State wrestling notebook: Valley grapplers named all-decade, local underclassmen fare well in tourney

CHUGIAK — A trio of former Mat-Su Valley prep wrestling standouts were named All-Decade by the wrestling website Akmat.org.

The list, which was announced prior to the championship round of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Wrestling Championships at Chugiak High School on Saturday, included Wasilla graduates Alan Bartelli and Jed Wade, and former Colony star Hollan Gravely were among 14 athletes named to the 4A list.

The moderator of Akmat.org listed the state champion from each weight class for each season during the decade. A panel deliberated and voted, the and the wrestler with the most dominant performance during a single season was named to the group.

Wade and Gravley are both four-time state champions, while Bartelli was a three-time state champ.

Wade was named to the list at 189 pounds for his efforts during the 2004 season, the year in which he won his fourth straight title and was named the outstanding wrestler of the state tournament.

Gravley was named at 112 for his freshman year, the season of the first of his four state titles.

Bartelli was named at 103 for the 2005 campaign, the year he won the first of his three titles.

East Anchorage’s Nathan Hoffer (119, 2007-08), Dimond’s Darin Petrikoff (125, 2002-03), Chugiak’s Stan Brown (130, 2001-02), Skyview’s Eli Hutchinson (135, 2005-06), West Valley’s Kayleen Baxter (140, 2003-04), West’s Max Rosefigura (145, 2006-07), West Valley’s David Weise (152, 2005-06), Chugiak’s Nolan McBryde (160, 2008-09), South’s Jessy Amos (171, 2007-08), Bartlett’s Bobby Dunbar (215, 2004-05) and Ketchikan’s Jon Hamilton (285, 2004-05) were also on the list.

Knights score

rare four-peat

Colony won its fourth straight team title on Saturday and became just the second team to win at least four consecutive titles at the 4A ranks.

West Valley put together a string of five 4A titles from 1987-1991. Eielson won five straight small schools championships from 1988-1992.

Colony’s win also marks the seventh straight title for a Valley program. Prior to Colony’s four-peat, Wasilla won three straight state titles.

West Valley was the last non-Valley squad to win a 4A title.

Repeat champions

East Anchorage senior Nathan Hoffer led a group of six grapplers who won a state title for at least a second time.

Hoffer became the sixth wrestler in Alaska history to win a fourth state title. Wade (200-04) and Gravley (2003-07) are on that list, as are Chugiak’s Gary Steeby (1970-74), Skyview’s Eli Hutchison (2003-06) and West Valley’s Matt Mattson (1990-92, 94) and David Weise (2003-2006).

Chugiak senior Grant Sullivan and East Anchorage junior Mat Malnoske each won their third straight state title on Saturday. Sullivan won at 145, while Malnoske won the 125-pound bracket.

Colony senior Eric Fan (215), South Anchorage senior Luke Shelley (152) and Lathrop sophomore Dillon Achman (112) won their second straight state title each.

Reloading for next year

Colony will graduate two state champions, four state finalists and 10 state qualifiers, but the Knights will return a dozen who competed in the 2009 state tourney.

Half of that dozen placed in the top six. Junior heavyweight Renn Wright advanced to the finals at 285 and junior Kyle Boss finished 3rd at 145.

Wasilla could return 13 who competed in the state tourney and six who placed in the top-six.

Junior Jacob Johnson advanced to the finals and finished second at 215, to lead the group.

Wasilla finished an impressive fourth in the team standings despite being without to of its top wrestlers — sophomores Abe Fox and Caleb Pempek — who were expected to contend for state titles, but didn’t make weight prior to the Northern Lights Conference tournament and could not compete for a berth to the state meet.

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