The Haines Middle School wrestling team competed in the Southeast Alaska Middle School Regional Tournament in Ketchikan over the weekend. Seven athletes made the finals, and Haines returned home with five regional champions.
The Haines middle school wrestling team brought 14 wrestlers to the regional tournament in Ketchikan. Head Coach Jake Mason said it was a successful tournament. The team had nine wrestlers place in the top four in their weight class in the region.
Seventh grader Brylea Swaner, at 155 lbs, wrestled her way to the finals with two long, tough matches. She lost her final match, placing second.
Eighth grader Finn Crowe, weighing in at 92 lbs, had a tight final match, eventually succumbing to Maxton Glover of Ketchikan. It was Crowe’s first loss of the season.
Five wrestlers won their final matches, becoming Regional Champions.
Seventh grader Makayla Henry, at 129 pounds, pinned her way to the final, where she had a tough match. She had to finish the first period fighting off her back. Mason called the match a “nail biter.” He said Henry came back strong in the second period and won with a pin.
Sixth grader Violet Crowe, at 75 pounds, had two wins to earn her Regional title. And seventh grader Sophia Hedden, wrestling at 110 pounds, won both of her matches by pin.
Coach Mason told KHNS that seventh grader Luke Bell, at 75 pounds, dominated his final. He was up 7-1 before winning with a pin.
Mason said that eighth grader Calvin Bell, at 133 pounds, collected points by putting his opponent into a couple of great cradles in his finals win against Drew Beavers of Petersburg.
The Haines team travels to Fairbanks for the state tournament next week. It will be the first time this season that the wrestlers will have to make weight on both days of the competition. The tournament will be broadcast live on the Tanana Middle School Facebook page.
