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Barrow wrestlers flex muscles in Hutchison
November 11th 7:19 pm | Van Williams
Wrestling demands toughness but relies on endurance.
In other words, you can have the courage of champion but if you have an empty tank you can't go anywhere.
That's why Barrow High School wrestling coach Steve Gillaspie has emphasized on conditioning more than ever the last couple weeks. As the season hits the midway point, he wants the Whalers to be lean, mean, fighting machines.
"Looking at our progress thus far I'd say conditioning would be a highlight," Gillaspie said. "The kids are able to really handle the load of a six-minute match at this stage of the season."
Their hard work paid off over the weekend at the Hutchison Meltdown tournament, where eight Whalers walked with top-four finishes after two days of action.
Barrow's Trace Hudson and Erwin Mendoza won second-place honors and teammates Lisita Tuai, Jon Nelson and Douglas Kanayurak each finished third and Isaiah Frankson, Ramey Gerke and Nate Olemaun were all fourth.
"Workouts over the past two weeks have been very up-tempo, thus the noticeable difference in conditioning," Gillaspie said. "Our goal over the past three years is to be better today than we were yesterday."
The Hutchison Meltdown was a round-robin tournament where wrestlers were grouped together rather than a typical bracket. This format allows more mat time for the kids.
Hudson, an all-star football player who joined the team late, continued his surge this season. He just keeps getting better and better.
"A first-year senior, Hudson is learning that there is much to know about positioning on the mat," Gillaspie said. "Trace has been a great addition to the program. He brings energy, excitement and incredible leadership to a very young Whaler team."
For Mendoza, he was a victim of bad luck, meeting defending state placer Kiefer Groenveld of Valdez twice. Groenveld was the only guy to beat him.
"He just ran into a buzz saw," Gillaspie said.
Kanayurak also impressed.
"He took care of business in his final match of the weekend, claiming third place in defeating a kid who he has previously lost to," the coach said.
Perhaps the biggest stud for the Whalers was Ralph Pelia.
Pelia made weight at 106 pounds but was accidently put in the 120 weight class.
"It didn't get caught until it was too late for him to move into the medal rounds,"Gillaspie said. "My guess is that he would have been in the finals at 106."
Whalers host Classic this week
Top-notch high school wrestling comes to town with the Top of the World Classic in Barrow beginning Thursday and running through Saturday night.
Visiting teams include Seward, Palmer, St. Michael and North Pole. The Whalers are the host school.
"This is the marquee tournament in the state this week," Gillaspie boasts proudly. "Come out and see some of the finest 3A and 4A wrestlers in Alaska."
Kotzebue Huskies fourth at Bethel
If it's the middle of the week then we must be talking about Brettlyn Reich winning another tournament.
The star of the Kotzebue High School wrestling team picked up some more hardware at the Bethel Invitational after winning the 106-pound weight class.
Reich finished 4-0, capped with a second-round pin of Bethel's Evan Dyment in the championship match.
He was the lone title winner for the Huskies, who did not travel with a full squad.
Two-match winners for the Huskies included Koy Johnson and Jeremiah Gallahorn.
Other winners were Shawna Taft, Ben Phillips and Gus Nelson.
The Bethel Warriors won the tournament followed by Dillingham, New Stuyahok and Kotzebue.
Kotzebue Results
106 - Brettlyn Reich 4-0
106 - Brianne Atoruk 0-2
113 - Shawna Taft 1-2
126 - Zeanna Savok 0-2
132 - Koy Johnson 2-2
132 - Ben Phillips 1-2
138 - Jeremiah Gallahorn 2-2
138 - Gus Nelson 1-2
152 - Martha Tate 0-2
182 - Ford Humphries 0-1
285 - Sean Foster
Van Williams can be reached at sports@reportalaska.com
Contact us about this article at editor@thearcticsounder.com