Shaping up

PALMER — Wasilla junior Chris Crane will be the first to admit he’s not yet in top wrestling condition. But getting in shape shouldn’t be a problem if the Wasilla 189-pounder keeps taking on bigger opponents.

Crane did just that Thursday, winning a thrilling 10-8 decision over Houston’s Justin Crowley, the Hawks’ representative at 215 pounds at a quad meet hosted by Palmer High School.

“It was a little bit tougher,” Crane admitted following the match.

Though he’s coming off a football season that saw him rush for 743 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Warrior varsity team, Crane said he’s still trying to get his body into wrestling shape.

“Wrestling condition is a way different type of conditioning,” he explained.

In order to get into shape, Crane has been joining a large group of Wasilla wrestlers who’ve been showing up at school at 5:30 a.m. for extra conditioning.

The work must be paying off.

Against Crowley, a state class 3A qualifier from last year, Crane trailed heading into the third period after a Crowley takedown made the match 5-3.

Crane turned Crowley to earn five back exposure points to start the third period, but the big Houston wrestler escaped — then earned a takedown of his own to tie the score.

Crane then managed to pull out a reversal just before the whistle blew to earn the victory.

Crane’s win helped the Warriors to a 67-3 win over the Hawks. Combined with a 40-30 win over Bethel later in the evening, Wasilla finished the quad meet with a perfect 2-0 record.

Against Bethel, Wasilla opened the dual by building a big 27-6 lead on the strength of pins by Casey Katchinska at 160 pounds, Karl Rathbun at 171, Jed Johnson at 285 and Kendra Nelson at 103. Nelson’s victory was the most impressive, as she escaped from a near pin by Zac Pleasant, then took the Bethel wrestler down and pinned him late in the second period.

Houston’s lone victory against the Warriors came when Cass Melin pulled out a close 6-3 decision over Mack Gagnon at 152 pounds.

In other dual competition, Bethel — a 3A power that placed fifth at last year’s state tournament — defeated Palmer 53-24, while the Moose beat Houston 51-42.

Palmer’s win over Houston featured only three contested matches because of forfeits. In the first, Palmer’s Jared Kemp earned an 11-7 decision over Garrett Elder at 130 pounds. Houston freshman Jaime Kaalakea then pinner Palmer’s Jared Logsdon at 135 before Jake Minturn finished things off with a pin over Jon Cope at 140.

Kaalakea’s win was double impressive because it came just minutes after the scrappy freshman was pinned by Wasilla’s David Muzechuk, a state-qualifier from a year ago.

“He’s pretty tough,” Houston coach Brad Drake said. “He always hangs in there.”

The series of dual matches was held in advance of the Lancer Smith Memorial tournament, which gets underway today at 9:30 a.m. at Palmer High. The 13-team tournament will feature Palmer, Wasilla, Houston and Colony, plus several representatives from the Kenai Peninsula and elsewhere.

“It should be most of the teams in our region,” Palmer coach Dale Ewart said.

Holding the dual matches the night before, Ewart said, was a natural way to get wrestlers even more competition over what promises to be a long weekend of wrestling action.

“We’re already set up for tomorrow, so it’s just a chance to get some extra matches.”

Palmer Duals

Thursday

Palmer High School

Bethel 53, Palmer 24

145 — J. McIntyre, Bet, maj. dec. A. Pahnke, Pal, 15-3

152 — M. Mcdonald, Bet, fall, W. Bjornson, Pal, 1:40

160 — K. Chavez, Bet, forfeit

171 — T. Michaels, Bet, fall, C. Bailey, Pal, :57

189 — N. Wasierski, Bet, dec. Sam Heindel, Pal, 12-6

215 — M. Houser, Pal, forfeit

285 — K. Thomas, Bet, forfeit

103 — Z. Pleasant, Bet, forfeit

112 — R. Hanson, Bet, forfeit

119 — A. Richardson, Bet, fall, J. Smith, Pal, 1:33

130 — R. Chavez, Bet, maj. dec. J. Romero, Pal, 15-4

135 — J. Logston, Pal, fall, D. Roehl, Bet, 1:20

140 — J. Minturn, Pal, fall, C. Elliott, Bet, 2:57

Wasilla 67, Houston 3

145 — M. Uscola, Was, forfeit

152 — C. Melin, Hou, dec. Mack Gagnon, Was, 6-3

160 — C. Katchinska, Was, fall, Aaron Reese, 1:22

171 — K. Rathbun, Was, forfeit

215 — C. Crane, Was, dec. Justin Crowley, Hou, 10-8

285 — J. Johnson, Was, fall, G. Mooney, Hou, 1:28

103 — K. Nelson, Was, forfeit

112 — H. O’Malley, Was, forfeit

119 — J. George, Was, forfeit

125 — M. Chafin, Was, forfeit

130 — C. Gross, Was, fall, Garrett Elder, Hou, 1:49

135 — D. Muzechuk, Was, fall, J. Kaalekea, Hou, 3:18

140 — J. Wieliczkiewicz, Was, maj. dec. J. Cope, Hou, 14-5

Wasilla 40, Bethel 30

152 — T. Henderson, Bet, fall, J. Langendorf, Was, 5:09

160 — C. Katchinska, Was, fall, K. Chavez, Bet, 1:44

171 — K. Rathbun, Was, fall, T. Michaels, Bet, 1:44

189 — C. Crane, Was, dec. N. Wasierski, Bet, 4-2

285 — J. Johnson, Was, fall, K. Thomas, Bet, 1:11

103 — K. Nelson, Was, fall, Z. Pleasant, Bet, 3:43

112 — R. Hanson, Bet, fall, H. O’Malley, Was, 1:50

119 — S. Paul, Bet, def. J. George, Was, injury default

125 — M. Chafin, Was, maj. dec. A. Jorgensen, Bet, 16-2

130 — C. Gross, Was, dec. R. Chavez, Bet, 6-4

135 — D. Muzechuk, Was, fall D. Roehl, Bet, 2:40

140 — C. Elliott, Bet, fall, J. Wieliczkiewicz, Was, 1:35

145 — J. McIntyre, Bet, fall, M. Uscola, Was, 1:58

Palmer 51, Houston 42

152 — C. Melin, Hou, forfeit

160 — Aaron Reese, Hou, forfeit

171 — C. Bailey, Pal, forfeit

189 — M. Houser, Pal, forfeit

215 — J. Crowley, Hou, forfeit

285 — G. Mooney, Hou, forfeit

119 — J. Smith, Pal, forfeit

125 — B. Tacke, Hou, forfeit

130 — J. Kemp, dec. G. Elder, Hou, 11-7

135 — J. Kaalakea, Hou, fall, J. Logsdon, Pal, 2:16

140 — J. Minturn, Pal, fall, J. Cope, Hou, 3:29

145 — A. Pahnke, Pal, forfeit

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com