Palmer High hosts Alaska’s largest prep tournament

PALMER — Quace Wright keeps running into guys he knows well, maybe too well.

Last season, some of Wright’s biggest matches of the year came against Colony’s Ian MacKenzie, a friend and former teammate. Wright, who wrestled MacKenzie at least three times (including the conference and state finals) managed to beat the friendly rival to win his first career high school state championship last season.

Saturday, Wright found himself facing a familiar foe once again. This time it wasn’t MacKenzie. It was another Warrior, Zech Rocksted.

Wright edged Rocksted 5-4 during the championship finals to win the 220-pound weight class and help Wasilla finish second in the team standings during the Lancer Smith Memorial wrestling tournament at Palmer High School Saturday evening.

After the match, Wright said it’s tough wrestling teammates in tournaments.

“The guys you practice against always know what you’re going to do,” Wright said. “They know your tendencies because you practice with them every day. It’s super hard.”

Wright and Rocksted entered the third period tied at 4. He needed an escape midway through the third to edge Rocksted.

Wright is aiming for his second state title in as many years. He finished third at 189 as a freshman, and after missing his entire sophomore season due to an injury he suffered during the football season, Wright rebounded to win a state crown at 220 last year.

Wright was one of three Valley wrestlers to win individual titles Saturday night. Two of those victories came in overtime. Palmer senior Caleb Deemer edged Kodiak’s Kerry Powers 2-1 in overtime. Powers is the defending Northern Lights Champion in the weight class and finished as the state runner-up last year.

Colony’s Wade Booth also scored an overtime victory during the finals. Booth edged Adam Downing of Valdez 8-6 in overtime. Downing is currently the state’s top-ranked wrestler at 152 in the 123A class, according to the Alaska wrestling website, akmat.org.

The 160-pound final featured a battle of defending state champions. Isaac Deaton of Valdez beat Wasilla’s Nate McKimson 9-2. Deaton is 123A defending champion at 152. McKimson won a 4A state title at 145 last year.

It’s the second meeting in as many weeks for the rivals. McKimson edged Deaton in overtime to win the 160 class at the Bob Bailey Invitational last week.

Palmer junior Ben Button nearly upset a defending state champion in the heavyweight class. Kodiak’s Leo Sega edged Button to win the 285-pound title. But trailing 3-2 during the final seconds, Button nearly had a takedown at the edge of the circle. Sega was able to slip away before the final horn sounded.

The Lancer Smith Memorial was billed as the state’s biggest and toughest prep wrestling tournament of the regular season, and the tournament delivered. A total of 424 athletes from 38 programs competed in the two-day meet. That’s roughly double the size of the 4A state championships.

In the final round, a combined 11 defending small schools and large schools state champions wrestled for individual titles Saturday.

A handful of defending state champions were upset Saturday, including South Anchorage’s Gavin Alvardo, who was named the most outstanding wrestler of 4A state meet last year. Kenai Central freshman Paul Steffensen beat Alvardo 5-0 to win the 126-pound title. Steffensen was named the meet’s most outstanding wrestler.

Bethel’s Brettlyn Reich, a state champion at 113 last season and the Lancer Smith top seed at 120, was upset in the semifinals Saturday morning. Nome’s Emery Booshu, another defending 123A state champion, suffered a loss to South Anchorage’s Kraig Hammond in the finals.

South Anchorage won the team title with 189 total points, edging Wasilla by just 1.5. Wasilla led after Day 1, and the two teams traded leads throughout the day. Hammond used his title to clinch the team title for the Wolverines. Host Palmer finished third with 151 points, and Colony was fifth at 141.5, giving the Valley three teams in the top 5.

Lancer Smith Memorial

Friday-Saturday, Palmer High

Team scores:

1. South 189; 2. Wasilla 187.5; 3. Palmer 151.5; 4. East 147; 5. Colony 141.5; 6. Kodiak 139.5; 7. Kotzebue 139; 8. Bethel 137.5; 9. Nome 118.5; 10. Valdez 114.5; 11. West 101; 12. North Pole 97.5; 13. Skyview 97; 14. Kenai 83; 15. Service 82.5; 16. Lathrop 81; 17. Houston 74.5; 18. Eagle River 73; 19. Chugiak 71; 20. Glennallen 59.5; 21. Dimond 50.5; 22. Cordova 44; 22. (tie) Homer 44; 24. West Valley 42; 25. Eielson 38.5; 26. Grace 37; 27. Bartlett 35; 28. (tie) Nikiski 35; 30. Seward 30; 31. Soldotna 18; 32. Anchorage Christian School 15; 33. Quinhagak 10; 34. Aniak 9; 35. Vozneskenka 4; 36. Napaskiak 4; 37. Delta 0; 37. (tie) Susitna Valley 0; 37. (tie) Yakutat 0.

Championship finals:

98 — G. Maslen, Glen p. T. Evan, Bet 5:18; 106 — G. Schack, Sou d. A. Gray, Nome 6-3; 113 — S. Hutchison, Sky d. G. Hoffman, Bet 4-3; 120 — B. Girard, East p. A. Caballa, Kod 3:12; 126 — P. Steffenson, Ken d. G. Alvardo, Sou 5-0; 132 — J. Mendenhall, Bet d. J. Malnoske, East 2-0; 138 — K. Hammond, Sou d. E. Booshu, Nome 5-2; 145 — A. Sierra, East d. N. Ottum, Sou 6-0; 152 — W. Booth, Col d. A. Downing, Val 8-6 OT; 160 — I. Deaton, Val d. N. McKimson, Was 9-2; 170 — A. Rake, Val m.d. Z. Haviland, Kot 9-0; 182 — J. Roetman, Kot d. J. Wharton, Lat 9-6; 195 — C. Deemer, Pal d. K. Powers, Kod 2-1; 220 — Q. Wright, Was d. Z. Rocksted, Was 5-4; 285 — L. Sega, Kod d. B. Button, Pal 3-2.

Third-place matches:

98 — J. Virgin, Glen d. S. Harris, Dim 2-0; 106 — A. Craig, Sky m.d. B. Abbott, Was 13-4; 113 — M. Glover, South d. C. Johnson, Hom 4-1; 120 — B. Reich, Kot p. A. Drake, Hou 1:48; 126 — L. Erikson, Nome won by inj def; 132 — R. Steiner, Was d. R. Pellumbi, Sou 3-2; 138 — G. Arnold, ER d. N. Pempek, Pal 4-2 OT; 145 — B. Blumentritt, Sky d. E. Shoemaker, NP 5-4; 152 — R. Radmer, Hou d. K. Lucas, Col 5-3 OT; 160 — J. Dickson, Lat m.d. J. Erikson, Nome 13-0; 170 — Z. Horton, ER d. E. McLeod, Ser 6-2; 182 — L. Elliot, West d. C. Howard, Cor 9-4; 195 — K. Queja, East m.d. L. Owens, Kod 15-2; 220 — L. Fa’amasino, West p. R. Burroughs, Chu 4:49; 285 — K. King, East p. M. Daigle, Col 3:45.

Fifth-place matches:

98 — K. Weinberger, Hou won by inj def; 106 — Y. Ohki, Kod d. B. Adams, Col 5-1; 113 — C. Booth, Col d. J. Valdez, Kod 12-5; 120 — T. Annogiuk, Sew d. A. Chiklak, Bet 7-3; 126 — J. Small, Kod d. A. Molesky, Pal 7-6; 132 — M. Cochran, Pal d. D. Nash, Col 6-5; 145 — S. Adams, Col d. G. Eakin, Kot 8-6; 152 — C. Elliot, West t.f. P. Inglet, Was 21-6; 160 — H. Moleskey, Pal t.f. K. McIntosh, Val 15-0; 170 — J. Dickinson, Lat won by inj def C. Boatman, Was; 182 — J. White, Glen p. K. Hunter, Ken 2:02; 195 — A. Bruadis, Bar d. D. Nanouk, Kot 3-2; 220 — M. Keough, South d. G. Bennett, NP 10-7; 285 — B. Davis, NP won by fft J. Booth, Col.