Warriors take down NLC

KENAI — The Wasilla High School wrestling team got healthy at just the right time.

After battling injuries and fielding a makeshift roster much of the season, the Warriors were at full strength and put everything together to win the team championship at the Northern Lights Conference tournament at Kenai Central High School on Saturday.

Wasilla finished with 386 points, comfortably defeating runner-up Kodiak (272.5) and third-place Colony (250). The Warriors will send 21 wrestlers to the Class 4A state championships, which begin Dec. 10 at the Curtis Menard Sports Complex in Wasilla.

“We’ve been up and down all season,” head coach Shawn Hayes said, adding the squad lost between one and five wrestlers to injury for every regular-season meet. “This was the first time they were all together, so it was fun.”

Wasilla crowned three conference champions — Abe Fox at 119 pounds, Tyler Adams at 130 and Jake Johnson at 215 — and also had seven second-place finishers. No other team had more than two silver medalists, although Colony earned five individual titles.

Fox defeated teammate Nate McKimson 5-3 to win the bracket at 119, while Adams pinned Taylor Hanley of Soldotna in 4:48 to earn the top spot at 130. Johnson pinned every opponent in sweeping the bracket at 215, including Palmer’s Cole Frohling in 4:54 in the finals.

Hayes chose not to credit individual wrestlers because he felt the success was an entire team effort.

“So many of them did well,” he said.

The runner-ups were Riker Steiner (112), McKimson, Jed Diedrich (125), Derek Johnson (145), Yuriy Makitrin (171), Jeremy White (189) and Ryan Pomrenke (heavyweight).

Soldotna’s Auston Tennis, the state’s top-ranked 4A wrestler at 145 pounds, defeated Johnson 2-0 to win a second consecutive conference title.

It was Tennis’ second victory this season over Johnson and kept him undefeated the past two years against Wasilla’s top grappler at 145. His takedown midway through the third period against Johnson broke a scoreless tie and proved the difference.

“He’s the top guy here,” Tennis said of Johnson. “It’s nice to pull it out, and it’s good for the team.”

Skyview’s Sam Janorschke outlasted Diedrich for a 7-5 decision in the finals at 125, his first career win against Diedrich in four tries. The victory was surprising even for Janorschke, who advanced to the finals with a 7-6 win against Cole Miller of Wasilla in the semis.

“It’s a big win for me,” Janorschke said. “I didn’t expect to be in the finals.”

Homer’s Mitch Wyatt was named most outstanding wrestler after a dominating performance. The senior improved to 44-0 on the year, sweeping through the bracket at 171 without allowing a point.

The three-time regional champion pinned Alex Fuller of Wasilla in 1:03 in the quarterfinals, Cody Warfield of Soldotna in 3:22 in the semis and Makitrin in 1:29 in the finals.

Hayes’ message to the team, particularly those who placed second or lower, was simple:

“The biggest thing is to turn around and be ready for state, because that’s the one that matters,” he said. “Just because you lose to someone, doesn’t mean you’ll lose to them again.”

Colony, meanwhile, took third as a team, but had the most individual champions.

Luke Faulkner took first at 135, while teammates Kyle Boss (152), Nate Wolfe (160), Quace Wright (189) and Renn Wright (heavyweight) won their respective weight classes.

It wasn’t enough to lift Colony past Kodiak, which qualified 16 athletes for state behind coach of the year Pat Costello. Kodiak had a tournament-best six third-place finishers.

Palmer took fourth with 159.5 points, followed by Skyview (124), Soldotna (121.5), Homer (80) and host Kenai Central (60).

Northern Lights Conference tournament

Friday, Saturday at Kenai Central

Team scores: 1. Wasilla, 386; 2. Kodiak, 272.5; 3. Colony, 250; 4. Palmer, 159.5; 5. Skyview, 124; 6. Soldotna, 121.5; 7. Homer, 80; 8. Kenai Central, 60.

Championship matches

103 — Hope Steffensen, Ken, won by default over Hannah Hutchsion, Sky; 112 — Eddy Burris, Kod, dec. Ryker Steiner, Was, 2-0; 119 — Abe Fox, Was, dec. Nate McKimson, Was, 5-3; 125 — Sam Janorschke, Sky, dec. Jed Diedrich, Was, 7-5; 130 — Tyler Adams, Was, p. Taylor Hanley, Sol, 4:48; 135 — Luke Faulkner, Col, p. LJ Leppanen, Pal, 5:31; 140 — Pearson Brodie, Kod, won by default over Kevin Lepola, Kod; 145 — Auston Tennis, Sol, dec. Derek Johnsen, Was, 2-0; 152 — Kyle Boss, Col, Joe Fujimoto, Col, 4-1; 160 — Nate Wolfe, Col, dec. David Castonguay, Kod, 9-4; 171 — Mitch Wyatt, Hom, p. Yuriy Makitrin, Was, 1:29; 189 — Quace Wright, Col, dec. Jeremy White, Was, 9-2; 215 — Jake Johnson, Was, p. Cole Frohling, Pal, 4:54; 285 — Renn Wright, Col, dec. Ryan Pomrenke, Was, 6-2.

Third-place matches

103 — Andrew Caballa, Kod, p. Shannon Carpenter, Was, 2:52; 112 — Conner Minnick, Was, dec. Baile Clifford, Pal, 7-1; 119 — Francis Llorente, Kod, dec. Nathan Pempek, Pal, 4-2; 125 — Cole Miller, Was, p. Austin Cunningham, Sky, 4:52; 130 — Luke Huen, Pal, m.d. Chance Boatman, Was, 11-1; 135 — Isaac Fields, Kod, dec. Bryce Serna, Was, 6-4; 140 — Dusty Poole, Sol, dec. Jentry Diederich, Was, 5-3; 145 — Branden Canete, Kod, dec. AJ Gentz, Pal, 8-1; 152 — Reuben Ivanoff, Kod, m.d. Shlomo Gherman, Hom, 13-5; 160 — Logan Patrick, Sol, dec. Daniel Rozak, Sky, 5-2; 171 — Skye Rench, Col, dec. Joe Ben Hawkins, Sky, 7-1; 189 — Adam Akelkok, Was, dp. Charlie Johnson, Kod, 3:34; 215 — John Alexander, Sky, dec. Austin Gonzalez, Was, 5-2; 285 — Leo Sega, Kod, p. Derek McEwen, Col, 3:40.

Fifth-place matches

103 — Mason Cochran, Pal, won by default over Wade Booth, Col; 112 — Aaron Molesky, Pal, p. Bryce Bracker, Col, 3:50; 119 — Elisha Fields, Kod, p. Tim Price, Sol, 0:42; 125 — DJ Marsengill, Hom, dec. Wilber Cruz, Kod, 11-8; 130 — TJ Checketts, Sky, dec. Justin Goff, Kod, 10-3; 135 — Michael Wilson, Kod, dec. Devon Carter, Ken, 15-13; 140 — Adam Agosti, Ken, dec. Avery Smith, Col, 7-5; 145 — Mark McGregor, Hom, p. Cody Williams, Sky, 2:34; 152 — Devren Jacobsen, Was, p. Kei Heusser, Kod, 2:26; 160 — Porter Martin, Col, dec. Kade Foust, Sol, 5-2; 171 — Alex Fuller, Was, dec. Cody Warfield, Sol, 7-4; 189 — Dakota Elsey, Sol, p. Alex Rodriguez, Sky, 2:32; 215 — Ty Farber, Col, dec. Larry Croft, Hom, 7-1; 285 — Joseph Morris, Was, p. Kevin Hunter, Ken, 2:51.