The prep wrestling season on the Kenai Peninsula started Saturday with the Luke Spruill Memorial Tournament at Kenai Central High School.
The tournament is held in honor of Luke Spruill, a 1995 Kenai Central graduate who died in a fishing accident in Bristol Bay in 2004.
Spruill won two state titles at Kenai Central, then recovered from a car accident before wrestling with the powerhouse Iowa wrestling program, and returning home to share the head coaching job at Kenai Central.
The Luke Spruill Award winners were Homer’s Saoirse Cook for the girls and Kenai’s Daniel Steffensen for the boys. There were no team awards.
The placements for the tournament were as follows:
112 — 1. Luca Fitzpatrick, Homer; 2. Lucien Faucher, Homer; 3. Aiden Quiner, Nikiski; 4. Maxwell Barker, Homer.
114 girls — 1. Heather Shae, Homer; 2. Chevelle Lamb, Soldotna; 3. Alicia Perez, Kenai.
120 girls — 1. Minke Christabelle, Homer; 2. Storey Cook, Homer; 3. Jade Hemphill, Nikiski; 4. Riley Epling, Soldotna; 5. Willow Lahndt, Nikiski.
125 — 1. Zander Isaac, Kenai; 2. Chase Johnson, Kenai; 3. Aaron Granados, Soldotna; 4. Asher Faucher, Homer; 5. Linc Witten, Ninilchik.
130 — 1. Kaiser DesOrmeaux, Kenai; 2. Eddie Uwekoolani, Homer; 3. Noah Playle, Nikiski.
132 girls — 1. Saoirse Cook, Homer; 2. Jadeyn Jacko, Kenai; 3. Julie Martin, Nikiski.
135 — 1. Jaxson Young, Nikiski; 2. Daniel Kulikov, Homer; 3. Tattum Gutierrez, Kenai; 4. Jadon Rioux, Kenai.
138 girls — 1. Braylynn Young, Nikiski; 2. Charlee Sullivan, Nikiski; 3. Ryan Alcorta, Homer.
145 — 1. Paul Minke, Homer; 2. Wyatt Maguire, Nikiski; 3. Gunnar Stanley, Kenai; 4. Zayne Adams, Homer; 5. Harold Rudstrom, Soldotna.
152 — 1. Daniel Steffensen, Kenai; 2. Conner Cook, Kenai; 3. Landyn Woods, Homer; 4. Trigger McCaughey, Nikiski.
160 — 1. Brayden Woods, Homer; 2. Keagan Stanley, Kenai; 3. Brody Nelson, Nikiski; 4. Connor Ley, Nikiski.
171 — 1. Ryan Earhart, Mountain City; 2. Isaiah Mann, Homer; 3. Alexander Van Meter, Homer; 4. Mason Doth, Nikiski; 5. Leighton Wilshusen, Kenai.
185 girls — 1. Infinity-Ann Asiata-Higa, Soldotna; 2. Bella Byrd, Soldotna; 3. Elliana Isabell, Nikiski; 4. Araya Andres, Homer.
189 — 1. Jackson Wittmer, Nikiski; 2. Thaddeus Lingenfelter, Kenai; 3. Gaius Taylor, Homer; 4. Zander Burkett, Soldotna; 5. Neil King, Kenai.
215 — 1. Aiden Petla, Kenai; 2. Bryce Jolicoeur, Kenai; 3. Roman Dunham, Soldotna.
285 — 1. Breaker Schmit, Nikiski; 2. Calvin Lyman, Soldotna.
Soldotna, Seward compete at Houston Altercation
The Soldotna and Seward wrestling teams started their seasons at the Houston Altercation.
The Soldotna girls received titles from Valarie McAnelly at 114 pounds, Mia Hannevold at 120 and Daisy Hannevold at 152.
Also for the SoHi girls, Jessica LeClair was second at 107 and Infinity-Ann Asiata-Higa was fourth at 165.
Taking titles for the Soldotna boys were Sam Henry at 103, Ryan Buchanan at 125, Carson Cobb at 130, Jacob Strausbaugh at 135, Michael Dickinson at 152 and Rodney McNeel at 189.
Also for the Soldotna boys, Hunter Bras was second at 152 and Anthony Payne was fourth at 171.
For the Seward girls, Sobina Clendaniel finished second at 126.
Finishing second for the Seward boys were Ridge Conant at 119, Emery Kirchner at 125, Alejandro Sanchez at 135 and Hunter Forshee-Kurtz at 140.
