Homer’s wrestling team took 17th place last weekend in a large tournament held in Wasilla.
The Mariners scored 42.5 points in the Lancer Smith Memorial Tournament, which showcased about 60 teams from around the state, said assistant coach Chris Perk in a tournament wrap up.
“This tournament is known as the toughest tourney in the Alaska,” he wrote.
Homer’s McKenzie Cook was named the “Outstanding Wrestler” of the tournament for the girls. She brought home a championship in the 145-pound weight category.
“Cook used a cross face butcher in the finals to pin Nailah Bealer from Eielson for the (second) week in a row,” Perk wrote.
The boys team was led by Senior Seth Inama at 125 pounds. Making it to the championship round, he fell to Niko Mayo of South Anchorage 5-3. South Anchorage ended up winning the tournament with 230 points. Until this tournament, Inama’s record had been 24-0.
The Mariners held their own at the event despite having fewer teammates than usual.
“Homer left many wrestlers at home to focus on Academics and healed up some injuries,” Perk wrote. “With a grade check looming on Monday, the team felt it was important get the grades up.”
Still, sophomore Sadie Blake at 119 placed fifth, and sophomore Mariah Grimes placed sixth at 160.
Senior Wayne Newman at 140 also finished sixth after getting injured in a semi final round against Colony’s Rush Fannon.
“Newman took Fannon down with a low single leg and was winning 5-4 before Fannon hit a ‘Cement Mixer,’ landing all his weight on Newman’s chest causing some cartilage to dislodge,” Perk wrote. “Newman was forced out of competition and may not compete for a period of time.”
Alex Hicks at 215 won three matches and took sixth place in the JV division.
The Mariners will celebrate Senior Night tonight at 6 p.m. in a dual meet with Kenai Central High School. Homer has 10 Senior Wrestlers to recognize.
Team scores:
1. South Anchorage 268; 2. Colony 219.5; 3. Lathrop 183; 4. Wasilla 139; 5. Bethel 97.5; 6. Palmer 83; 7. Soldotna 80; 8. Ketchikan 76; 9. Unalaska 66.5; 10. North Pole 63.5; 11. West, 57; 12. Dillingham, 56; 13. Grace, 54; 14. Kodiak, 53.5; 15. West Valley, 50.5; 16. Glennallen, 45; 17. Homer, 42.5; 18. East, 40.5; 19. Chugiak, 39; 20. Thunder Mountain, 37; 21. Voznesenka, 35; 22. Kotzebue, 32.5; 23. Service, 32; 24. Nikiski, 21; 25 (tie). Dimond, Gambell, 19.
27. Eielson, 18; 28. Barrow, 16; 29. Eagle River, 14; 30. Bartlett, 11; 31. Valdez, 10; 32 (tie). Galena, Redington, 8; 34. Bristol Bay, 7; 35 (tie). Houston, Su Valley, 6; 37 (tie). ACS, Glacier View, 3.
Championship finals:
103 pounds — Ad. Concepcion, Sou m.d. J. Bockert, Lat 11-3; 112 — Ae. Concepcion, Sou m.d. L. Porras, Lat 14-1; 119 — A. Ehmann, Col d. A. Logsdon, Was 11-4; 125 —N. Mayo, Sou d. S. Inama, Hom 5-3; 130 — J. Shack, Sou m.d. G. Hutchison, Sol 16-6; 135 — R. Harris, Sou d. V. Cramer, Col 10-5; 140 — R. Fannon, Col p. K. Ames, Lat 1:29; 145 — S. Uhlenhake, Was d. I. Coon, WV 5-1; 152 — C. Hudson, Sou p. A. Barnes, Pal 1:25; 160 — H. Lieb, Bet d. S. Martin, Sou 4-2 SV; 171 — J. Anderson, Sou d. L. Hopkins, Col 5-2; 189 — B. Antesberger, NP d. C. Gerlanch, Glen 3-1; 215 — A. Faletoi, Sol p. S. Henning, Una 4:00; 285 — P. Vaafuit, West d. H. Saafi, Sou 5-4.
Third-place matches:
103 — L. Smith, Bet p. B. Pope, East 4:27; 112 — C. Silva, Col d. C. Parduhn, Lat 5-4 TB; 119 — M. Kusnetzov, Voz d. P. Rauwolf, Ket 8-6; 125 — J. Hopkins, Col p. B. Stevens, Kod 2:44; 130 — H. Hayes, Was m.d. W. Poland, Lat 9-1; 135 — I. Rodman, Was d. C. Williams, Dil 7-5; 140 — D. Ruckman, Una d. J. Noden, Dill 9-3; 145 — A. Mueller, Lat p. S. Cuellar, Ser 0:26; 152 — R. Randolph-Oxholm, Dim d. D. Chaney, Dill 6-5 UTB; 152 — A. Shepersky, Lat d. G. Martin, Gra 3-1; 171 — J. Nummer, Kod d. E. Mernier, Gra 8-0; 189 — D. Niebles, Chu p. E. Roetman, Kot 4:35; 215 — K. Mock, West d. J. Toston, Col 7-5; 285 — J. Fitzpatrick, East d. S. Talaiasi, Bar 2:10.
Fifth-place matches:
103 — D. Linne, Ket, p. A. Killian-Dalrymple, Lat, 3:54; 112 — TJ Clapp, Col, won by injury default over J. Smith, Bet; 119 — G. Bourne, Lat, won by forfeit over A. Buck, Gle; 125 — M. Rodriguez, Ket, dec. P. Portney, Pal, 2-1; 130 — B. Henning, Una, dec. R. Gallagher, Col, 7-2; 135 — M. Sanchez, Lat, p. T. Cha, Sou, 0:36; 140 — A. Collins, Ket, won by forfeit over W. Newman, Hom; 145 — T. Severson, Col, p. C. Blydenburgh, Pal, 0:39; 152 — I. Sherwood, Lat, won by forfeit over J. Opp, Lat; 160 — J. Goodman, Kod, dec. M. Chaput, Sou, 7-5; 171 — C. Lindquist, Was, won by injury default over L. Farris, Pal, :00; 189 — N. Tidwell, Eie, dec. A. Hamilton, ER, 15-8; 215 — E. Roehl-Paredes, Wes, dec. D. Mason, TM, 10-3; 285 — R. Smith, Bet, p. M. Lloyd, Sol, 2:22.
Girls first-place matches:
103 — J. Lucas, Eie, p. Z. Baldwin, Kot, 5:59; 112 — S. Erikson, Nom, dec. A. Poland, Lat, 5-0; 119 — E. Schumaker, NP, won by injury default over T. Green, Eas; 125 — K. Gerasimyuk, Was, p. D. Darby, NP, 1:00; 130 — S. Ottum, Sou, p. R. Samuelson, Bet, 2:40; 135 — B. Charlie, MtE, m.d. D. Johnson, Lat, 10-1; 145 — M. Cook, Hom, p. N. Bealer, Eie, 2:28; 160 — A. Wylie, Sol, p. O. Holt, Val, 1:17; 189 — J. Sekona, Sou, dec. D. Bealer, Eie, 5-2; 235 — T. Thomas, Kot, p. Tryston Macar, MtE.
Girls third-place matches
103 — J. Krause, Dil, p. A. Boucher, Was, 1:44; 112 — M. Kobernuss, NP, p. H. Simpson, Was, 2:55; 119 — H. Warner, Was, p. C. Gomez, Dil, 2:38; 125 — K. Rice, Hut, UTB Z. Covington, Col, 9-8; 130 — J. Dykes, NP, dec. J. Merrick, Hou, 9-4; 135 — K. Ashbury, Hut, p. K. Edwards, Hut, 4:19; 145 — A. Pingayak, MtE, p. E. Negovanna, Bar, 4:09; 160 — H. Savage, Una, p. M. Grimes, Hom, 0:31; 189 — A. Pete, MtE, p. C. Demientieff, Gal, 2:33; 235 — A. Tisenga, Wes, p. J. Allen, Val, 2:03.
Girls fifth-place matches
103 — G. Unterberger, Chu, won by forfeit over A. Griepentrog, Amb; 112 — K. Bockert, Lat, p. N. Ifflander, Sew, 2:43; 119 — S. Blake, Hom, dec. C. Adams, Wes, 7-3; 125 — J. Mute, Bet, t.f. A. Odden, Ket, 16-0; 130 — O. Troxell, Kod, p. M. Brown, MtE, 3:38; 135 — H. Gilson, Ket, p. S. Sampson, Sel, 1:45; 145 — J. Starks, Bar, dec. G. Ustaszewski, Nom, 6-5; 160 — H. Savage, Una, p. M. Grimes, Hom, 0:31; 189 — N. Merlino, MtE, forfeit over L. Ivanoff, Una; 235 — S. Santos, Lat, p. J. DeMers, ER, 2:35.