Susitna Valley home to one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in the state

PALMER — Susitna Valley High School went decades without a wrestling team. This season, the Rams have only a half-dozen athletes on their roster, two more than Su Valley had last year.

But that hasn’t stopped the Rams from being represented during the championship round of tournaments throughout the state.

Su Valley may have only six wrestlers on the roster. But the Talkeetna-area school is home to one of the top heavyweights in the state.

Junior Marshall Pinard shoots into the final three weeks of the season armed with a 20-1 record, and with sights set on the biggest prize.

A 123A state title.

“He’s got the potential this year, if he keeps his mind on it, to finish on top,” Su Valley head coach Bryan Kirby said of Pinard recently. “There’s definitely a couple kids in 123A he hasn’t wrestled yet, (who) we think are good and we need to see how he does against. But he’s got a lot of potential to finish on top in 123A.”

Pinard is in only the third season of his wrestling career, but already has a pair of top-6 finishes in the 123A state tournament. As a freshman, Pinard finished sixth. Last year, as a sophomore, Pinard pinned his way into the state tournament finals, and finished as the state runner-up at 285.

This year, Pinard has spent his season pinning his way into the final round. The junior won the individual crown at 285 at the Houston Altercation, Homer Round Rumble, ACS Invitational and Hutchison Meltdown. He was a combined 15-0 in those events, with 14 wins coming via the pin.

Pinard also pinned his way into the finals of the Lancer Smith Memorial at Palmer High School earlier this month, but was pinned by Dimond’s Brandon Pilli.

That was Pinard’s first loss of the season.

“He’s definitely doing some great things. He’s definitely done a lot over the last couple of years,” Kirby said.

Kirby noted a number of traits that help allow Pinard to have success.

“His drive,” Kirby listed first. “He’s very coachable. He listens.”

Pinard spends his afternoons in practice with only five other teammates. But it’s not a negative in Pinard’s mind. He likes it.

“It’s easier to learn from the coach. There’s more one-one-one time,” Pinard said during the Lancer Smith Memorial earlier this month.

Pinard also has the added bonus of another heavyweight, Jon Gillespie, on the Su Valley roster. Kirby and Pinard both said having a steady workout partner like Gillespie has helped Pinard continue to get better.

Pinard’s a multi-sport athlete on Su Valley. He’s also on the boys basketball team, competes on the school’s co-ed soccer squad, and participates in Native Youth Olympics. But something about wrestling stands out.

“It is a team sport. But (on the mat), it’s all about you,” Pinard said.

Pinard said he’s long been intrigued about wrestling, even before he was officially involved.

“I always liked the idea of the sport. I wanted to do it in middle school, but we didn’t have it,” Pinard said.

But since Kirby helped resurrect Su Valley’s wrestling program, Pinard’s growth in the sport has accelerated swiftly.

“I’ve actually surprised myself,” Pinard said.

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