Wrestlers from across Western Alaska, including some very fired up Bethel Warriors, took to the mats on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21 for the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) Wrestling State Championships at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
The Warrior boys ultimately placed fourth out of more than 50 teams overall. Sitka’s Mt. Edgecumbe High School edged out the competition to take the top spot at state, winning by more than 60 points over second-place Homer.
“This is the first time since 2008 we haven't been in the top three. That just tells you we still have a solid team. Not as solid as we’d like, but that tells you there's a lot of good other teams out there too,” Bethel Warriors Head Coach Darren Lieb said. “I think we're young. That's one of the highlights looking forward.”
One of these young talents is Bethel freshman Cole Iverson, who won second place by fall over Akiachak’s Raiden Jackson in the 103-pound weight class.
The victory made Iverson the highest-placing wrestler from the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta this year.
The final match for Iverson, going to Seward’s Tommy Jarnig by decision, came down to the last moments. Iverson said that he was thrilled to compete as a freshman in the biggest match of his life.
"It feels amazing. [I] got almost all of my goals. [I] got my season goal from the start of the season, and yeah, on to the next year," Iverson said. "Wrestling my whole life helped me prepare. Always being in big tournaments helped me know what was coming."
In the boys 125-pound weight class, Bethel sophomore Brandon Ayapan snagged a third place finish at state, winning by fall over Susitna Valley’s Sawyer Love.
"My goal this year was to get third or higher,” Ayapan said. “I really wanted to win, so I went out and did my all."
The Warriors also had some fourth-place finishes, going to sophomore Jackson Iverson in the 145-pound weight class and sophomore Aidan Crow in the 103-pound weight class.
Finally, Bethel nabbed three sixth-place finishes. They went to senior Landon Burke in the 215-pound weight class, senior Sheldon Smith in the 130-pound weight class, and senior Alvino “Guyguy” Vazquez in the 119-pound weight class.
Other finishes from around the region include a sixth-place finish for Chevak’s Laiton Pingayak in the 112-pound weight class, and fifth place for Scammon Bay’s Christian Chandler in the 119-pound weight class.
On the girls side, Warriors freshman phenom Claire Dyment ended a very strong season by clinching third in the 100-pound weight class, winning by fall over Soldotna’s Jessica LeClair. With the exception of her loss in the semi-final match, Dyment pinned all of her opponents at state this year.
"I try and help my team out the best I can. Pins are the most points, so I try to get a pin every match,” Dyment said.
The Bethel Warrior girls placed 14th out of more than 50 teams, and Soldotna took the top spot.
From just downriver of Bethel, the Napaskiak Lady Hawks soared to a 12th place finish at state and offered up the top-ranking Y-K Delta village finishers.
Napaskiak freshman Adalyn Samuelson nabbed fourth in the 138-pound weight class, while senior Hilary Larson took third in the 152-pound weight class, her first time placing at state.
Larson credited her coach, Zach Pleasant, for "motivating us to do better and not think about different things instead of wrestling."
“They have a great work ethic, and they’re all coachable, and they’re just always willing to learn and always willing to improve,” Pleasant said.
KYUK’s Shane Iverson contributed reporting to this story.
Tournament Results
Division II Boys
103
- 1st Place - Tommy Jarnig of Seward High School
- 2nd Place - Cole Iverson of Bethel High School
- 3rd Place - August Reigh of Dillingham High School
- 4th Place - Aidan Crow of Bethel High School
- 5th Place - Trent Dundas of Cordova
- 6th Place - Vincent Gust of New Stuyahok
112
- 1st Place - Paxton Lawhorne of Delta
- 2nd Place - Bryson Andrew of New Stuyahok
- 3rd Place - Mitchell Sizemore of Redington Sr. Jr/Sr High School
- 4th Place - Leo Bukala of Redington Sr. Jr/Sr High School
- 5th Place - Luca Fitzpatrick of Homer High School Mariners
- 6th Place - Laiton Pingayak of Chevak
119
- 1st Place - Ridge Conant of Seward High School
- 2nd Place - Evan Andrew of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 3rd Place - Gusty Tunguing IV of Koliganek School
- 4th Place - Brenden Moncibaiz of Skagway High School
- 5th Place - Christian Chandler of Scammon Bay High School
- 6th Place - Alvino Vasquez of Bethel High School
125
- 1st Place - Hayden Jimenez of Haines High School
- 2nd Place - Dylan McCambly of Dillingham High School
- 3rd Place - Brandon Ayapan of Bethel High School
- 4th Place - Hunter Gumlickpuk of New Stuyahok
- 5th Place - Emery Kirchner of Seward High School
- 6th Place - Gunnar Davis of Cordova
130
- 1st Place - Elden Andrew of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 2nd Place - Cache Henning of Unalaska
- 3rd Place - Kaden Vanbuskirk of Valdez High School
- 4th Place - Eli Banks of Houston
- 5th Place - Tristan Tilden of Dillingham High School
- 6th Place - Sheldon Smith of Bethel High School
135
- 1st Place - Hunter Forshee-Kurtz of Seward High School
- 2nd Place - Jaxson Young of Nikiski High School
- 3rd Place - Logan Beck of Valdez High School
- 4th Place - Eben Caulkins of Redington Sr. Jr/Sr High School
- 5th Place - Lanakila Greene of Dillingham High School
- 6th Place - Killan Hammock of Sitka High School
140
- 1st Place - Jackson Carney of Wrangell Wolves
- 2nd Place - Jake Stockhausen of Glennallen High School
- 3rd Place - Gunnar Stanley of Kenai Central High School
- 4th Place - Blake Bailey of Cordova
- 5th Place - Wyatt Munster of Dillingham High School
- 6th Place - Ben Milton of Nome High School
145
- 1st Place - Paul Minke of Homer High School Mariners
- 2nd Place - Justus Grimes of Homer High School Mariners
- 3rd Place - Conner Cook of Kenai Central High School
- 4th Place - Jackson Iverson of Bethel High School
- 5th Place - Anthony Smith of Seward High School
- 6th Place - Colton Combs of Haines High School
152
- 1st Place - Daniel Steffensen of Kenai Central High School
- 2nd Place - Landyn Woods of Homer High School Mariners
- 3rd Place - Jacob Wassily-Merlino of Dillingham High School
- 4th Place - Torian Dull of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 5th Place - Micah Ivanoff of Unalakleet Schools
- 6th Place - Everett Meissner of Wrangell Wolves
160
- 1st Place - Brayden Woods of Homer High School Mariners
- 2nd Place - Dalen Beck of Valdez High School
- 3rd Place - Carson Crotts of Grace Christian School
- 4th Place - Keagan Stanley of Kenai Central High School
- 5th Place - Thomas Swalling of Redington Sr. Jr/Sr High School
- 6th Place - Jorge Sandoval of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
171
- 1st Place - Dalton Henry of Haines High School
- 2nd Place - Graelin Chaney of Dillingham High School
- 3rd Place - Romen Weber of Valdez High School
- 4th Place - Samson Smith of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 5th Place - William Douglas of Delta
- 6th Place - Kaden Duke of Petersburg
189
- 1st Place - Wyatt Ahmasuk of Nome High School
- 2nd Place - Kaden Herrmann of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 3rd Place - Carlos Sandoval of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 4th Place - Warren Blood of Valdez High School
- 5th Place - Aj Tudela of Valdez High School
- 6th Place - Isaiah Mann of Homer High School Mariners
215
- 1st Place - Richard Didrickson of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 2nd Place - James Stickler of Haines High School
- 3rd Place - Rex Wittmer of Nikiski High School
- 4th Place - Cody Barnes of Wrangell Wolves
- 5th Place - Sioeli Tuifua of Barrow High School
- 6th Place - Landon Burke of Bethel High School
285
- 1st Place - Donovan Standifer of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 2nd Place - Norman Lilomaiava of Barrow High School
- 3rd Place - Angus Olsen of Petersburg
- 4th Place - Dylan Petersen of Sitka High School
- 5th Place - Lochlyn Roney of Kenai Central High School
- 6th Place - Shea Yatchmeneff of Homer High School Mariners
Girls Results
100G
- 1st Place - Grace Loutzenhiser of Colony High School
- 2nd Place - Hayden Kumfer of Student Wrestling Development Program
- 3rd Place - Claire Dyment of Bethel High School
- 4th Place - Jessica LeClair of Soldotna
- 5th Place - Naomi Keller of Soldotna
- 6th Place - Renee Brown of Nome High School
107G
- 1st Place - Jade Sherry of Student Wrestling Development Program
- 2nd Place - Valarie McAnelly of Soldotna
- 3rd Place - Nixie Schooler of Juneau-Douglas HS
- 4th Place - Megan Cornett of Student Wrestling Development Program
- 5th Place - Brooklyn Duelfer of South Anchorage High School
- 6th Place - TALIA JENKINS of Chugiak High School
114G
- 1st Place - Mia Hannevold of Soldotna
- 2nd Place - Nevaeh George of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 3rd Place - Jaelynn Colby of North Pole Patriots
- 4th Place - Hayden Vanderpool of Colony High School
- 5th Place - Christabelle Minke of Homer High School Mariners
- 6th Place - Kaylani Vreeland of Dimond
120G
- 1st Place - Lillie Vansiegman of Palmer High School
- 2nd Place - Pagan Lester of Newhalen
- 3rd Place - Braelyn Troxell of Colony High School
- 4th Place - Della Churchill of Wrangell Wolves
- 5th Place - Nyah O`Neil of Dimond
- 6th Place - Solveig Finstad of Lathrop Wrestling
126G
- 1st Place - Krista Howland of Hoonah City Schools
- 2nd Place - Rowan Peck of Soldotna
- 3rd Place - Sarah Callender of Palmer High School
- 4th Place - Alora Wassily of Dillingham High School
- 5th Place - Jane Douglas of Delta
- 6th Place - Ida Lester of Newhalen
132G
- 1st Place - Saoirse Cook of Homer High School Mariners
- 2nd Place - Summer Boling of Ketchikan High School
- 3rd Place - Olivia Probasco of Wasilla High School
- 4th Place - Braylynn Young of Nikiski High School
- 5th Place - Taryn Wright of Wasilla High School
- 6th Place - Eliza Anders of West Valley Wolfpack
138G
- 1st Place - Brynlee Lutz of Wasilla High School
- 2nd Place - Desiree Moore of North Pole Patriots
- 3rd Place - Annika Johnson of Chugiak High School
- 4th Place - Adalyn Samuelson of Napaskiak
- 5th Place - Lexi Cook of Metlakatla High School
- 6th Place - Heavan Copeland of East Anchorage High School
145G
- 1st Place - Amelia Fawcett of Colony High School
- 2nd Place - Saige Morris of South Anchorage High School
- 3rd Place - Daisy Hannevold of Soldotna
- 4th Place - Lacey Sherman of Nome High School
- 5th Place - Kirstyn Passin of Valdez High School
- 6th Place - Rylie Boyscout of Chugiak High School
152G
- 1st Place - Kiann Williams of Student Wrestling Development Program
- 2nd Place - Savannah Stout of South Anchorage High School
- 3rd Place - Hilary Larson of Napaskiak
- 4th Place - Bella Byrd of Soldotna
- 5th Place - Kaari Storrs of Eagle River High School
- 6th Place - Alice Balash of Lathrop Wrestling
165G
- 1st Place - Jessailah Thammavongsa of South Anchorage High School
- 2nd Place - Infinity-Ann Asiata-Higa of Soldotna
- 3rd Place - Alexia Zacharof of Mt. Edgecumbe High School
- 4th Place - McKinley Hafen of Wasilla High School
- 5th Place - Jenna Yoeman of Kenai Central High School
- 6th Place - Megan Connelley of Lathrop Wrestling
185G
- 1st Place - Keasiya Luedde of Service High School Cougars
- 2nd Place - Maya Curp of South Anchorage High School
- 3rd Place - Ayana Hamilton of East Anchorage High School
- 4th Place - Thalia Martinez of Lathrop Wrestling
- 5th Place - Nikayla Miller of Redington Sr. Jr/Sr High School
- 6th Place - Milla Harris of North Pole Patriots
235G
- 1st Place - Noelle Buck of Colony High School
- 2nd Place - Honey Rexford of Student Wrestling Development Program
- 3rd Place - Allison Coffey of South Anchorage High School
- 4th Place - Kimberly Tischner of Houston
- 5th Place - Ari O`Domin of Bristol Bay
- 6th Place - Sophie Didrickson of Mt. Edgecumbe High School