Wasilla grapplers win titles at Chugiak invite

ANCHORAGE -- Two local prep wrestling squads got their first taste of live action of the season over the weekend. Palmer and Wasilla competed at the annual Bob Bailey Invitational.

The tournament, hosted by Chugiak High School, was actually held at Bartlett due to ongoing construction at Chugiak.

Three Valley wrestlers advanced to the championship round. Cory Crane and Jed Wade each won their respective weight classes to help Wasilla notch third place in the team standings. Palmer's Jonah Stewart finished second.

Crane and Wade each scored major decisions over opponents from the Kenai Peninsula in the finals. In the 160 lb. final, Crane defeated Soldtna's Colton Goracke 14-2.

Crane led 4-1 after the first period of the match, nearly pinning the Soldotna wrestlers. Crane notched an escape and a takedown early in the second period to take a 7-1 lead. Crane picked at Goracke's inside leg steadily through the second period, forcing Goracke to repeadtly tread backwords. Crane put Goracke on his back for the second time of the match late in the second period, but was unable to notch the pin before time expired.

Wade started his trek for a third consecutive state championship with a 11-3 win over Skyview's Justin Rainwater in the 189 lb. final. Wade manhandled Rainwater throughout the entire match. The junior grappler led 6-1 after the first period, nearly pinning the Skyview wrestler. Rainwater was only credited for three escapes in the match and two of the escapes were free passes given to Rainwater by Wade at the beginning of the period.

Stewart suffered a 13-4 loss to Chugiak's Stan Brown in the 130 lb. class.

Wasilla tallied 168 points in the team standings to finish third. Skyview edged the Warriors, placing second with 168.5 points.

Lathrop won the tourney with 178.5 points.

Several Valley wrestlers advanced to the third place match. Two of the weight classes pinned Valley wrestlers against each other. Palmer's Zack Tompco defeated Wasilla's Sam Loeb 7-1 in the 130 lb. class and Wasilla's Jeremy Olsen scored a 13-5 major decision over Palmer's Lonnie Newman in the 215 lb. class.

Freshman Chuck Carpenter (152) and junior Jeramiee Meisler (HWT) also finished third for Wasilla and Gunnar Brannon (119) finished fourth for the Warriors.

"It is the first tournament of the year, so we don't get too carried away," Wasilla head coach Shawn Hayes said. "The kids are excited. It is hard to tell how we will do after only 10 days of practice. We were without some kids today."

Many of the teams in the tournament did not boast full squads.

Wrestlers without 10 full practices were not eligible for the event.

Wasilla was without Abe Salmon and Bo Kittley who both will be contending for a state title this year.

Led by Stewart and Tompko, Palmer finished 10th in the tourney with 60.5 points.

"We didn't do too bad for a team with a bunch of young guys," Palmer head coach Brian Hooks said. "It is early so we aren't going to set the bar to high. We are in a building process right now and there is a learning curve."

Bob Bailey Invitational Team Results

1. Lathrop- 178.5, 2. Skyview- 168.5, 3. Wasilla- 168, 4. Soldotna- 136.5, 5. Chugiak- 130.5, 6.; Service 111.5, 7. Dimond- 106, 8. Bartlett- 97.5, 9. Kodiak- 65, 10. Palmer, 60.5, 11. East and West- 36

Championship finals

103- J. Beyer, Lat p. B. Dennehey, Ser. 1:06; 112- E. Hutchinson, Sky p. J. Herr, Chu, 1:58; 119- E. Bailey, Chu p. D. Cline, Bar 3-2; 125- D. Pestrikoff, Dim d. S. Costello, Kod. 9-5; 130- C. Phipps, Sky p. J. Cline, Bar 3:52; 135- B. Goracke, Sol m.d. J. Harris, Lat 21-7; 140- S. Brown, Chu m.d. J. Stewart, Pal 13-4; 135- M. Osburn, Lat p. D. Bailey, Chu 3:59; 152- J. Herron, Bar p. M. Weaver, East 3:20; 160- C. Crane, Was m.d. C. Goracke, Sky 14-2; 171- K. Vanderwyst, Lat. p. J. Horwarth, Sol. :41; 189- J. Wade- Was, m.d. J. Rainwater, Sky 11-3; 215- G. Nicholson, Lat. d. D. Bryant, Kod. 5-3; HWT- J. Brantley, Sol. p. G. Marlow, Bar 3:55

Third-place

103- S. Gordon, Dim p. J. Ison, Sol 4:38; 112- D. Achman, Lat, d. T. Nelvis, West 2-0; 119- L. Stephens III, Dim d. G. Brannon, Was 8-6; 125. J. Bailey, Lat m.d. C. Ivanoff, Kod 11-3; 130- Z. Tompko, Pal d. S. Loeb, Was 7-3; 135- D. Leach, Sky p. R. Ricketts, Ser. 11-6; 140- B. Cleveland, Sky- p. R. Ricketts, Ser 4:50; 145- B. Breakfield, Sol d. M. Miller, Was 10-6; 152- Chuck Carpenter, Was inj. default S. O'Brian, Kod; 160- S. Dennison, Sky d. Z. Johsnon, Dim 12-5; 171- S. Wilburn, Chu t.f. Z. Rohr, Sky 22-5; 189- M. Croffut, Dim d. T. Doyle, Lat. 7-1; 215- J. Olsen, Was. m.d. L. Newman, Pal 13-5; HWT- J. Meisler, Was p. J. Macrander, Ser :40.