Warriors pin Colony Invite

PALMER — As Shawn Hayes sat in the seeding meeting, the longtime Wasilla head coach couldn’t help be worried about Cook Inlet Conference power Service.

The Cougars, who have spent the 2011-12 season battling the defending state champion Warriors for the top position at the regular season tournaments, were basically at full strength. Service was missing Stephen Ellis, the state’s top-ranked wrestler at 195. But Wasilla was set to go without three of its top grapplers — Ryker Steiner, Caleb Pempek and defending state champion Tyler Adams.

But despite those losses, the Warriors prevailed.

Wasilla edged Service by five points in the team standings to win the Colony Invitational Friday at Colony High.

“I looked at Service and they were at full force. I knew we were not at full force,” Hayes said. “I didn’t think we’d have the success we did, but we wrestled really well.”

Abe Fox, Austine Gonzalez and Adam Akelkok each won their respective weight classes to help the Warriors finish with a meet-high 241 points.

The Warriors and Cougars were tied at 236 in the team standings late during the final round, but Gonzalez and Akelkok sealed it for the Warriors by winning two of the final three matches of the night.

Gonzalez, who has come on strong in the last several weeks, edged top-seeded Alex Medieiros of Chugiak 7-6 in the 195-pound final.

“We knew he had it in him,” Hayes said of Gonzalez. “Part of it was a matter of him deciding he wanted to do well, and he pulled the trigger. He’s wrestling really tough.”

Gonzalez also scored a win by pin and a major decision en route to the final round.

Aklekok also pulled off his own upset, beating Bartlett’s Drew Yeager, the state’s top wrestler at 220, 11-3 in the 220-pound final. The match pitted a pair of former workout partners. Yeager attended Wasilla and wrestled with the Warriors as a freshman and sophomore.

Fox beat West Valley’s Daide Agnew 11-7 in the 126-pound final. It was a big win for Fox, who was edged by Agnew in the finals of the North/South Invitational at Wasilla High earlier in the year.

Bryce Serna also advanced to the finals and finished second in the 145-pound class. Soldotna’s Auston Tennis edged Serna 1-0.

Five Warriors — Shannon Carpenter (120), Blake Marks (132), Nate McKimson (138), Alex Fuller (182) and Ryan Pomrenke (285) — placed third in the tourney.

Host Colony placed a pair of wrestlers in the finals. Sawyer Root finished second at 152 and Simon Root was second at 160. Service’s Daniel Murakami edged Simon Root 2-1 in overtime.

Colony finished sixth in the team standings with 129 points.

Palmer finished fourth in the tourney, with 146 points. Luke Heun (145), AJ Gentz (152) and Brian Thompson (285) were each fourth for the Moose.

Colony Invitational

Friday, Colony High

Team scores:

1. Wasilla 241; 2. Service 236; 3. Kodiak 164.5; 4. Palmer 146; 5. South Anchorage 133.5; 6. Colony 129; 7. Lathrop 119; 8. East Anchorage 116.5; 9. Ketchikan 106.5; 10. Chugiak 92.5; 11. Bartlett 85.5; 12. Eagle River 59; 13. North Pole 54; 14. Kenai 50; 15. West Valley 40; 16. Soldotna 39.5.

Championship finals:

106 pounds — G. Alvardo, Sou p. A. Cabella, Kod 2:56; 113 — A. Hendrix, Lat d. A. Nanez, Ser 4-1; 120 — K. Hammond, Sou d. F. Llorente, Kod 6-5; 126 — A. Fox, Was d. D. Agnew, WV 11-7; 132 — D. Achman, Lat p. C. White, Kod 1:27; 138 — J. Lunsford, Ser d. T. Sturgill, Bar 6-4; 145 — A. Tennis, Sol d. B. Serna, Was 1-0; 152 — R. Skieens, Ser p. S. Root, Col 1:01; 160 — D. Murakami, Ser d. S. Root, Col 2-1 OT; 170 — J. Wiggins, East d. F. Dunbar, Ser 5-1; 182 — G. Morrison, Chu p. C. Johnson, Kod 4:51; 195 — A. Gonzalez, Was d. A. Medeiros, Chu 7-6; 220 — A. Akelkok, Was m.d. D. Yeager, Bar 11-3; 285 — C. Green, Bar d. E. Pilli, Ser 2-0.

Third-place matches:

106 poiunds — B. Girard, East m.d. H. Stefensen, Ken 15-7; 113 — L. Fried, Kod d. D. Ellibee, Col 7-1; 120 — S. Carpenter, Was p. I. Lontz, Ket 2:58; 126 — K. Decker, NP wb fft J. Pounds, Ser; 132 — B. Marks, Was p. D. Towness, East 2:30; 138 — N. McKimson, Was d. M. Downing, East 3-2; 145 — S. Mackey, Ket wb inj def L. Heun, Pal; 152 — K. Hamilton, Ket wb inj def A. Gentz, Pal; 160 — J. Shangin, Sou d. M. Rogers, NP 3-2; 170 — L. Sheets, ER d. K. Queja, East 7-6; 182 — A. Fuller, Was d. E. Hall, ER 9-5; 195 — C. Reeves, Sou d. I. McKenzie, Col 4-3 OT; 220 — D. Zorea, Ser p. T. Farber, Col 2:13; 285 — R. Pomrenke, Col p. B. Thompson, Pal 4:02.

Moose excel at duals

PALMER — The Palmer Moose improved to 13-3 in duals this year with a pair of wins during the Colony Invitational Duals on Thursday. Palmer beat Kodiak 31-28 and handed Ketchikan a 42-20 loss. Cole Frohling (220 pounds), Brian Thompson (285), Luke Heun (152) and AJ Gentz (160) each recorded pins against Kodiak. Nathan Pempek (126), Hunter Molesky (138) and AJ Gentz (160) pinned opponents in the dual against Ketchikan.

Wasilla and host Colony also finished 2-0 in the duals. Wasilla beat Lathrop 49-22 and North Pole 61-13. Colony beat Ketchikan 43-22 and Lathrop 46-20.

Palmer 31, Kodiak 28

106 pounds — A. Caballa, Kod d. M. Cochran, Pal 5-2; 113 — L. Fried, Kod wb fft; 120 — F. Llorente, Kod d. A. Molesky, Pal 6-3; 126 — E. Burris, Kod d. N. Pempek, Pal 6-3; 132 — H. Foster, Kod wb fft; 138 — C. Bendixen, Pal m.d. H. Nelson, Kod 11-3; 145 — D. Medina, Pal d. K. Gonzales, Kod 7-1; 152 — L. Heun, Pal p. B. Canete, Kod 3:00; 160 — A. Gentz, Pal p. D. Deal, Kod 5:46; 170 — J. Yavorski, Kod m.d. K. Sparkman, Pal 8-0; 182 — C. Johnson, Kod d. C. Smith, Pal 9-7; 195 — J. Ryno, Pal wb fft; 220 — C. Frohling, Pal p. T. Bigley, Kod 4:34; 285 — B. Thompson, Pal p. L. Sega, Kod 3:29.

Palmer 42, Ketchikan 20

106 pounds — M. Cochran, Pal wb fft; 113 — K. Spencer, Pal wb fft; 120 — I. Lontz, Ket m.d. A. Molesky, Pal 12-4; 126 — N. Pempek, Pal p. J. Barr, Ket 3:33; 132 — I. Rud, Ket m.d. D. Bendixen, Pal 14-0; 138 — H. Molesky, Pal p. L. Collins, Ket 3:47; 145 — S. Markey, Ket d. D. Medina, Pal 5-4; 152 — K. Hamilton, Ket d. L. Heun, Pal 14-7; 160 — A. Gentz, Pal p. D. Spears, Ket 5:24; 170 — D. Wake, Ket d. K. Sparkman, Pal 3-0; 182 — C. Smith, Pal m.d. K. Hallman, Ket 11-0; 195 — B. Button, Pal wb fft; 220 — C. Frohling, Pal d. C. Jackson, Ket 9-5; 285 — B. Thompson, Pal t.f. C. Ring, Ket 17-2.

Wasilla 49, Lathrop 22

106 pounds — B. Abbott, Was p. C. Warham, Lat 0:37; 113 — A. Hendrix, Lat t.f. A. Shannon, Was 17-0; 120 — S. Carpenter, Was p. W. Gibson, Lat 1:17; 126 — C. Minnick, Was d. C. Matheny, Lat 6;3; 132 — D. Achman, lat p. B. Marks, Was 0:30; 138 — N. McKimson, Was d. S. Zimmerman, Lat 6-3; 145 — B. Serna, Was d. S. Williams, Lat 8-4; 152 — J. Dickson, Lat p. C. Lowe, Was 3:35; 160 — Z. Rockstad, Was m.d. K. Lee, Lat 17-8; 170 — S. Chaney, lat t.f. H. Seltenreich, Was 17-1; 182 — A. Fuller, Was wb fft; 195 — A. Gonzalez, Was wb fft; 220 — A. Akelkok, Was wb fft; 285 — J. Campbell, Was wb fft.

Wasilla 61, North Pole 13

106 pounds — B. Abbott, Was d. J. Wood, NP 5-4; 113 — C. Eides, NP d. F. Warner, Was 10-5; 120 — S. Carpenter, Was wb fft; 126 — A. Fox, Was p. K. Decker, NP 5:05; 132 — B. Marks, Was m.d. G. Wollman, NP 14-4; 138 — N. McKimson, Was p. J. Ritter, NP 1:29; 145 — B. Serna, Was p. S. Innes, NP 5:23; 152 — M. Rilatos, Was p. S. Pruitt, NP 0:31; 160 — K. Simmons, Was m.d. M. Rogers, NP 20-6; 170 — H. Seltenreich, Was wb fft; 182 — A. Fuller, Was wb fft; 195 — A. Gonzalez, Was p. G. Bennett, NP 1;46; 220 — A. Akelkok, Was p. A. DePue, NP 0:44; 285 — J. Campbell, Was wb fft.

Colony 46, Lathrop 20

106 pounds — S. Simpson, Col m.d. C. Warham, Lat 11-0; 113 — A. Hendrix, Lat m.d. W. Booth, Col 9-0; 120 — D. Ellibee, Col d. W. Gibson, Lat 9-2; 126 — S. Adams, Col d. C. Matheny, Lat 8-3; 132 — D. Achman, Lat p. K. Lucas, Col 2:42; 138 — S. Zimmerman, Lat m.d. K. Nash, Col 17-3; 145 — S. Williams, Lat p. J. Warzewick, Col 5:40; 152 — Sa. Root, Col d. J. Dickinson, Lat 9-5; 160 — Z. Doan, Col d. S. Cheney, Lat 8-7; 170 — Si. Root, Col d. S. Cheney, Lat 8-7; 182 — Se. Root, Col wb fft; 195 — I. MacKenzie, Col wb fft; 220 — T. Farber, Col p. A. Gudshinsky, Lat 1:45; 285 — K. Knighten, Col wb fft.

Colony 43, Ketchikan 22

106 — S. Simpson, Col wb fft; 113 — W. Booth, Col p. K. Spencer, Ket 1:56; 120 — I. Lontz, Ket d. D. Ellibee, Col 6-5; 126 — S. Adams, Col p. J. Bar, Ket 3:52; 132 — K. Lucas, Col d. I. Rud, Ket 6-1; 138 — L. Collins, Ket d. K. Nash, Col 7-5; 145 — S. Marky, Ke d. J. Warzewick, Col 5-2; 152 — Sa. Root, Col d. K. Hamilton, Ket 9-6; 160 — Si. Root, Col p. D. Speak, KEt 5:20; 170 — D. Lake, Ket p. Z. Doan, Col; 182 — Se. Root, Col t.f. C. Hallman, Ket 19-3; 195 — I. MacKenzie, Col wb fft; 220 — T. Farber, p. C. Jackson, Ket 1:53; 285 — C. Ring, Ket p. J. Booth, Col 5:48.