The Service Cougars claimed the West Anchorage Christmas Classic wrestling tournament Saturday at West High, amassing 264.5 points to top runner-up Wasilla by 66 points.
Kenai Central placed sixth in the team standings with 149 points, while Soldotna finished 12th with 92 points.
Kenai senior Ellery Steffensen captured the 152-pound championship with a pin on Bartlett’s Jordan Pace midway through the second round. Steffensen earned his way into the final with pins in all three of his qualifying matches.
Kenai had another champion in Dylan Carter, who won the 170-pound division by injury default to Jared Braudis of Bartlett midway through the third round. Carter also pinned his way to the final.
Kenai sophomore Paul Steffensen fought his way to the 145-pound final, but was pinned by Eagle River’s Marcus Amico midway through the second round to take second place overall. Also finishing second was Kenai’s Zach Koziczkowski in the heavyweight division. Koziczkowski was pinned by Service’s Nicholas Stevens 1:23 into the 285-pound title round.
Soldotna’s Rodney French grabbed a podium result in the 195-pound class, finishing third to top all SoHi wrestlers. French pinned Bartlett’s Oscar Lugo 17 seconds into the second round of the third-place match.
Dalton Best took fourth place in the heavyweight division, pinning his way into the third-place match, where Bartlett’s Wyatt Bruso pinned Best just eight seconds into the second round.
