High School Sports

Team of the decade? Consider the Bethel Warriors wrestling squad

The Bethel Warriors are ending the decade the way they started it – as state wrestling champions.

The Warriors won their seventh team title of the decade Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center by outdueling Glennallen for the Division II crown.

Four individual champs helped Bethel rack up 191.5 points to beat Glennallen, which finished with 176 points and four individual champions. Third place went to defending champion Homer, which had 118.5 points and two individual champs.

Hayden Lieb (160 pounds) won his fourth straight individual title and Landon Smith (112 pounds) took his second straight for the Warriors, who opened the decade by winning four straight state championships. Bethel won two more in 2016 and 2017 and finished third last season before returning to the top Saturday.

Also claiming titles for Bethel were Axel Madson at 103 and Nelson Evans at 135.

[After 4 state titles at Bethel, Hayden Lieb is taking his game to the University of Wyoming]

Glennallen’s individual titles came from Keegan Delaquito (119), Jordan Korth (125), Alex Buck (130) and Aengus Bancroft, who successfully defended his title at 145 pounds.

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Homer had a pair of champs in Mose Hayes (152) and Anthony Kalugin (189).

Other titles went to Jude Merriner of Grace Christian (140), Wayland Patten of Craig (171), Wesley Verhamme of Haines (215) and Nicholas Liomaiava of Barrow (285).

[Led by 3-time champ Elizabeth Schumaker, North Pole rules girls wrestling]

ASAA/First National Bank state wrestling championships

Team scores

1) Bethel 191.5, 2) Glennallen 176, 3) Homer 118.5, 4) Redington 113, 5) Dillingham 111, 6) Sitka 92, 7) tie, Grace Christian, Craig and Mt. Edgecumbe 87, 10) Eielson 85, 11) Wrangell 80, 12) Nome 62.5, 13) Kenai Central 57.0, 14) Petersburg 54.5, 15) Unalaska 54, 16) Napaskiak 34.5, 17) Houston 34, 18) Anchorage Christian 31.5, 19) Barrow 30, 20) Haines 29, 21) Kotzebue 28, 22) Savoonga 24, 23) Nikiski 23,5, 24) Su Valley 17, 25) New Stuyahok 16, 26) tie, Seward andDelta 12, 28) tie, Noatak, Stebbins and St. Mary’s 10, 31) Emmonak 9, 32) tie, Hutchinson, Scammon Bay, St. Michael 7, 35) tie, Valdez, Ninapitchuk and Bristol Bay 5, 38) tie, Gambell and Kivalina 4, 40) Shishmaref 3, 41) tie, Aniak, Galena and, Shaktoolik 1.

Championship finals

103 -- Axel Madson (Bethel) p. Riesen Seyer (Houston), 0:25.

112 -- Landon Smith (Bethel) p. Darius Tilden (Dillingham). 1:42.

119 -- Keegan Delaquito (Glennallen) p. Jonah Comstock (Wrangell), 2:53.

125 -- Jordan Korth (Glennallen) d. Ryan Rooney (Wrangell), 5-2

130 -- Alex Buck (Glennallen) p. Boston Postishek (Redington), 3:58.

135 -- Nelson Evans (Bethel) p. Emilio Mangrobang (Mt. Edgecumbe), 5:42.

140 -- Jude Merriner (Grace Christian) d. Joshua Baird (Eielson), 7-1.

145 -- Aengus Bancroft (Glennallen) d. Blaine Henning (Unalaska), 4-3.

152 -- Mose Hayes (Homer) m.d. Adam Jockusch (Eielson), 17-3.

160 -- Hayden Lieb (Bethel) t.f Kole Sperl (Petersburg), 4:36 (15-0).

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171 -- Wayland Patten (Craig) d. Sidney Fleming (Sitka), 7-3.

189 -- Anthony Kalugin (Homer) p. Kael Gerlach (Glennallen), 1:43.

215 -- Wesley Verhamme (Haines) m.d. Nephi Tidwell (Eielson), 11-1.

285 -- Nicholas Liomaiava (Barrow) p. Haley Osborne (Mt. Edgecumbe). 3:56.

[A good night for Knights and South’s Aedyn Concepcion at Division I championships]

3rd-place matches

103 -- Wyatt Williams (Dillingham) d. Justin Dick (Redington) 6-4.

112 -- Colton Ewers (Sitka) m.d. Thomas Hannon (Nome) 15-3.

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119 -- Demetry Hoseth (Dillingham) d. Austin Cline (Homer) 8-4.

125 -- Zach Kolbe (Dillingham) p. Russell Nyvall (Homer) 1:33.

130 -- JJ Marble (Nome) d. Matt Bohlman (ACS) 5-1.

135 -- Charles Severance (Redington) p. Curtis Jeppesen (Unalaska) 4:12.

140 -- Gavin Metcalf (Redington) m.d. Luke Hofacker (ACS) 10-1.

145 -- Elden Cross (Nome) d. Timber Patten (Craig) 9-4.

152 -- Austin Cramer (Glennallen) d. Hunter Wiederspohn (Wrangell) 9-5.

160 -- Andrew Beveridge (Grace Christian) d. Luke Wegand (Craig) 6-2.

171 -- Tucker Vann (Kenai Central) d. Dalton Pinard (Su-Valley) 3-1.

189 -- Colten Hink (Dillingham) p. John Welsh (Sitka) 3:53.

215 -- Derek Seppilu Jr (Savoonga) d. Maximus Johnson (Sitka) 11-7.

285 -- Ulric Lehman (Craig) p. Hunter Littlefield (Sitka) 4:49.

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5th-place matches

103 -- Payton Metcalf (Redington) m.d. Merrick Nilsen (Petersburg) 13-0.

112 -- John Harris (Grace Christian) d. Owen Whicker (Kenai Central) 4-2.

119 -- Stephen Maxie (Napaskiak) won by injury default over Tyson Olsen (Mt. Edgecumbe).

125 -- Tyler Laraux (Bethel) d. Ajey Moses (Mt. Edgecumbe) 8-4.

130 -- Llloydy Ayojiak (Mt. Edgecumbe) d. John Esnardo (Unalaska) 1-0.

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135 -- Afony Reutov (Homer) p. Kenan Metzger (Grace Christian) 2:11.

140 -- Isaiah Hoffman (Glennallen) p. Terrell Jimmy (Bethel) 3:00.

145 -- Ryan Troyer (Kotzebue) p. Jamin Crow (Bethel) 4:00.

152 -- Logan Crotts (Grace Christian) d. Harrisen Wall (Eielson) 2-0.

160 -- Stephan Anderson (Nome) d. John B Charles (Emmonak) 11-5.

171 -- Koleman McCaughey (Nikiski) p. Rowen Wiederspohn (Wrangell) 4:10.

189 -- Kevin Valadez (Bethel) 8-6 d. Garrison Koutchak (Stebbins) 4-2.

215 -- Isaac Joeky (Napaskiak) d. Rocky Sherbahn (Kenai Central) 11-9.

285 -- Ayden Alstrom-Beans (St Mary`s) d. Marcus Lastimosa (Seward) 7-3.

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