Prep wrestling: Warriors win West Valley Invite, Moose third at Kodiak

Jan. 9, 2007

FAIRBANKS - Powered by a trio of individual champions, the Wasilla Warriors claimed the team title of the West Valley Invitational at West Valley High School in Fairbanks on Saturday.

Wesley Koch, Alan Bartelli and Duane Carpenter each won titles in the six-team event.

Koch, Bartelli and Carpenter helped the Warriors accumulate a tournament best 187.5 total points, five more than second-place Lathrop.

Juenau-Douglas edged North Pole by just a half-point to take third.

Koch slipped past Juneau-Douglas' Ian Otness 10-9 to win the 112-pound bracket.

Bartelli, a two-time defending state champion, followed with a 17-2 drubbing of Lathrop's Joe Hughes.

At 135, Carpenter pinned North Pole's Steve Jutila in the second round.

Kendra Nelson, Mike Chafin and Westley Gagnon also advanced to the finals for WHS.

Nelson was pinned by Juneau's Bobby Hunt at 103.

Juneau's Dante Santos edged Chafin 4-1 in the 125-pound final.

Following the tourney, Santos was named the event's most outstanding wrestler.

At 160, Juneau's Jordan Savland needed overtime to beat Gagnon 4-2.

David Mezechuk (135), Casey Katchinska (152) and Chris Crane (189) each finished third for Wasilla.

Moose third at Kodiak

KODIAK - Palmer placed third in the five-team Robin Hervey Invitational at Kodiak High School on Saturday.

Four grapplers advanced to the finals for the Moose.

Nick Stahler (140 pounds) and Caleb Reiley (160) each won titles, while Tom Eller (135) and Tremain Benton (171) finished second.

Palmer wrestled in three duals at Kodiak on Friday.

The Moose defeated Ketchikan 56-20 and Sitka 53-20, but suffered a 43-23 loss to the host Bears.

Stahler (145), Benton (171) and Jesse Romero (103) each were a perfect 3-0 in the duals.

Eller (135), Reiley (160), Jacob Minturn (130) and Daniel Hagen (275) each won two matches.

In other wrestling action, Colony hosted East Anchorage in an informal dual, according to CHS head coach Fred McKenney. The three Valley schools are slated to competed in the Glenn Vandergaw Dimond Invite on Friday.

- Jeremiah Bartz