Kimber makes history as Alaska’s first four-time girls wrestling champ

Sydnee Kimber of Mt. Edgecumbe became Alaska's first four-time state champion in girls wrestling Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center.

Kimber pinned her opponent in 79 seconds to win the 160-pound weight class, capping a 29-2 senior season.

"It feels really amazing to be a trailblazer kind of for the state of Alaska," she said. "It's pretty amazing."

Agatha Andrews, Kimber's teammate at the Sitka boarding school, won the 182-pound title to give Mt. Edgecumbe two state champions. The Braves cruised to the team title with twice as many points as runner-up North Pole.

Kimber said the sport has grown considerably since her freshman season, when she won the 145-pound class at Alaska's inaugural state championships for girls.

"It's changed so much," she said. "When I was a freshman, there were only a few girls per weight class and most of the wrestling wasn't very good. Over the years it's gotten better and better and this year it's been so amazing — there's so much competition, so many schools and so many great wrestlers."

Despite the growth, most of the wins amassed by Kimber and Andrews this season came against boys, Kimber said.

"In Southeast there's not very many girls, so we wrestle boys throughout the season," she said. "Usually the first time we wrestle girls is regions and state."

North Pole and Homer also boasted a pair of individual champions. Kailey Fowlkes and Elizabeth Schumaker took titles for second-place North Pole, and Alex Moseley and McKenzie Cook triumphed for fourth-place Homer.

Other champions were South's Shelby Ottum, who eked out a 4-2 win over Mt. Edgecumbe's Brystel Charlie in the 132-pound finale, and Shaktoolik's Rachel Moore, who won all seven of her matches this season at 220 pounds.

ASAA/First National Bank girls wrestling championships

Team scores — 1) Mt. Edgecumbe 193, 2) North Pole 78, 3) South 68, 4) Homer 57, 5) West 52, 6) Bethel 41, 7) Eielson 34.5, 8) tie, Nome and Soldotna 33, 10) tie, East and Kotzebue 29.

106 — Kailey Fowlkes (North Pole) p. Jolie Lucas (Eielson), 5:28.

113 — Elizabeth Schumaker (North Pole) p. Kristina Gerasimyyk (Wasilla), 5:46.

120 — Alex Moseley (Homer) d. Raeann Jackson (North Pole), 3-1.

132 — Shelby Ottum (South) d. Brystel Charlie (Mt. Edgecumbe), 4-2.

145 — McKenzie Cook (Homer) d. Madison Ellis (South), 5-0.

160 — Sydnee Kimber (Mt. Edgecumbe) p. Eve Negovanna (Barrow), 1:19.

182 — Agatha Andrews (Mt. Edgecumbe) p. Tina Conwell (Kotzebue), :24.

220 — Rachel Moore (Shaktoolik) p. Jayleen Sekona (South), 1:42.

Third-place matches

106 — Cate Gomez (Dillingham) p. Celeste Katcheak (Stebbins), 2:51.

113 — Starr Erikson (Nome) p. Jolyn Toyomura (Petersburg), 4:29.

120 — Laura Ekada (Mt. Edgecumbe) d. Tatiana Green (East), 7-2.

132 — Teeana Nicholia (Palmer) m.d. Adrienne Toyukak (Service), 17-7.

145 — Amanda Wylie (Soldotna) p. Kelly O'Brien (Bethel), 4:36.

160 — Alaina Pete (Mt. Edgecumbe) p. Maleah Vint (West), 2:26.

182 — Thereisa Vaafuti (West) p. Mikayla Kameroff (Mt. Edgecumbe), 1:46.

220 — Cerena Ipalook-Reich (Mt. Edgecumbe) p. Ashlan Tisega (West), 2:09.