South Anchorage won the Grizzly Shakedown on Saturday at Grace Christian in Anchorage, while Soldotna led the Kenai Peninsula by taking sixth.
The tournament name was changed from the Grace Grizzly Grappler to the Grizzly Shakedown this year. During weigh-ins for last year’s event, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Anchorage, cutting down the field and providing the impetus for the name change. The tournament features wrestlers from both small and big schools.
South won the event with 264.5 points, while Colony was second at 202.5. Soldotna had 101 points.
Also from the peninsula, Nikiski was 10th, Homer was 14th, Kenai was 15th and Seward was 29th.
Aaron Faletoi led the Stars by taking first place at 215, while Amanda Wylie also nabbed a title for Soldotna in girls 160. Faletoi pinned his way through the first three rounds before scoring a 12-6 decision over Jeffrey Palmer of Wasilla in the final. Wylie pinned her way through all three of her matches.
Also for the Stars, Hunter Richardson was third at 140 and Scott Micheal was fourth at 125. In girls wrestling, Trinity Donovan was second at 145 and Vydell Baker was third at 125.
For Nikiski, Caileb Payne led the way by taking third at 189, while Koleman McCaughey was fourth at 171.
For Homer, Anthony Kalugin picked up a second-place finish at 189, losing a 4-2 decision to Chugiak’s Daniel Niebles in the final.
For Homer’s girls, Sadie Blake took the title at 125, beating Bethel’s Fiona Phelan 3-1 in the final. Rayana Vigil also won at 189, pinning West’s Thereisa Vaafuti in the final. Mina Cavasos, at 119, and Mischelle Wells, at 135, both took second for Homer, while Mariah Grimes took third at 160.
For Kenai, Tucker Vann took second at 171, losing 6-4 to Colton Lindquist of Colony in the final.
