches

103 — Wilson, Sky, maj. dec. Parker, Nik, 12-4

112 — Pribbenow, Ken, dec. Mo. Hutchison, Sky, 8-4; 119 — Mi. Hutchison, Sky, dec. Osbekoff, Ken, 5-1; 125 — Daigle, Hom, maj. dec. Hughes, Ken, 9-0; 130 — A. Janorschke, Sky, dec. Dan Gregory, Col, 7-3; 135 — Mills, Sol, dec. Appelhanz, Hom, 7-4; 140 — R. Brymer, Hom, dec. Hirt, Bar, 4-1; 145 — M. Wyatt, Hom, won by forfeit; 152 — T. Brymer, Hom, maj. dec. Beck, Sew, 12-4; 160 — Vanderford, Nil, p. Sheridan, Sky, 1:49; 171 — B. Edge, Hom, dec. O'Leary, Sel, 13-6; 189 — Buffington, Sky, won by injury forfeit; 215 — O'Brikis, Sew, p. M. Strieby, Sol, 1:46; 285 — N. Strieby, Sol, p. Baker, Sol, 6:57, OT

Third-place matches

103 — Watten Mielke, Col, p. Hanley, Sol, 4:05

112 — Stephenson, Sky, p. Stangel, Nik, 4:22

119 — Reierson, Sew, tech fall Harbik, Nik, 17-1

125 — Nate Such, Col, p. Powell, Sol, 2:18

130 — Garrett Elder, Hou, p. Russell, Bar, 2:22

135 — Patterson, Bar, dec. Anthony Smith, Col, 2-0

140 — Thomas, Sky, dec. Morris, Sol, 7-5

145 — Burlison, Sol, dec. Vince Filken, Col, 6-1

152 — Mike Trask, Col, dec. Buccholtz, Nik, 8-1

160 — Weinfurter, Hom, maj. dec. George, Bar, 11-1

171 — Mahan, Sky, p. Levi, Kal, 1:49

189 — Chumley, Sol, p. Elsey, Sol, 2:19

215 — Gonzales, Bar, dec. Justin Crowley, Hou, 7-6

HWT — Mraz, Sky, won by forfeit