NLC wrestling: Knights lead Warriors by a half-point after Day 1

WASILLA — The Colony Knights and Wasilla Warriors expected a battle at the top of the team standings.

After the first day of the Northern Lights Conference Championships that battle is about as close as it can possibly get.

After each Valley squad moved 11 wrestlers in to the championship finals, Colony leads Wasilla by just a half-point in the team standings. Colony will hit the mats Saturday morning with 289.5 total points. Second-place Wasilla has 289 points in the standings.

Defending state champions Levi Hopkins (138 pounds), Dawson Nash (182) and Robert Haan (195) are among the 11 Knights in the finals slated for Saturday afternoon at Kenai Central High School. Austin Edwards (98), Vincent Cramer (106), Rush Fannon (113), Trace Severson (120), Eric Christy (145), Caleb Hopkins (160), Chayse Eby (195) and Isaiah Christy (220) also won for the Knights during the semifinals Friday night, and will compete for a championship.

Wasilla’s defending state champions, Micah Mathis (12) and Sam Wolff (145) are among the 11 Warriors in the final round. Alexander Logsdon (106), Isaiah Elvsaas (126), Isaac Rodman (126), Dillon Simpson (132), Christian Alexander (132), Berit Sturgeon (138), Andrue Shepersky (152), Chase Minnick (220) and Ezra Lincecum (285) will also wrestle for the Warriors in the finals.

Palmer placed four grapplers in the final, including both at 170 pounds. Christian Kurka will face teammate Zion Rogers for the 170-pound title. Jeff Glynn (160) and Austin Farris (285) also reached the finals for the Moose.

Of the 30 wrestlers in the finals, 26 are from the Valley. Eleven of the 15 matches in the finals will feature a pair of Valley wrestlers.

Northern Lights Conference Championships

Friday, Kenai

Team scores (after Day 1):

1. Colony 289.5; 2. Wasilla 289; 3. Palmer 146; 4. Soldotna 115.5; 5. Kodiak 48; 6. Kenai 28.

Championship semifinals:

98 pounds — A. Edwards, Col p. B. Both, Sol 5:23; L. Craig d. J. Harvey, Col 8-7; 106 — V. Cramer, Col d. O. Andersen, Pal 7-5 SV; A. Logsdon, Was d. B. Gonzalez, Kod 5-3 SV; 113 — G. Hutchinson, Sol won by bye; R. Fannon, Col p. H. Sasser, Col 0:18; 120 — M. Mathis, Was p. R. Birbilas, Kod 1:35; T. Severson, Col p. T. Vaughn, Ken 2:26; 126 — I. Elvsaas, Was t.f. G. Whisman, Col 18-1; I. Rodman, Was p. K. Torres, Col 0:25; 132 — D. Simpson, Was d. R. DelaCruz, Kod 12-10; C. Alexander, Was m.d. D. Colley, Col 11-3; 138 — L. Hopkins, Col d. M. Agoney, Was 8-3; B. Sturgeon, Was p. J. Anderson, Ken 2:00; 145 — S. Wolff, Was d. H. Bleakney, Pal 10-3; E. Christy, Col d. H. Steiner, Was 3-2; 152 — B. Metcalf, Sol d. K. McEnerney, Ken 4-2; A. Shepersky, Was d. L. Farris, Pal 8-3; 160 — C. Hopkins, Col p. C. George, Was 4:34; J. Glynn, Pal p. B. Werner, Sol 2:54; 170 — C. Kurka, Pal d. A. Schrader, Sol 8-5; Z. Rogers, Pal d. A. VanHout, Sol 5-3; 182 ¬— D. Nash, Col p. H. Hongslo, Was 0:46; B. Furlong, Sol won by dq C. Gamble, Col; 195 — R. Haan, Col p. T. Troxell, Ken 0:12; C. Eby, Col p. B. Tomlinson, Pal 0:51; 220 — I. Christy, Col p. M. Stokes, Was 4:00; C. Minnick, Was m.d. T. Wheeler, Pal 12-4; 285 — A. Farris, Pal p. J. Smith, Kod 3:43; E. Lincecum, Was d. K. Doyle, Col 4-0.