Valley schools win middle school wrestling titles

WASILLA — In 2016, the Redington Huskies took five athletes to the Tanana Invitational, long known as the unofficial sate tournament for middle school wrestling in Alaska. Three years later, the Huskies brought home a title.

Redington earned the top spot among the small schools class at the annual tournament last week in Fairbanks.

“I knew we’d have a pretty fair shot being the best small school,” Redington head coach Abe Salmon said earlier this week. “That’s what my hope was going in, make that happen.”

The overall improvement for the middle school program at the third-year junior-senior high school is part of the Redington’s coaching staff’s effort to building wrestling programs at both levels. Salmon is the head coach of both the middle school and high school teams. The Huskies featured 25 athletes on the middle school roster this season.

“It’s a really good group of kids, not just good wrestlers,” Salmon said.

During the high school season earlier in the school year, the Huskies high school team featured its largest contingent at the state tournament and featured a wrestler in the state finals for the first time.

Salmon said it feels good to be included among the list of Valley programs that have dominated Alaska middle school wrestling for decades.

Redington finished fifth in the overall standings, with 195.5 total points, and was one of four Valley middle school programs to finish in the top six.

“It’s pretty cool to get in the conversation,” Salmon said.

Alaska middle school wrestling power Teeland Middle School was the overall winner, with 309 points. Wasilla Middle finished as the runner-up with 270. A pair of Interior programs, North Pole and host Tanana, finished in third and fourth. Palmer Junior Middle School placed sixth with 188. Colony Middle also notched a top-10 finish, placing ninth.

With Teeland’s overall win at Tanana, the Valley extends a streak that spans decades. Valley schools — Tanana, Wasilla, Colony and PJMS — have combined to win the last 25 middle school state titles.

Teeland captured the overall title for the second straight year and fifth time since 2009. The Titans also crowned a trio of champions. Deshawn Campbell (118 pounds), Blare Hoffman (210) and Daniel Van Slyke (275) each won their respective weight classes. Palmer Junior Middle’s Elijah Barnes (114) and Wasilla Middle’s Fredrick Elvsaas (122) also finished first.

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

Tanana Invitational

March 2-3, Fairbanks

Team scores:

1. Teeland 309; 2. Wasilla 279; 3. North Pole 266; 4. Tanana 228.5; 5. Redington 195.5; 6. Palmer 188; 7. Southcentral Independents 173.5; 8. Muldoon Wrestling Club 171; 9. Colony 170; 10. Chugiak 144; 11. Bethel 143; 12. Alaska Avalanche Wrestling 130; 13. Randy Smith 126; 14. Eielson 118; 15. Ryan 109; 16. Juneau 108; 17. Wrangell 103; 18. Soldotna 87; 19. Delta 82; 20. Kodiak 80.5; 21. Grace Christian 70; 22. Hopson 55; 23. Ketchikan 54.5; 24. Glennallen 46.5; 25. Valdez 34; 25. Craig 31; 26. Glacier View 28; 28. Petersburg 24; 29. Napaskiak 23; 30. Dillingham 22; 31. Fronteras 21; 32. Cevak 15; 33. Anchroage Christian 10; 34. Houston 3.

Championship finals:

70 pounds — K. Cooke, SI d. E. Wit, Tan 5-0; 77 — A. Concepcion, AA d. E. Patzke, AA 4-0; 84 — E. Francisco, Mul p. C. Murphy, Col 1:20; 91 — L. Smith, Bet d. B. Pope, SI 2-1; 98 — C. Parduhn, Ryan d. J. Smith, Bet 11-9; 105 — V. Parry, Tan p. T. Inguagiato, Chu 3:46; 110 — Z. Lucksavage, Tan d. J. Johnson, Tan 3-0; 114 — E. Barnes, Pal m.d. B. Turner, RS 17-5; 118 — D. Campbell, Tee d. T. Foss, Was 9-4; 122 — F. Elvsaas, Was m.d. J. Johnson, Jun 11-3; 126 — Z. Priebe, SI p. D. Caltlett, Teel 4:24; 132 — T. Patten, Craig p. I. Punturo, Was 3:31; 140 — K. Cutway, AA d. C. Tennison, Sol 7-5; 148 — Q. Owens, AA d. T. Baxter, Jun 6-3; 160 — K. Henderson, Val d. P. Long, Pal 4:06; 174 — P. Macchione, RS p. B. Holderness, Del 1:21; 210 — B. Hoffman, Tee d. A. Davis, AA 14-12; 275 — D. VanSlyke, Tee d. N. Lilomaiva, Mul 18-17;

Third-place match:

70 — S. Ritz, Tee d. P. Metcalf, Red 8-7; J. Spangler, Was d. Z. Gilman, Red 7-0; 84 — S. Jacob, Nap m.d. C. VanSiegman, Pal 13-3; 91 — E. Cordell, Tee d. C. Kohler, Chu 11-5; 98 — D. Linne, Ket d. E. Miller, Sol 10-7; 105 — A. Johnson, Tan d. C. Silva, Col 5-3; 110 — T. Laraux, Bet d. J. Brown, Sol 6-4; 114 — C. Severance, Red p. H. Richardson, Sol 4:45; 118 — S. Warren, Delta p. K. Espinoza, Pal 4:29; 122 — A. Beveridge, Gra d. Z. Kolbe, Dill 4-3; 126 — D. Gray, Delta d. K. Redford, Hop 3-1; 132 — K. Connaker, Red p. M. Hollwedel, Tee 0:45; 140 — J. Isaacson, Chu p. J. Valadez, Tan 1:51; 148 — J. Opp, Ryan p. A. Williams, Tan 1:35; 160 — J. Eastaugh, Wra d. I. Campbell, Red 10-8; 174 — L. Frank, Pal p. S. Briesmeister, Tan 1:48; 210 — M. Weiderspohn, Jun p. B. Gaddis, NP 0:28; 275 — C. Minnick, Was p. A. Holman, NP 3:52;

Fifth-place match:

70 — A. Luecken, Tee m.d. C. Metcalf, Red 14-5; E. Holmes, p. B. Owen, Col 2:11: 84 ¬— M. Campbell, Tell m.d. A. Madson, Bet 17-3; 91 — K. Messmer, Jun inj def L. Lockard, Mul 1:00; 98 — K. Delaquito, Vlen d. C. Henry, Fro 5-0; 105 — R. Rooney, Wra p. G. Lorring, Kod 2:59; 110 — B. Postishek, Red p. A. Buck, Glen 2:20; 114 — R. Fishinghawk, Col d. T. Easley, Col 4-2; 118 — M. Holmberg, Tan d. C. Lund, Tee 4-1; 122 — Z. Kobernuss, NP d. D. Koba, Delta 7-1; 126 — J. McDermitt, Red p. C. Cargill, SI 1:25; 132 — M. Crosby, SI won by fft T. Niebles, Chu; 140 — E. Feleti, Hop won by fft J. Quinfai, Jun; 148 — B. Neeney, Was p. R. Wiederspohn, Wra 1:35; 160 — D. Conley, NP p. J. Shivers, SI 1:28; 174 — L. Bayer, Bet p. R. Lopez, Was 1:57; 210 — E. Scoggin, Col p. A. Brandal, Kod 1:57; 275 — D. Panama, Ryan won by fft K. Moore, Teel