Popeye Wrestling Club finished off an amazing season at the 2016 Alaska State Wrestling Tournament – a three-day, four-tournaments event.

 Popeye took 28 wrestlers and brought home 28 total medals. For the second time ever, Popeye Wrestling has brought home a team award. Popeye took third place in the division two freestyle tournament for Cadet – open with 42 team points.

Thursday started with a visit from gold medal Olympian Jake Varner who held a clinic for all wrestlers. After that the FolkStyle State Tournament started. Popeye had 15 wrestlers registered and brought home five medals. Mose Hayes placed first, Tristan Cook placed second, and Damian Kerr and Seth I’nama each took third.

Friday was a flurry of events with Greco, youth Freestyle and the Girls freestyle events. For Greco, Popeye had 13 wrestlers registered and brought home 10 medals, six of which where in the top three placement. Damian Kerr and Mark McGregor were named state champions.

Mose Hayes, Tristen Cook and Timmy Woo came in second, Jared Brant took third,  Ian Stovall and Chris Cudaback placed fourth, and Seth I’nama and Brad Phelps came in fifth. Tristen Cook pinned everyone in his bracket in Greco.

Popeye had eight girls representing at the Women’s Freestlye Tournament on Friday and brought home six medals. Sadie Blake, Mina Cavasos, and McKenzie Cook were named state champions. Mina Cavasos had a bracket of eight girls and wrestled four tough matches to earn herself her second first-place state championship. McKenzie Cook is a five-time state champ. Saoirse Cook, Aria Hill, and Zoe Adkins placed second.

Saturday was the second half of the FreeStyle state Tournament. Popeye had 20 wrestlers registered and brought home seven medals.

Timmy Woo and Tristen Cook placed second, Mark McGregor and Mose Hayes placed third, Brad Phelps came in fourth, and Seth I’nama and Ian Stovall placed fifth. Ian Stovall had a big win Saturday during freestyle, which got him fifth place.

All these wrestlers and the ones who did not attend states have done an amazing job this season and it shows with our state champions Mose Hayes, Damian Kerr, Mark McGregor, Mina Cavasos, Sadie Blake and McKenzie Cook, said Storm Cavasos. Popeye wants to thank all our wrestlers, families and sponsors for another season.