PJMS pins state wrestling title

FAIRBANKS — The Mat-Su Valley is home to the top middle school wrestling team in the state once again.

Palmer Junior Middle School claimed the team title of the Tanana Invitational wrestling tournament in Fairbanks last month. Three PJMS grapplers earned titles and the Moose collected 267.5 total points in the Tanana Invite, which is considered the unofficial state championship meet for middle school wrestling in Alaska.

“It’s really exciting,” PJMS head coach Don Malone said. “The whole school is real excited about it.”

PJMS finished more than 60 points ahead of second-place Teeland, a middle school wrestling power in Alaska. Teeland, a Wasilla area school, has won three of the last five Tanana titles. PJMS was one of four Valley teams to finish behind Teeland in the top-five of the 2009 Tanana tourney. Colony was the runner up, Wasilla was third and PJMS was fifth, but only eight points behind Teeland.

During the regular season, Teeland finished just ahead of PJMS in three different tournaments. Teeland slipped by PJMS by one point at the Palmer Invitational, by two points at the Valley Championships and seven points at the Houston Invitational.

“Teeland will always be a force to be reckoned with,” Malone said. “But even last year I thought we had a crack at them.”

This year, Malone said, PJMS’ class of 17 eighth-graders helped push the Moose past their Valley rival.

“The kids are a little older, little more mature,” Malone said. “We finally got it together. All the stars aligned in the right direction. The kids wrestled out of their mind.”

Hunter Molesky, Collin Bendixen and Zeth Merritt claimed individual titles for the Moose. Molesky, at 127 pounds, and Merritt, 148, each pinned all five of their opponents during the tourney.

Malone said Bendixen was one of the more pleasant surprises of the season.

“He was taking first in all of the tournaments and he continued to take first,” Malone said. “Usually by pin.”

Daniel Rich (heavyweight) and Aaron Molesky (100) both finished second in the tourney. Malone applauded his heavyweight’s efforts. Rich finished second to Teeland’s Quace Wright, who won a title at the Asics Kids National Championships over the summer, losing 5-2. Malone said Rich is a first-year wrestler and could make an impact for the Palmer High School wrestling program.

Mason Cochran (85), Caleb Nielsen (160) and Joel Ryno (174) finished third for PJMS.

Second-place Teeland crowned a pair of champions. McKinson won at 110, while Wright scored the title at 260. Jed Diederich led Wasilla Middle to a sixth-place finish in the team standings with the 121-pound title. Andrew Shannon won the 85-pound class to lead ninth-place Houston Middle School.

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

Team scores (Top-10)

1. Palmer 267.5; 2. Teeland 202.5; 3. North Pole 180; 4. Tanana 179; 5. Eielson 170; 6. Wasilla 151.5; 7. Kenai 137.5; 8. Gilson 105.5; 9. Colony 96, 9. Houston 96; 15. Academy Charter 66.

Individual results (Top-8)

75 — 1. G. Shack, Anc; 2. M. Amico, Anc; 3. L. Albrecht, Was; 4. S. Hutchison, Ken; 5. B. Adams, Kotz; 6. C. Fraizer, NP; 7. T. Morris, Gil; 8. G. Maslen, Glenn.

80 — 1. D. Dahms, AC; 2. E. McKenzie, Anc; 3. G. Alverado, Anc; 4. R. Ocasio, Tan; 5. P. Micheletto, Anc; 6. J. Detienne, Anc; 7. W. Lewis, ACS; 8. N. Ottum, Anc.

85 — 1. A. Shannon, Hou; 2. M. Vandermartin, Teel; 3. M. Cochran, Pal; 4. L. Fried, Kod; 5. W. Gilroy, ACS; 6. J. Fetco, Tan; 7. D. Styer, Tan; 8. D. Cazier, Eiel.

90 — 1. N. Ottum, Anc; 2. C. Eide, NP; 3. A. Caballa, Kod; 4. J. Gentz, Pal; 5. D. Holtry, Tan; 6. E. Dyment, Bet; 7. K. Savo, Sill; 8. G. Kalugin, Voz.

95 — 1. K. Hammond, Anc; 2. S. Carpenter, Was; 3. C. Rohrer, Gil; 4. J. Bernowski, Pal; 5. L. Reed, Col; 6. Z. Ritchie, Anc; 7. R. Poland, Tan; 8. R. Pellumbi, Bet.

100 — 1. N. Ezell, Eiel; 2. A. Molesky, Pal; 3. W. Booth, Col; 4. B. Reich, Kotz; 5. G. Wollman, NP; 6. R. Radmer, Hou; 7. D. Larsen, Anc; 8. M. Torres, Teel.

105 — 1. E. Booshu, Nome; 2. J. Morrow, Teel; 3. E. Fouch, AC; 4. C. McIntyre, Beth; 5. N. Pempek, Palm; 6. C. Johnson, Anc; 7. S. Hursh, Eiel; 8. S. Adams, Kotz.

110 — 1. N. McKimson, Tell; 2. A. Hendrix, Tan; 3. R. Steiner, Was; 4. T. Eide, Nome; 5. J. Sumauang, Una; 6. J. Roetman, Col; 7. T. Phillips, Eiel; 8. A. Hodges, NP.

115 — 1. E. Steffensen, Ken; 2. A. Vickers, Un; 3. A. Walsh, Gra; 4. C. Wilbur, Hou; 5. C. Weber, RSM; 6. J. Murphy, Jun; 7. A. Kalugin, Voz; 8. T. Matlock, Teel.

121 — 1. J. Diederich, Was; 2. D. Campos, Jun; 3. T. Frank, Eiel; 4. C. Boatman, Teel; 5. N. Trevino, NP; 6. M. Gardiner, Dill; 7. A. Rochon, Anc; 8. D. Palacios, Beth.

127 — 1. H. Molesky, Pal; 2. M. Stangel, Un; 3. J. Erickson, Nome; 4. A. Downing, Gil; 5. J. Davis, Col; 6. B. Foster, Anc; 7. R. Ertz, Col; 8. B. Oulton, Bet.

133 — 1. Collin Bendixon, Pal; 2. B. Williams, Rya; 3. R. Huffer, Anc; 4. D. Martishev, Voz; 5. T. Yamada, Ken; 6. B. Allen, Gil; 7. B. Gurung, Anc; 8. J. Olson, Dill.

140 — 1. J. Menges, Eiel; 2. J. Wharton, NP; 3. A. Jolin, Anc; 4. M. Rilatos, Was; 5. D. Phillips, Kotz; 6. T. Frates, Ken; 7. C. DeLay, Gil; 8. J. Player, Pal.

148 — 1. Z. Merritt, Pal; 2. M. Spencer, Tan; 3. J. Herrmann, Ken; 4. C. Hanson, Teel; 5. L. Parsley, Tan; 6. K. Powers, Kod; 7. J. Bourne, NP; 8. J. Inch, Teel.

160 — 1. D. Timberlake, Anc; 2. J. Webb, Tan; 3. C. Neilson, Pal; 4. L. Hansen, Ken; 5. C. Dedrick, Was; 6. E. Deal, NP; 7. C. Baker, NP; 8. C. Daniels, Teel.

174 — 1. D. Stangle, Tan; 2. S. Carpenter, Beth; 3. J. Ryno, Pal; 4. E. Rudolf, Anc; 5. B. Shultz, Teel; 6. M. Ranstad, Tan; 7. A. Schweitert, Tan; 8. J. Bennett, NP.

260 — 1. Q. Wright, Teel; 2. D. Rich, Pal; 3. B. Davis, Eiel; 4. L. Wagner, Hou; 5. R. Ellis, NP; 6. I. McKenzie, Col; 7. P. Chastanger, Pal; 8. S. Sega, Kod.