State wrestling: Warriors lead after Day 1; 9 Valley grapplers advance to finals

ANCHORAGE — It was a good day for the Valley in the state wrestling championships.

Three Valley teams are in the top 6 and nine local earned a trip to the championship finals during Day 1 of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Wrestling Championships at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

Wasilla, armed with four wrestlers in the finals, is on top of the team standings after the first day, with 134.5 points. The Warriors hold a slim, three-point lead over South Anchorage. Palmer sits in third with 117.5 points and Colony is in sixth with 98 points.

Logan Albrecht (98 pounds), Nate McKimson (145), Bryce Serna (152) and Quace Wright (220) will represent Wasilla in the final round.

Palmer moved three wrestlers in the final round — Mason Cochran (120), Luke Heun (160) and Brian Thompson (285). Colony will have two representatives — Sawyer Root (182) and Ian MacKenzie (220) in the finals.

The 220-pound final will feature an all-Valley match with Wright meeting MacKenzie, in a rematch of the Northern Lights Conference final.

Team scores:

Through championship semifinals

1. Wasilla 134.5; 2. South 131.5; 3. Palmer 117.5; 4. Kodiak 113; 5. Service 103; 6. Colony 98; 7. North Pole 92; 8. East 81; 9. West Valley 68.5; 10. Ketchikan 63.5; 11. West 55; 12. Chugiak 52; 13. Lathrop 40; 14. Kenai 33; 15. Bartlett 23.5; 16. Bartlett 23.5; 17. Soldotna 6; 18. Thunder Mountain 4; 19. Dimond 2; 20. Juneau 0.

Championship semifinals:

98 pounds — G. Shack, Sou p. T. Wutzke, Ket 4:43; L. Albrecht, Was d. B. Adams, Col 6-1; 106 — K. Willard, East d. C. Fraizer, NP 6-0; J. Briones, West d. N. Otum, Sou 3-1; 113 — G. Alvardo, Sou p. B. Abbott, Was 3:53; A. Caballa, Kod p. K. Hallstrom, Ket 4:52; 120 — M. Cochran, Pal d. Z. Luff, ER 8-3; J. Fetko, Ser d. R. Pellumbi, Sou 6-5; 126 — E. Burris, Kod p. T. Wintersteen, Chu 2:44; A. Agnew, WV m.d. A. Kennedy, East 15-4; 132 — J. Pounds, Ser d. G. Arnold, ER 4-0; G. Wright, NP d. C. Jury, Chu 8-3; 138 — E. Steffensen, Ken p. C. Bendixen, Pal 0:19; K. Hammond, Sou d. D. Sotelo, Bar 8-3; 145 — N. McKimson, Was m.d. C. Jury, Chu 12-4; S. Zimmerman, Lat win by inj def T. Thammavongsa, Ser; 152 — B. Serna, Was d. V. Friclione, West 10-5; M. Rogers, NP d. R. Huffer, Chu 10-3; 160 — R. Skieens, Ser p. J. Sosa, East 1:03; L. Heun, Pal p. G. McSharry, Sou 1:25; 170 — L. Elliot, West m.d. S. Innes, NP 13-2; J. Wiggins, East d. J. Wharton, Lat 10-6; 182 — S. Root, Col p. M. Dobbs, Was 5:23; H. Story, WV d. C. Nielsen, Pal 7-6; 195 — D. Sauder, Sou p. J. Frizzell, Ket 0:24; K. Powers, Kod m.d. J. Ryno, Pal 16-2; 220 — I. MacKenzie, Col p. M. Hyde, West 6-4; Q. Wright, Was d. R. Burroughs, Chu 5-3; 285 — S. Sega, Kod p. C. Frohling, Pal 5:02; B. Thompson, Pal d. C. Ring, Ket 5-2.