Soldotna boys roll to Lancer Smith crown

The Soldotna boys wrestling team won the team title Saturday at the Lancer Smith Invite at Palmer High School.

The Stars scored 251.5 points to win, while South was second at 182 and Lathrop was third at 162. The massive tournament brings together the state’s big and small schools for the toughest title to win all season.

Also from the peninsula, Kenai was 13th with 45, Seward was 21st with 23, Nikiski was 23rd with 17 and Homer was 26th in 11.

Soldotna put seven in the finals and came away with five champions.

Ezekiel Miller won the title at 125 pounds with a 7-4 decision over Lathrop’s Riley Williams. Scott Michael won the title at 140 with a technical fall over Lathrop’s Aaron Peterson. Isaac Chavarria won at 152 in a 7-2 decision over Samuel Chaput of South. Hunter Richardson won at 189 with a 13-0 major decision over James Shivers of South. Liam Babitt won at 215 with a 10-6 decision over Pete Macchione of West Valley.

At 112, Jacob Strausbaugh lost in the finals to Kael Salisbury of Palmer by a 4-0 decision. At 145, Trevor Michael was pinned in the final by Elijah Larsen of Colony.

Also for the Stars, Samuel Strouse was fifth at 103, Michael Dickinson was fifth at 130 and Collin Peck was sixth at 171.

For Kenai, Andrew Gaethle was third at 152 and Daniel Steffensen was fourth at 130. For Seward, Hunter Forshee-Kurtz was sixth at 119. For Nikiski, Mayaac Schmit was fifth at 285. For Homer, Russell Nyvall was sixth at 140.

In the Lancer Smith Girls tourney, Lathrop won with 157.5 points, while Soldotna was third with 130, Homer was 12th with 58, Kenai tied for 29th with 18 and Nikiski was 34th with 13.

Soldotna’s Trinity Donovan pinned her way to the title at 145, pinning Lathrop’s Heaven Matheny in the final. Soldotna’s Daisy Hannevold reached the final at 138 and was pinned by Isabel Lieb of Bethel.

Also for the Stars, Angelina Chavarria was fourth at 114, Kaytlin McAnelly was fourth at 132, Alyssa McDonald was fourth at 165 and Jessica Leclair was fifth at 107.

For Homer, Saoirse Cook pinned Colony’s Bayleigh Harrington for the title at 126 and Roane Cook pinned Colony’s Gia Jones for the title at 185.

For Kenai, Jenna Yeoman was sixth at 152. For Nikiski, Destiny Langston was sixth at 235.

Soldotna’s Jacob Strausbaugh tries to turn Palmer’s Kael Salisbury during the 112-pound final at the Lancer Smith Memorial wrestling tournament Saturday, Nov. 19, in Wasilla. (Photo by Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman)