Anchorage Daily News

Parke MacDowell was a freshman when the Service High wrestling team wrapped up a run of 26 straight Region IV championships in their home gym three years ago.

On Saturday, the Cougars returned home and returned triumphant at the top of the awards podium with a convincing team victory in the Region IV tournament.

"It feels good to bring it back," an emotional MacDowell said after claiming the 140-pound title, one of four Service championships. "We had a great group of guys this year, and we had it all come together."

The Cougars also had a great big group of guys, and their overwhelming numbers played a large role as they piled up 363.5 points to 259 for runner-up Chugiak and 204.5 for third-place Dimond.

Service entered a meet-high 27 wrestlers -- of a possible 28 -- and advanced 20 of them to this week's Class 4A state championships in Ketchikan with top-5 finishes.

"We just needed more numbers," said Ed Bailey, a Chugiak senior who won at 119 pounds for his third region title. "(Service) had more people come through the back brackets."

Service's 27th Region IV title ended Chugiak's two-year run as champions. Both of those titles came when the tournament was held at Bartlett High, when a season schedule change left it in conflict with the Class 2A state basketball tournament at Service.

While Service had both home-mat and superior numbers advantages, the Cougars earned this the old-fashioned way. Victories by Matt Blakeslee at 103 pounds and Jason Macrander at heavyweight bookended Saturday's finals, with Parke winning his second straight title and Matt Malone adding the 160-pound crown as Service matched Chugiak and Dimond with a meet-high four winners.

Malone, who joined the squad late and had just one match before the tournament, came through as the No. 3 seed for his victory.

"I didn't want to wrestle this year because I was working out to get ready for college football," said Malone. "I got talked into it by (teammate) Ryan Ersland. We've been going at it for the past six years, so I couldn't let him finish by himself."

For Chugiak, Bailey was joined in victory by his brother, 145-pound junior Dan Bailey, by 135-pound senior Stan Brown, who won his second title in as many region-tournament appearances, and by 112-pound senior Josh Herr.

Dimond senior Darin Pestrikoff matched Ed Bailey with three Region IV championships by putting on a takedown clinic in his 19-7 major decision over Chugiak junior Travis Schultz at 125 pounds. The Lynx also got wins from senior Brian Davis-Lucero at 130, senior Mike Croffut at 171 and junior Keenan Chirhart at 189.

Bartlett claimed the other two individual victories, including junior Jeff Herren's 3-2 win over East's Brant Jensen at 152 pounds that earned Herren the meet's Outstanding Wrestler Award. Senior 215-pounder Greg Marlow pinned Chugiak senior Tom Vickrey in the third round to produce one of just four pins in the 14 finals matches.

Action picked up considerably Saturday after a Friday session devoid of major upsets and marked by lopsided wins by top seeds.

Five of Saturday's titles -- including Herron's and Malone's -- were claimed by wrestlers seeded either second or third.

Dan Bailey got the upset wagon rolling in the 145-pound championship, jumping to a 9-0 lead over top-seeded Service sophomore Wade Wilson and survived a near-pin late in the match to hang on for a 9-7 win and join his more decorated older brother in the winner's circle.

The Bailey brothers also reached the finals in the season-opening Bob Bailey Invitational at Chugiak, which is named for their late father, but Dan was unable to match Ed's victory there while settling for second place.

"This makes up for it," Dan said after collecting the champion's loot of a medal and the poster-sized weight bracket at Service. "This is the one I really wanted."

Wilson, who pinned Bailey in their last meeting two weeks ago, nearly overcame his slow start when he reversed Bailey to his back and held him there for 27 tense seconds late in the final period.

"I was real nervous, and he just outwrestled me in the first period," said Wilson, appearing in his first region tournament. "In the third, I just really wanted it, and I kinda spazzed. It was a desperation move, but it almost worked."

The top five wrestlers at each weight qualified for the Class 4A state tournament that begins Friday at Ketchikan High.

The group includes West senior Iris Mucha, who two years ago was the first girl from Region IV to advance to state. At that time, she was one of only four wrestlers vying for six state berths. Saturday, however, she faced two elimination matches and won them both, including a 7-5 overtime decision over East's Larry Jones in the fifth-place match at 130 pounds.

"I'm glad I did it for the team and for my coaches," said Mucha. "This is something I worked four years for."

Reporter J.R. Rardon can be reached at jrardon@adn.com.

Region IV wrestling

Team scores

Service 3631/2, Chugiak 290, Dimond 2041/2, Bartlett 177, East 110, West 107.

Championship matches

103 -- Matt Blakeslee, S, p. Ross Edelen, S, 2:35. 112 -- Josh Herr, C, d. Ted Nelvis, W, 7-5. 119 -- Ed Bailey, C, Shane Manuel, B, 9-2. 125 -- Darin Pestrikoff, D, m.d. Travis Schultz, C, 19-7. 130 -- Brian Davis-Lucero d. Adam Sycks, S, 7-5. 135 -- Stan Brown, C, p. Jordan Dubuisson, S, 3:27. 140 -- Parke MacDowell, S, d. Chris Bancroft, B, 3-2. 145 -- Dan Bailey, C, d. Wade Wilson, S, 9-7. 152 -- Jeff Herron, B, d. Brant Jensen, E, 3-2. 160 -- Matt Malone, S, m.d. David Cossairt, D, 15-5. 171 -- Mike Croffut, D, d. John Byers, C, 12-4. 189 -- Kennan Chirhart, D, d. Ward Kruse, S, 6-5. 215 -- Greg Marlow, B, p. Tom Vickrey, C, 4:38. Hwt -- Jason Macrander, S, d. A.J. Logo, E, 6-3.

Third place

103 -- John Spelta, B, won by forfeit. 112 -- Nate Johnson, E, p. Trever Ferrin, E, 5:00. 119 -- Dustin Cline, B, Louie Stephens, D, 3-2. 125 -- Tony Schnese, S, d. Ira Carson, W, 13-8. 130 -- Robbie Ricketts, S, p. Sonny Carlos, C, 1:42. 135 -- Jason Cline, B, d. Pat Pestrikoff, D, 7-4. 140 -- Chris Pannone, C, p. Chris Sagayo, W, 5:17. 145 -- David Lebaron, B, p. Grant Birmingham, D, :27. 152 -- Jared Solberg, W, d. Curtis Walther, D, 14-12. 160 -- Derek Frasier, S, p. Josh Nickerson, E, 1:08. 171 -- Ryan Ersland, S, d. Jeff Allen, 12-4. 189 -- David Harper, S, p. Dustin Hendricks, W, 3:23. 215 -- Bart Lucas, S, t.f. Brock Reisdorf, C, 15-0. Hwt -- Larry Wells, C, p. Josh Gray, C, 1:48.

Fifth place

103 -- no match. 112 -- Zach Fredrickson, C, p. Jared Brown, B, 5:36. 119 -- Cody Putnam, W, m.d. Steven Kean, C, 12-0. 125 -- Brandon Crane, S, p. Sean Duval, B, :19. 130 -- Iris Mucha, W, d. Larry Jones, E, 7-5. 135 -- Nick Bollerud, S, p. Don Cabuyadao, W, 1:25. 140 -- Dan Gregg, D, m.d. Stephan Parker, B, 15-6. 145 -- Dallin Anderson, S, m.d. Ben Oglesby, D, 13-2. 152 -- Michael Weaver, E, m.d. Chase Beck, S, 13-0. 160 -- Jesse Hessock, B, m.d. David Hockinson, E, 15-5. 171 -- Ryan Mullholland, W, p. Stephen Saccone, C, 5:35. 189 -- Steven Burnett, C, p. Marc Bernard, E, :34. 215 -- Mike Petrovich, S, p. Ed Kinegak, D, 5:28. Hwt -- Dustin Wilson, D, m.d. Jaryd Anderson, S, 16-4.