Kenai freshman Hope Steffensen became the fourth girl in Alaska history to reach the podium at the 4A championships, and East senior Nathan Hoffer became the seventh wrestler to claim four state championships.
Meanwhile, the Colony Knights cruised to their fourth consecutive 4A team title, bringing them within one of Eielson and West Valley for the longest team championship streak. The Knights also joined Service (10), West Valley (8), Eielson (6), ACS (4), Nikiski (4) and Skyview (4) as the only teams to win at least four team titles.
Steffensen finished fourth at 103 pounds after getting pinned by North Pole's Gage Wright in the consolation round finals Saturday. She joins Skyview sisters Michaela and Melina Hutchinson and Nikiski's Tela O'Donnell as the only girls to reach the podium at the 4A tournament.
Michaela Hutchinson was a four-time placewinner who won a state title at 103 pounds in 2005. Melina Hutchinson and O'Donnell each placed once.
Hoffer capped an undefeated season by overwhelming Skyview's Auston Tennis 17-6 in the 140-pound championship. He joins six others who finished their high school careers with four state titles: Gary Steeby of Chugiak (1970-74), Matt Mattson of West Valley (1989-94), Jed Wade of Wasilla (2000-04), Eli Hutchison of Skyview (2002-06), David Weise of West Valley (2002-06) and Hollan Gravley of Colony (2003-07).
After completing his four-peat, Hoffer directed his thoughts to his future aspirations rather than his past accomplishments.
"It feels like I just started my wrestling career," he said.
In a way, he has. Hoffer plans to wrestle at Arizona State next year, and next week he and several other top wrestlers from Alaska will travel to the Reno Tournament of Champions in Nevada for some national-level competition.
"I've got a lot more after this," Hoffer said. "I'm not done."
DISAPPOINTING END
Soldotna's Nate Strieby entered the tournament with high hopes as the No. 1 seed at 285 pounds. But the senior left in disgrace, picking up his second unsportsmanlike conduct call of the tournament after pinning Chugiak's Kody Trombley in the consolation semifinals Saturday.
Strieby was also called for unsportsmanlike conduct Friday after getting upset in the championship semifinals by Colony's Renn Wright.
The second penalty meant an automatic ejection from the tournament, so Strieby did not advance to the consolation finals and no fourth-place medal was awarded at 285 pounds.
HO, HO, HO
When you come from North Pole, it's always Christmas. So when three wrestlers from North Pole advanced to the championships finals, they brought the spirit of the season with them.
As Cody Decker (103 pounds), Cyle Ercolino (125) and Chris Frazier (135) warmed up for their final matches, each wore a bright red Santa Claus cap.
All three lost in the finals and had to settle for second place -- efforts that helped the Patriots to a seventh-place finish in the team standings -- but afterwards they donned their Santa caps again.
BEST OF THE BEST
Wrestling Web site Akmat.org released its All-Decade team Saturday.
Voted the best of the decade by a panel of wrestling experts in Class 4A were:
Wasilla's Alan Bartelli (103), Colony's Hollan Gravely (112), East's Nathan Hoffer (119), Dimond's Darin Petrikoff (125), Chugiak's Stan Brown (130), Skyview's Eli Hutchinson (135), West Valley's David Baxter (140), West's Max Rosefigura (145), West Valley's David Weise (152), Chugiak's Nolan McBryde (160), South's Jesse Amos (171), Wasilla's Jed Wade (189), Bartlett's Bobby Dunbar (215) and Ketchikan's John Hamilton (285).
Voted best of the decade in Class 1-2-3A were:
Dillingham's Joe Hunt (103), Nikiski's Lance Penhale (112), Kotzebue's Kevin Hansen (119), Dillingham's Wes Richards (125), ACS's Josh Baker (130), Kotzebue's Herman Reich (135), ACS's Zach Shelley (140), Barrow's Spencer Hirt (145), Seward's Darian Draper (152), Ninilchik's Austin Vanderford (160), Kotzebue's Jared Miller (171), Mt. Edgecumbe's Max Shellbarger (189), ACS's Bobby Dunbar (215) and Ketchikan's Matt Hamilton (285).
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