Mirror Lake Middle School seventh-grader Dakota Vikdal may have been tired but he did win his 100-pound semifinal match over a Clark Middle School opponent Feb. 24 during the Middle School City Wrestling Championships at Goldenview. The Coyotes, who had been undefeated in dual match action all season, placed third, behind Goldenview and Wendler. The Gruening Colts finished fifth in the 10-school meet. Photo by David Morse

The previously unbeaten Mirror Lake Coyotes grappling team finished third behind host Goldenview, and Wendler, during the 10-school City Championships held Feb. 23-24, with the Gruening Colts earning fifth.

The two schools produced four individual weight-class champions among the 19 divisions, said Mirror Lake coach Travis Harrington. Coyotes champs included 80-pounder Elijah McKenzie, Austin Rochon (121) and Dylan Timberlake (160). Gruening's lone champion was 148-pounder Ed Hall.

Harrington said 57 Mirror Lake wrestlers competed, with the majority faring well. Interestingly Mirror Lake had beaten Wendler and Goldenview in a trimeet Feb. 11, but couldn't hold on to the edge in the championships.

Harrington said while they didn't come away with the team title, he felt the school made a good showing of themselves in sportsmanship.

"There were a lot of athletes and some coaches from the other schools that could have followed our example," he said.

Heavyweight Richard Burrrows was a prime example of the team's character, when after leading 7-2 was pinned in the third period of a match, but held his head high in defeat.

"His sportsmanship should be a model for other athletes and coaches," said Harrington.

The coach praised Luke Aschenbrenner, who as a non-scoring member in the varsity division, defeated the top Hanshew grappler. Mirror Lake champ Austin Rochon capped his undefeated season with a 33-second pin in the championship match, for one of the quickest sticks of the two-day tourney.

Dylan Timberlake, a 160-pounder, defeated his Wendler opponent in the title match, 5-3, Harrington added.

Other winners for the Coyotes included Robert Huffer (second, 133 pounds), Destin Vikdal (third, 127), Dakota Vikdal (second, 100), Dustin Smith (third, 85), Jack Straub (fourth, 75) and Jacob Bates (fourth, 148),

Another notable was the showing of seventh-grade 95-pounder Vander LeKites, Harrington said. After winning his first round bout by a 16-1 decision, LeKites went on to wrestle well, pushing the weight division's two top seeds to the limit before losing by one point both times.

Gruening's Kip Bailey said he was pleased with the Colts team's showing, one of the best in his tenure as coach.

"We must have taken 40 kids for the first day of action," he said.

Gruening ended up with seven athletes among the top four positions, including Ed Hall (first, 148), Robert Leibbrand (second, 105), Nate Gorski (second, 174), Max Grunewald (second, 127), Thane Parrish (third, 121), Jesse Peterson (third, 80), Ted Walters (fourth, 160) and Kenny Peques (fourth, 275). All are eighth-graders, save Peterson, the coach reported.

"We wrestled hard through the whole tournament and were able to pick up medals on the varsity side," he said.

Bailey said Parrish provided a team highlight in the 121-pound consolation finals, when the Colt grappler literally pulled his opponent back into the mat by the ankles in the closing minutes, to provide a stoppage of the clock.

Parrish won the closely contested battle, 8-6.

"Although there were many great matches, I didn't see a more intense match than Thane's in the entire two days of wrestling," Bailey said.

One of the most dramatic was provided by Gruening champ Ed Hall, who overcame a near loss by pin to score a pin of his own in the third period.

"It was probably the most spectacular show of pure strength in the entire tournament," said Mirror Lake coach Harrington.

Bailey agreed.

"We were really excited as a team since we brought only two thirds of our varsity line-up to the meet," he said.

Gruening trailed Hanshew for fourth place by only a few points following semifinals matches.

"Unfortunately (Hanshew was) able to pull away in the medal round, but we fought hard to earn a fifth-place team finish," he said.

2010 City Championships

Middle School Wrestling

Feb. 23-24

Top six varsity finishers (among 10) only – 1) Goldenview, 232.5 points; 2) Wendler, 221.5; 3) Mirror Lake, 193; 4) Hanshew, 152; 5) Gruening, 137.5; 6) Romig, 106.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, March 4, 2010.