Warriors win PHS Invitational

PALMER -- The Wasilla Warrior wrestling team started the 2004-05 season just as it ended 2003-04 -- winning a tournament in convincing fashion.

The defending 4A state champions moved eight wrestlers into the championship round and walked away with the 2004 Palmer Invitational wrestling tournament title Saturday.

Wasilla earned 261 total points, finishing well ahead of second-place South Anchorage and its 187 total points.

Alan Bartelli, Duane Carpenter, Trevor Pempek and Jake Wade each won their respective weight classes for the Warriors.

Wade, the 2003-04 state champion at 171, scored a late takedown to defeat Scott Lucas, of South Anchorage, and won the 189-pound title.

"I'm not in very good shape, I'm sure he's not either," a tired Wade said following the match. "These are the hard ones."

Lucas led 1-0 early and increased his margin to 3-2 in the low scoring match. As the final seconds in the third period rolled off the clock, Wade shot in for a quick single leg and was able to get around for the takedown, earning a 4-3 decision.

Bartelli earned a convincing 11-0 win over Andrew Van Asdell, of Colony, to capture the 103-pound title, Carpenter topped Brian Hunzinger, of Chugiak, 8-2 to win at 135; and Pempek defeated Jordan Dubbison, of South Anchorage, 5-2 in the 152-pound final.

Sam Miller (119), Caesar Berrara (140), Mike Trudeau (160) and Chuck Carpenter (171) each placed second for Wasilla.

Colony's devastating duo of Dustin Killian and Hollan Gravely won titles. Killian defeated Miller 11-0 in the 119-pound final, and Gravely, a defending 4A state champion, scorched Sam Carlson, of Chugiak, in a 15-0 technical fall.

The Knights, who also had heavyweight James Savage place second, finished sixth in the team standings with 115.5 points.

Jake Heun led host Palmer with a third-place finish in 215-pound class. Heun downed Nenana's Jeremiah Davidson, the top seed in the bracket, 11-6 in the consolation final.

Palmer finished 12th in the team standings with 67 points.

Daniel Harvey led the Houston Hawks with a third-place finish in the 189-pound class. Harvey defeated Stephen Bishop, of Valdez, 7-1. Houston's Matt Gardner finished fourth at 135.

The Hawks finished 14th with 64 total points.

The Palmer Invitational returned to the prep wrestling schedule after a more than five-year hiatus. Palmer head coach Dale Ewart said considering the success of the 2004 tourney, he and PHS plan to again make the invitational an annual event. The 2004 invite is the first major 4A event of the season. The tournament featured 15 varsity squads and each school was able to insert their junior varsity wrestlers into the 32-man brackets.

In addition to including both small and large schools, varsity and junior varsity wrestlers, organizers also handed out special awards to the top placewinners. The champion of each weight class earned a Palmer Invitational champions jacket, embroidered with their weight class, and each second-place finisher was awarded an official Palmer Invitational hat, with their respective weight class. The top four finishers in each class received medals.

The jackets and hats were donated by Jim Carlyle of American Lenders and designed by Ron Richards at Sliver Tip Designs.