Warriors wrestle stiff competition at Reno tournament

Frontiersman staff

RENO, Nev. — Four Wasilla wrestlers competed in the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev., this weekend.

Abe Fox, Cole Miller, Tyler Adams and Jake Johnson all participated in the tournament, which is one of the premiere high school wrestling events in the western region of the United States.

Three of the four Warriors entered the event as seeded wrestlers. Johnson, who recently won a 4A state championship, was the No. 2 seed at 215 pounds. He finished 3-2 overall and did not place.

Adams, seeded fifth at 130, finished 2-2. Fox, the No. 9 seed at 119, was 2-2. Miller was 0-2.

Adams and Fox also won state titles earlier this month.

Athletes from a dozen Alaska prep programs helped fill out the ROT’s 64-man brackets. East Anchorage’s Mat Malnoske wrestled his way into the fifth-place match at 135. Service’s Stephen Ellis (189) and Bartlett’s Caleb Green (285) advanced to the seventh-place matches of their weight classes.

All three won Alaska state tiles earlier this month.

Dozens of Alaska wrestlers compete in the Reno Turnament of Champions each year. Five have captured Reno titles. Two of those winners hail from the Valley, Wasilla’s Jed Wade in 2003 and Palmer’s Gabe McMahon in 1995.

Local wrestlers in Reno

Tournament of Champions

Abe Fox, Wasilla (119 pounds)

Match 1: Fox p. E. Garcia, Villa Park HS; Match 2: K. Reddish, Columbia HS d. Fox 5-1; Match 3: Fox p. J. Pena, Rio Rancho HS 4:17; Match 4: J. Miranda, Poway HS d. Fox 2:54.

Cole Miller, Wasilla (125)

Match 1: J. Purdy, Nevada Union HS d. Miller 7-0; Match 2: H. Ezell, Churchill HS 4-3.

Tyler Adams, Wasilla (130)

March 1: Adams p. J. Ehinger, Santiago HS 1:44; Match 2: Adams p. T. Sandifer, Ironwood Ridge HS 0:32; Match 3: M. Walsh, Alamosa HS 1:26; Match 4: J. Hurley, Grundy HS p. Adams 4:36.

Jake Johnson, Wasilla (215 pounds)

Match 1: S. Empey, Reed HS d. J. Johnson 7-2; Match 2: J. Johnson p. J. Johnson, Was p. J. Short, Grandview HS 4:12; Match 3: Johnson p. T. Usko, Spring Creek HS; Match 4: J. Johnson p. M. Jorgensen, Chico HS 4:50; Match 5: M. Chavez, Mingus Union HS 4:52.