WINNING ROOT

PALMER — Simon Root is batting 1.000.

Before Friday, the Colony junior had never competed in a varsity wrestling tournament. But on Saturday, Root was standing at the top of the podium.

Root scored a 13-4 major decision over Houston’s Jake Davis to win the 170-pound bracket of the Lancer Smith Memorial tournament at Palmer High School. After the match, Root relished the unexpected success.

“I had a pretty good idea I’d come in and wrestle my hardest, but I had no idea I’d be wrestling under the spotlight Saturday night,” Root said.

But that’s exactly where Root was, thanks to three straight wins leading into the finals. Root opened his weekend with a slim 3-2 win over Service’s Frankie Dunbar, continued with a 6-1 decision over Brandon Kelley of Anchorage Christian School and pinned New Halen’s Richard Weedmen in the semifinals.

In the finals, Root scored near-fall points in the second period to build at 7-0 lead, and used reversals in the third to increase his advantage.

“I came in here expecting, no matter what place I got, I was going to wrestle hard,” Root said.

Root, who could drop to the 160-pound class as soon as next week, said he got a boost in confidence wrestling a tight match with top-ranked Justin Allen of Valdez on Thursday.

Allen beat Root 3-1, but Root was happy with his work.

“I’m feeling pretty good about this year,” Root said.

Root was the lone Colony grappler in the final round and one of four Valley wrestlers to win individual titles.

Wasilla moved three into the final round and a pair of Warriors won their weight classes. Defending state champion Abe Fox beat West Valley’s 10-5 to win the 126-pound final. Fox pinned his way to the finals, sticking his first opponent of the tournament in 37 seconds and another in the first period.

Wasilla’s Nate McKimson battled to a tough 7-6 come-from-behind win over top-seeded Talon Sturgill of Bartlett in the 138-pound final. Sturgill led 6-5 with just more than a minute remaining in the match, but McKimson was able to put together a pair of points in the final 47 seconds.

His escape with 21 seconds left was the difference.

Wasilla’s Tyler Adams, another defending state champion, was upset by Bethel’s Marjus Kugo in the 145-pound final. Kugo, who was named the meet’s most outstanding wrestler after the final round, used third-period near-fall points to beat Adams 10-8.

Houston advanced a pair of wrestlers to the finals, Davis and sophomore Luke Wagner at 220. In one of the best matches of the final round, Wagner upset top-seeded Drew Yeager of Bartlett 11-6 in overtime. Wagner, the state’s top-ranked wrestler at 220 at the 1-2-3A level, caught Yeager on his back during the extra period. Yeager tried to throw Wagner, but the Houston sophomore was able to bring the Bartlett grappler to his back and awarded five near-fall points. Wagner and Yeager finished the third period tied at 6.

Defending state champion Wasilla led in the team standings until the final round. The Warriors held a slim 1.5-point lead over Service heading into the finals, but the Cougars crowned three champions and edged the Warriors by 4.5 points.

A pair of Nikiski wrestlers also won titles. Nikiski’s Kaden Spurgen beat Bethel’s Brayton Lieb 7-2 in the 160-pound final. Bulldog Lincoln Johnson pinned Skyview’s Alex Rodriguez early in the 182-pound final.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com or 352-2273.

Lancer Smith Memorial

Friday-Saturday, Palmer High

Team scores:

1. Service 227; 2. Wasilla 222.5; 3. Bethel 138; 4. South Anchorage 123; 5. Valdez 104; 6. Colony 91; 7. Houston 85.5; 8. Palmer 84.5; 9. Bartlett 79; 10. North Pole 78; 11. East Anchorage 74; 12. Chugiak 71; 13. Skyview 71; 14. Nikiski 70; 15. Kotzebue 55; 16. Grace Christian 51; 17. West Valley 47.5; 18. Dillingham 46.5; 19. West Anchorage 39; 20. New Hallen 28; 21. Glennallen 25; 22. Eilson 23; 23. Aniak 14; 24. Anchorage Christian School 9; 24. (tie) Dimond 9.

Championship final:

106 — G. Alvarado, South p. B. Girard, East 3:16; 113 — A. Nanez, Ser d. N. Ottom, South 11-5; 120 — J. Miller, Dill won by dq K. Hammond, South; 126 — A. Fox, Was d. D. Angnew, WV 10-5; 132 — J. Pounds, Ser d. A. Rake, Val 7-4; 138 — N. McKimson, Was d. T. Sturgill, Bar 7-6; 145 — M. Kugo, Bet d. T. Adams, Was 10-8; 152 — K. Spurgen, Nik d. B. Lieb, Bet 7-2; 160 — J. Allen, Val p. T. Chavez, Bet 1:46; 170 — S. Root, Col d. J. Davis, Hou 13-4; 182 — L. Johnson, Nik p. A. Rodriguez, Sky 1:14; 195 — S. Ellis, Ser d. G. Morrison, Chu 2:47; 220 — L. Wagner, Hou d. D. Yeager, Bar 11-6 OT; 285 — C. Green, Bar d. E. Pilli, Ser 5-0.

Third-place matches:

106 — B. Reich, Kot p. J. Wood, NP 2:42; 113 — K. Groenveld, Val d. Z. Ritchie, South 6-4; 120 — A. Walsh, Grace d. S. Carpenter, Was 6-2; 126 — C. Wilber, Hou d. R. Steinter, Was 10-5; 132 — C. Decker, NP d. S. Janorschke, Sky 7-0; 138 — A. Friese, Grace won by inj. Default, B. Serna, Was; 145 — L. Heun, Pal d. T. Avelon, NH 11-6; 152 — R. Skieens, Ser d. A. Gentz, Pal 15-3; 160 — D. Murakani, Ser d. C. Pempek, Was 5-3; 170 — D. Dunbar, Ser m.d. H. Breeder, Hou 16-6; 182 — L. Reiveld, Glen d. R. Lopez, South 8-5; 195 — J. Hamilton, East d. A. Gonzalez, Was 6-4; 220 — D. Zorea, Ser p. A. Akelkok, Was 2:04; 285 — R. Pomrenke, Was 3-1.