Valley grapplers win Lancer Smith Memorial wrestling titles

A trio of Colony Knights and a Palmer grappler each won individual titles during the championship finals of the Lancer Smith Memorial wrestling tournament Saturday at the Menard Arena in Wasilla.

Colony’s Matthew Mitchell and Nolan Gallagher, and Palmer’s Kaelan Vesel won gold in the boys tournament. Colony’s Amelia Fawcett led Valley wrestlers with a championship in the girls tournament.

Mitchell, who won a Division I state title as a sophomore, pinned Brian Grabner of the Student Wrestling Development Program in the 135-pound final. Mitchell improved to 12-1 overall.

Vessel needed only 33 seconds to pin Jimmy Runnels of the SWDP in the 189-pound final. Vessel, now 18-3 this season, upset the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds en route to his title. He pinned top-seeded Gabriel Schumaker of South Anchorage in the semifinals.

Gallagher edged Chugiak senior Spencer Johnson 3-1 in the 215-pound final. Johnson was top seeded and Gallagher was seeded second. Gallagher improved to 17-1.

Fawcett stayed undefeated this season and improved to 18-0 after winning the 145-pound class in the girls tournament. The Colony junior pinned South Anchorage’s Saige Morris in the finals.

Wasilla’s Joseph Spangler also advanced to the finals in the boys tournament, and finished second at 140. Colony’s Grace Loutzenhiser (100), and Palmer’s Sarah Callener (126), Lillie Vansiegman (138) and Noelle Buck (235) also wrestled in the girls finals and placed second.

Fawcett led Colony to a second-place finish in the girls team standings. The Knights had 131 total points. Soldotna won the girls team title with 156 points.

Aspen Kell (152) placed third for the Knights, Hayden VanderPool (107) was fourth, and Sophie Ellibee (114) and Gia Jones (165) were both fifth.

Kaylee Paulson finished fourth at 152 for Palmer.

Nikayla Miller (185) and Joy Walker (165) were fourth for Redington, and Josephine Granger (145) and Alejandra Roman (138) were fifth, and Mya Campbell (126) was sixth.

Brynlee Lutz (126) placed third for Wasilla. Olivia Probasco (132) and Kaerlynn Seidl (100) were fourth, and Taryn Wright (120) placed fifth.

Colony was fourth in the boys team standings. Noah Justice (103) was third; Ty Harmin (130), Laramie Gibson (140) and Jackson Goss (285) finished fourth; and Emiliano King (140) and Branden Rhodes (160) were sixth.

Palmer was fifth in the team standings. William Lindsey (140), Nolan Deemer (152) and Ezra Ginn (160) placed fourth for the Moose; Kael Salisbury-Gum (125), Cody Vansiegman (145) and Rueger Mothershead (285) were fifth.

Wasilla was fifth in the boys team standings.

Chase Foss (119) and Thailyn Reynolds (140) placed third for Wasilla, and Achillies Alexander (119) was fifth.

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