Knights win 7th straight NLC wrestling title

PALMER — The Colony Knights have owned the Northern Lights Conference for most of the decade. Over the weekend, the Knights found a way to kick the dominance up another notch.

Colony amassed 501 total points en route to winning its seventh straight region title during the Northern Lights Conference Championships at Colony High School. Colony pushed 16 into the finals, had at least one wrestler in 11 of the 14 championship matches, and enjoyed an all-Knights final in five classes. Nine Knights were crowned champion.

Colony junior Jared Hopkins earned his third straight region title, finishing first at 135. Senior Vincent Cramer, a four-time region finalist, earned his second region title and first since his freshman season. Cramer was first at 152. Junior Aidan Ehmann advanced to the finals for the third straight year, and earned his first NLC title with a first-place finish at 140. Ehmann was one of seven Knights to win an NLC championship for the first time. Freshman Evan Holmes (103), freshman Elijah Larson (112), junior Kayden Payne (130), junior Jalen Tosten (160), senior Macairus Floresta (215) and sophomore Daniel Van Slyke (285) also won their weight class. Jerzy Ritz (103), Jeffrey Reynolds (112), Carter Silva (119), Rett Gallagher (135), Tanner Thornhill (160), Landis Erwin (171) and Colt Ogle (285) also advanced to the finals and placed second.

Two-dozen Knights earned a trip to the state tourney with a top-five finish in the NLC.

Wasilla finished third in the team standings with 250 points and Palmer was fourth at 238. The Warriors crowned a pair of region champs. Senior Alex Logsdon earned his second straight NLC title, winning the 119-pound class. Logsdon wrestled in the NLC finals for the third time in his career. Senior Sterling Uhlenhake advanced to the region finals for the third straight year, and earned his first title Saturday finishing first at 145 pounds. Wasilla senior Jeffrey Palmer finished second at 215.

Palmer senior Ethan Bleakney led a group of five Moose in the finals, winning the 189-pound class. Aiden Corbridge (125), Garrett Blydenburgh (130), Jayden Christiansen (145) and Preston Long (189) each finished second.

Wasilla advanced 15 to the state tournament., and Palmer will send 14 to state.

NLC girls’ tournament

Palmer led the Valley with four champions during the NLC girls’ tournament. Trinity Pendergrass (112), Selene Farris (130), Jaideen Agbayani (189) and Alizae Brown (235) placed first for Palmer. Theresa Savo finished first at 103 for Colony.

Huskies runner-up in Kachemak Conference

Host Redington fell just short of capturing a region team title. Homer edged the Huskies by only three points to close out the Kachemak Conference Championships at Redington.

Homer scored the team title with 179 total points. Redington was the runner-up with 176. Redington placed a half-dozen wrestlers in the finals, and three scored titles. Freshman Payton Metcalf (103), sophomore Boston Postishek (130) and sophomore Charles Severance (135) were crowned champions.

Senior Justin Dick (103), freshman Jake McDermitt (145) and sophomore Jaden Spaulding (160) placed second.

Senior Vincent Mahoney (135) and junior Spencer Norquist led Houston with runner-up finishes.

Rams crown a pair of champs

A pair of Susitna Valley wrestlers won their weight class during the Denali Conference Championships in Fairbanks. Sophomore Weston Slatter was first at 135 and senior Dalton Pinard finished first at 171.

Contact the Frontiersman at sports@frontiersman.com.

Northern Lights Conference Championships

Friday-Saturday, Colony High School

Team scores:

1. Colony 501, 2. Soldotna 264.5, 3. Wasilla 250; 4. Palmer 238; 5. Kodiak 47.5

Championship finals:

103 — E. Holmes Col won by fft J. Ritz, Col; 112 — E. Larson, Col t.f. J. Reynolds, Col 17-2; 119 — A. Logsdon, Was m.d. C. Silva, Col 12-1; 125 — S. Michael, Sol d. A. Corbridge, Pal 9-8; 130 — K. Payne, Col d. G. Blydenburgh, Pal 4-0; 135 — J. Hopkins, Col d. R. Gallagher, Col 10-5; 140 — A. Ehmann, Col t.f. Z. Burns, Sol 17-2; 145 — S. Uhlenhake, Was p. J. Christiansen, Pal 1:36; 152 — V. Cramer, Col p. D. Taylor, Sol 3:30; 160 — J. Tosten, Col d. T. Thornhill, Col 15-8; 171 — S. Babitt, Sol p. L. Erwin, Col 3:44; 189 — E. Bleakney, Pal m.d. P. Long, Pal 13-6; 215 — M. Floresta, Col d. J. Palmer, Was 6-4; 285 — D. Van Slyke, Col p. C. Ogle, Col 1:29.

Third-place matches:

103 — E. Allen, Was p. S. MacMaster Sol 0:27; 112 — H. Secor, Sol t.f. S. Secor, Sol 15-0; 119 — E. Miller, Sol p. C. Henry, Col 1:44; 125 —T. Clapp, Col t.f. C. Jasper, Was 16-1; 130 — I. Chavarria, Sol p. J. Brown, Sol 2:12; 135 — O. Manley, Pal d. P. Portney, Pal 6-5; 140 — N. Williams, Was p. H. Richardson, Sol 3:22; 145 — D. Campbell, Was won by fft E. Kraus, Col; 152 — Z. Loutzenhiser, Col d. A. Woodfork, Pal 5-4; 160 — A. Engebretsen, Was p. G. Mason, Pal 2:54; 171 — C. Lindquist, Was p. J. Acree, Pal 3:35; 189 —C. Binning, Col m.d. G. Harrington, Was 8-0; 215 — C. Roberts, Col p. L. Frank, Pal 4:21; G. Aderman, Pal d. D. Zurflueh, Kod 5-3.

Fifth-place matches:

103 — A. Luecken, Was won by fft; 112 — E. Schumacher, Was d. C. Trouy, Was 12-7; 119 — R. Madden, Sol p. C. Corbridge, Pal 4:44; 125 — G. Roberts, Kod t.f. J. Bordelon, Sol 18-1; 130 — G. Lorring, Kod d. C. Hernandez, Col 6-4; 135 — S. Logsdon, Was d. E. Land, Sol 10-5; 140 — F. Elvsaas, Was t.f. L. Plummer, Pal 15-0; 145 — K. Asay, Pal d. C. Feito, Col 10-9; 152 — G. Beaudon, Was d. B. Keeney, Was 5-4 SV; 160 — A. Willets, Sol p. J. Henley, Sol 0:26; 171 — K. Connaker, Col p. L. Peltier, Pal 0:16;189 — D. Johnson, Col d. D. Vroman, Was 8-4 SV; 215 — I. Harper, Kod p. L. Katzenburger, Sol 4:13; M. Rogers, Sol p. T. Lindor, Pal 0:45.

Girls’ championship matches:

103 — T. Savo, Col won by fft; 112 — T. Pendergrass, Pal p. E. Thompson, Col 1:27; 119 — O. Troxell, Kod p. B. Fuller, Pal 0:53; 125 — V. Baker, Sol p. N. Maxson, Col 3:25; 130 — S. Farris, Pal p. J. Sena, Was 3:19; 135 — E. Lorring, Kod p. E. Hamilton, Kod 0:42; 145 — T. Donovan, Sol p. A. Burke, Sol 2:29; 160 — A. Wylie, Sol p. M. Finley, Kod 1:50; 189 — J. Agbayani, Pal won by fft; 235 — A. Brown, Pal won by fft.

Kachemak Conference Championships

Team scores:

1. Homer 179; 2. Redington 176; 3. Grace Christian 162.5; 4. Nikiski 87; 5. Kenai 856; 6. Houston 62; 7. Anchorage Christian 54.5; 8. Seward 41; 9. Cordova 9.

Championship finals:

103 — P. Metcalf, Red p. J. Dick, Red 2:57; 112 — J. Harris, Gra d. T. Whicker, Ken 5-3 SV; 119 — A., Cline, Hom d. A. Snow, Gra 8-1; 125 — R. Nyvall, Hom p. A. Fleming, Nik 1:28; 130 — B. Postishek, Red p. J. Zoda, Nik 2:36; 135 — C. Severance, Red p. V. Mohoney, Hou 4:00; 140 — J. Merriner, Gra d. L. Hofacker, ACS 7-0; 145 — T. Ooka, Sew p. J. McDermitt, Red 3:00; 152 — M. Hayes, Hom t.f. L. Crotts, Gra 20-3; 160 — A. Beveridge, Gra p. J. Spaulding, Red 5:34; 171 — T. Vann, Ken m.d. K. McCaughey, Nik 13-2; 189 — A. Kalugin, Hom p. S. Norquist, Hou 0:42; 215 — R. Sherbahn, Ken p. R. Hicks, Hom 2:43; 285 — A. Hicks, Hom p. G. Trotter, Gra 1:38.

Third-place matches:

103 — R. Seyer, Hou p. Z. Rodman, Ken 2:21; 112 — O. Whicker, Ken p. T. Major, Hou 2:43; 119 — R. Perez, Ken d. J. Yourkoski, Nik 5-3; 125 — N. Clark, Red p. E. Elliott, Gra 0:51; 130 — M. Bohlman, ACS d. A. Gaethle, Ken 6-1; 135 — A. Reutov, Hom d. O. Ford, Gra 5-3; 140 — G. Metcalf, Red d. N. Kalugin, Hom 1:25; 145 — D. Williams, Red d. L. Counts, Hom 6-5; 152 — D. Harris, Gra p. H. Stokes, Red 3:37; 160 — S. Grenier, Nik p. S. Scott, ACS 3:54; 171 — P. Jones, Red p. E. Knapp, Hom 2:59; 189 — J. Tanner, Gra d. J. Garcia, Red 2:17; 215 — J. Graceson, ACS won by fft; 285 — M. Lastimosa, Sew p. K. Caldwell, Red 0:11.