Anchorage Daily News

All Zack Eastlick wanted was a tuneup before the Class 4A state wrestling championships.

All he got was a season-ending knee injury.

Ranked No. 2 in the state at 145 pounds, the Dimond High senior was ready for a rematch against Chugiak's top-ranked Grant Sullivan, who beat Eastlick in overtime at the Cook Inlet Conference meet last week.

Then a freak accident at practice less than 24 hours before the state championships put Eastlick on crutches. Now Eastlick can only watch fellow high schoolers go for individual state titles underneath the spotlight tonight at Chugiak High.

"You wait all year to get this far," Eastlick said. "You train so much. Then this happens. I'm pretty upset."

It all started Thursday afternoon when East coaches invited Dimond to an easy-going practice at East High. Dimond couldn't practice at its home gym because the Class 1-2-3A-West/Mixed-Six volleyball state championships are being held there this weekend.

East coach Scott Armstrong gave the wrestlers strict instructions before practice started.

"Just drills -- nothing serious," he told them. "We've got state tomorrow."

So Eastlick and his good friend Nathan Hoffer of East proceeded with a simple drill. Then Eastlick heard his right knee pop.

"My knee went one way and my body went the other way," he said. "Something popped."

Eastlick ended up in the emergency room at Providence Alaska Medical Center. An X-ray determined his knee wasn't broken.

But later that night, his brother's friend -- who happens to be a knee specialist -- paid a visit to the Eastlick home and unofficially diagnosed the injury as torn medial and lateral collateral ligaments.

At practice, Eastlick wasn't sure of the extend of his injury. But at the hospital, reality gripped him like a full nelson.

Not only was his high school wrestling career finished, but maybe baseball too. Eastlick plays second base for the Lynx.

"This is it," Eastlick said in disbelief. "You only read about this stuff in books."

Armstrong said Hoffer felt horrible about the mishap.

"I've had to give him pep talks all day," he said.

There seemed to be no hard feelings between Hoffer and Eastlick on Friday. They sat together on the bleachers, playing a music trivia game on an iPod to pass the time.

Only one thing can possibly lift Eastlick's spirit now -- watching Hoffer, the top 135-pound wrestler in the state, go after his third state title tonight. Hoffer, a junior, and Chugiak senior Nolan McBryde (160 pounds) are both hoping to win a third championship, a feat that has been accomplished by 29 wrestlers in Alaska history.

"If he doesn't win state," Eastlick said, "I'm going to be mad."

'A learning lab'

Long-time Fairbanks wrestling coach Tom Ritchie Sr. knows what it's like to persevere through personal tragedy. Eight years ago he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of cancer.

It would have been easy to just quit coaching, he said, and focus on his health. But that's not his style. Ritchie remained Lathrop's coach during the 2000 state championships, despite going through chemotherapy treatments.

Since then, surviving cancer is his tool to help Lathrop wrestlers who deal with pain on the mat.

"Kids get injured and they feel like victims," said Ritchie, 56. "I'm just trying to teach them to become victors."

Because of Ritchie's longevity and dedication to helping kids, he's one of five Alaskans who will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with Lifetime Service to Wrestling awards today at Chugiak.

He started coaching at West Valley in 1982 before heading to Lathrop, where he's guided the Malemutes to 17 region championships and 4A state titles in 1992 and 2001.

Asked why he coaches year after year, Ritchie replied:

"I want (my wrestlers) to be successful and happy," he said. "Wrestling is a learning lab for life. I don't have all the answers but I have the effort."

Find Kevin Klott online at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.

ASAA/First National Bank

Class 4A State Wrestling Championships

Friday's Results at Chugiak High

Team Scores -- 1) Colony 198.5; 2) Wasilla 120; 3) Chugiak 117; 4) North Pole 116; 5) Lathrop 91.5; 6) South 74; 7) East 70; 8) West 45; 9) Service 35; 10) Ketchikan 31.5; 11) Palmer 28; 12) Soldotna 27; 13) tie, Kodiak and Skyview 24; 15) Dimond 19.5; 16) Kenai 18; 17) Homer 17; 18) Houston 14; 19) tie, Eagle River and West Valley 10; 21) tie, Bartlett and Juneau 8.

Championship Semifinals

103 -- Abe Fox, Wasilla, d. Johnny Hogenson, South, 5-3. Dillon Achman, Lathrop, d. Brent Amos, South, 8-7.

112 -- Issac Wilson, Colony, d. Nick Aadland, South, 11-9. Matt Malnoske, East, d. Jeremy Simmons, Lathrop, 10-6.

119 -- Skyler Moore, East, d. Charles Coisman, Colony, 6-1. Nick Martin, Ketchikan, d. Joe Hughes, Lathrop, 11-8.

125 -- Kyle Wilson, Colony, t.f. Chris Osbekoff, Kenai, 4:05. Ben Sullivan, Chugiak, d. Nic Cropper, Service, 7-4.

130 -- Luke Shelley, South, d. Derek Templeton, West Valley, 3-1. Sam Loggins, Colony, p. Danny Maciariello, Skyview, 1:03.

135 -- Nathan Hoffer, East, t.f. Parker Lennihan, Chugiak, 5:36. Chris Gross, Wasilla, d. Chris Frazier, North Pole, 6-4.

140 -- Josh West, Colony, m.d. John Ross, Chugiak, 13-2. Nick Stahler, Palmer, d. Ben Daigle, Homer, 10-4.

145 -- Grant Sullivan, Chugiak, d. Brandon Wiese, Lathrop, 7-5. Jacob Pfeiffer, Colony, 12-11.

152 -- Eric Antesberger, North Pole, d. Levi Williams, Eagle River, 9-2. Budde Pressler, West, p. Trent Lemons, Lathrop, 4:25.

160 -- Nolan McBryde, Chugiak, d. Kenny Boykin, Colony, 10-3. Levi Jutila, North Pole, d. Elliot Clausen, Lathrop, 4-3.

171 -- Casey Katchinska, Wasilla, d. Kevin Reilly, Service, 11-9 OT. Zack Baldwin, Chugiak, d. Gary Anthony, Kodiak, 13-8.

189 -- Chris Crane, Wasilla, p. Angelo Bellotte, Colony, 3:42. Taylor Lewis, North Pole, m.d. Brent Reed, 12-3.

215 -- Trevor McDonald, West, d. Justin Crowley, Houston, 7-2. Eric Fan, Colony, p. Curtis Ferris, Dimond, 5:23.

HWT -- Jackson Colllins, North Pole, d. Jordan Lewis, Lathrop, 9-5. Jed Johnson, Wasilla, p. Nathan Strieby, Soldotna, 5:13.

ADVERTISEMENT