Su Valley senior wins state title

ANCHORAGE — For the last four years, Susitna Valley senior Marshall Pinard has had his sights set on one thing.

A state championship.

Saturday, Pinard finally had the chance to climb to the top of the podium overlooking Alaska prep wrestling’s biggest stage. The decorated Su Valley heavyweight capped his stellar high school wrestling career with a 6-1 win over Homer’s Jadin Mann during the 285-pound final of the ASAA/First National Bank 123A State Championships at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.

“It feels great, really great,” Pinard said after his win. “I’ve been looking forward to this the whole season, getting this No. 1.”

Last week, Pinard captured his fourth straight Denali Conference title. Now Pinard can claim another feat, a four-time state placer at the 123A tournament. Pinard placed sixth as a freshman, second as a sophomore and third last season before claiming his first state crown Saturday. Su Valley head coach Bryan Kirby said, while Rams wrestling school recordkeeping has been scarce, as far as he knows Pinard’s state title is the first in school history.

Pinard finished his senior season 23-1. His lone loss came in the finals of the Lancer Smith Memorial in November. Pinard led 1-0 late, but Lathrop’s Ji Jeong scored a reversal in the final seconds to edge Pinard 2-1.

Jeong captured the 4A state title Saturday.

Prior to the state tournament, Kirby said Pinard learned from that loss.

“I think that loss at Lancer was good for him. It opened his eyes a little bit more,” Kirby said.

Pinard agreed, and said the loss to Jeong helped motivate him through the fire stretch of the season.

Last week, Pinard scored a major decision in the Denali Conference semis before pinning Galena’s Thomas Tocktoo during the first period of the conference final. This weekend, Pinard pinned his way into the final.

Pinard was one of a pair of Rams to place in state. Cooper Stec finished fifth in state at 132 pounds. Stec scored a 9-7 win in sudden victory over Homer’s Mose Hayes in the fifth-place match.

Jens Knutson led a trio of state placers for the Houston Hawks in the 123A tourney. Knutson beat Petersburg’s Teagen Schwartz 12-6 in the third-place match of the 120-pound class. Malaki Barrett was fourth at 220 and Dylan Jackson finished fifth at 285.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.