Homer boys 4th, Homer girls 2nd at Lancer Smith

The Homer wrestling team finished fourth Saturday at the Lancer Smith Memorial in Wasilla.

The massive tournament includes most of the small and large schools and is the toughest tournament all season. The Homer girls team also excelled, scoring 87 points to finish second behind the 126 of Mt. Edgecumbe. Soldotna was 16th among the girls, while Nikiski was 17th and Seward was 26th.

The Colony boys won with 227 points, while Lathrop was second with 211 and South was third at 178. Homer, with 160.5 points, was the top Division II school. Bethel, which was sixth at 117, and Homer are expected to battle for the Division II state title, but the Warriors depth will be more of a decisive factor once the Division I schools are out of the equation.

Also from the Kenai Peninsula, Soldotna was 10th, Voznesenka tied for 21st, Kenai was 30th, Nikiski was 37th and Seward was 41st.

The peninsula had three individuals titles — from Homer’s Luciano Fasulo at 132, Homer’s Kyle Wells at 220 and Soldotna’s Gideon Hutchison at 120.

Hutchison improved to 27-3 on the season by storming through his bracket. He had two pins, a major decision and technical fall to reach the final. There, he pinned New Stuyahok’s Blunka Blunka Jr. in a matchup of the top Division I and II wrestlers in the Alaska Coaches Wrestling Poll.

Fasulo moved to 34-0 when he won 5-3 in sudden victory over Christion Alexander of Wasilla. Wells defeated Kaden Caldarera of Service 11-7 in the final. It was a huge tournament for Wells, as he came in ranked No. 3 in Division II and knocked off the No. 1 from Division I in Caldarera.

At 195, Homer’s Levi King lost in the finals, getting pinned by Bradley Antesberger of North Pole. Antesberger is No. 1 in Division I, while King is No. 2 at Division II.

Also for Homer, Tristen Cook was third at 182, Chris Cudaback was fourth at 170, Mose Hayes was fifth at 138 and Wayne Newman was sixth at 126.

For Soldotna, Bechler Metcalf added a third-place finish at 152, while Logan Craig was fifth at 106.

Kenai was led by Byron Dunham, who finished third at 195.

Voznesenka also had a placer in Dia Martishev, who finished fourth at 138 pounds.

Michael Lucas of Holy Rosary was the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler. At 160, Lucas won by sudden victory over Zachary Tolver of Lathrop. Both were undefeated headed into the title tilt and ranked No. 1 in their respective divisions.

In the girls division, Homer’s Alex Moseley won at 120 and Homer’s McKenzie Cook won at 145. Moseley pinned Laura Ekada of Mt. Edgecumbe in the final, while Cook pinned Madison Ellis of South in the final.

Homer also got a sixth from Sadie Blake at 113 and a fifth from Sierra Clark at 160.

Amanda Wylie led Soldotna by finished fourth at 145. Chloe Grogan finished third for Nikiski at 160.

Lancer Smith Memorial

Friday, Saturday

at Wasilla

Team scores (top 20)

1. Colony 227; 2. Lathrop 211; 3. South Anchorage 178; 4. Homer 160.5; 5. Wasilla 146.5; 6. Bethel 117; 7. Palmer 114; 8. North Pole 90.5; 9. Ketchikan 82; 10. Soldotna 64.5; 11. Service 55; 12. Barrow 53; 13. Houston 43; 14. Dimond 41.5; 14. Eagle River 41.5; 16. Thunder Mountain 39.5; 17. Grace Christian 37; 18. West 33; 19. Chugiak 32; 20. ACS 31.5.

Championship finals:

98 pounds — C. O’Hara, ACS d. Ad. Concepcion, Sou 5-3; 106 — Ae. Concepcion, Sou p. J. Allain, Bet 1:20; 113 — T. Dyment, Bet d. J. Spencer, Lat 7-2; 120 — G. Hutchison, Sol p. B. Blunka 3:37; 126 — J. Shack, Sou p. R. Fannon, Col 3-2; 132 — L. Fasulo, Hom d. C. Alexander, Was SV: 138 — I. Elvsaas, Was d. J. Opp, Lat 6-3; 145 — H. Lieb, Bet d. S. Martin, Sou 8-4; 152 — A. Shepersky, Was p. W. Story, Lat 1:44; 160 — M. Lucas, HRA d. Z. Tolver, Lat 6-1 SV; 170 — E. Christy, Col d. L. Farris, Pal 7-4; 182 — E. Bockman, Gra d. C. Hopkins, Col 7-0; 195 — B. Antesberger, NP p. L. King, Hom 3:31; 220 — K. Wells, Hom d. K. Calderera, Ser 11-7; 285 — D. Jackson, Hou p. P. Vaafuti, West 2:36.