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Thunder Mountain High School senior Jackson Pavitt and freshman Blake Phillips led 10 Falcons’ wrestlers at the West High Christmas Classic in Anchorage over the weekend.
The duo were two of four Falcons to place in the top 10, with Pavitt finishing fourth in the 170-pound division in a tournament that featured 302 individual grapplers and 15 teams.
Pavitt defeated wrestlers from East, Dimond, South and Kenai. The TMHS senior’s lone loss came against the state’s current fourth ranked grappler, Wasilla’s Hayden Seltenreich.
“I felt like I could compete with them but I definitely need to practice hard,” Pavitt said.
Pavitt should be ranked among the state’s best when new listings are posted.
“Compared to last season we are doing awesome,” Pavitt said. “Last year we got just a handful of wins up north, this year we scored almost 100 team points collectively.”
Phillips will not be surprising opponents any longer. Unseeded going into the tourney, Phillips placed 5th at 160-pounds, including taking out the state’s fifth ranked grappler, Colony’s Dallas Leavit, to make the quarterfinals.
Freshman Edwin Meyer placed ninth at 106-pounds and sophomore Rick Johnson ninth at 285-pounds.
“Overall it was a great weekend of wrestling,” Reid said. “It was a great experience for all of our wrestlers and especially our young guys. We got to see some potential state matchups. For our first trip up north the guys performed above expectations. We are all jazzed up to get back up here in early January for the Colony invitational.”
Falcons wrestlers competing at West included Pavitt, Phillips, Meyer, Johnson, freshman Hunter Boyer, sophomore Dylan Taylor (145), Wesley Brinkerhoff, sophomore Dante Taylor, freshman Tyler Cole, and freshman Lianno Vejar (182).
“I don’t give the younger guys a lot of advice,” Pavitt commented. “When one wants to quit though, I tell them to stick with it because I think they have a lot of potential. They are doing great right now as underclassmen.”
Wasilla won the team score with 442.5 points; Colony was second with 342; 3. West Anchorage 337.5; 4. Kenai 278.0; 5. Kodiak 269.0; 6. Service 269.0; 7. South 258.5; 8. East 239.0; 9. Bartlett 203.5; 10. Eagle River 185.0; 11. Chugiak 154.5; 12. Palmer 150.0; 13. Soldotna 124.5; 14. Thunder Mountain 99.5; 5. Dimond 84.5.
The Falcons next wrestle at the Colony Invitational Jan. 4-5. Juneau-Douglas wrestles at the North Pole Invitational Jan. 4-5.
Following are the results for the Thunder Mountain wrestlers at the West Anchorage High School Christmas Classic and/or the weight division champion.
98 pounds - Greg Shack (South) won championship.
106 pounds - Edwin Meyer (TMHS) placed 9th and scored 11.00 team points. Kyle Willard (East) took the championship.
Champ. Round 1 - Edwin Meyer received a bye.
Champ. Round 2 - Jejomar Briones (West Anchorage) won by tech fall over Edwin Meyer (TF 15-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Edwin Meyer received a bye.
Cons. Round 3 - Edwin Meyer received a bye.
Cons. Round 4 - Masami Kageyama (Kodiak) won in sudden victory - 1 over Edwin Meyer (SV-1 8-6)
Cons. Round 5 - Edwin Meyer won by forfeit over Scott Mangold (South).
9th Place Match - Edwin Meyer won by decision over Michael Braudis (Bartlett) (Dec 5-4)
113 pounds - Andrew Caballa (Kodiak) won the championship.
120 pounds - Jay-Ar Small (Kodiak) won title.
126 pounds - Justin Gentz (Wasilla) won championship.
132 pounds - Hunter Boyer (TMHS) wrestled here, Ryker Steiner (Wasilla) took title.
Champ. Round 1 - Hunter Boyer received a bye.
Champ. Round 2 - Aaron Troxell-Tom (Kenai) won by pin over Hunter Boyer (Pin 1:27)
Cons. Round 2 - Tj Limbo (West Anchorage) won by pin over Hunter Boyer (Pin 0:34)
138 pounds - Damian Sotelo (Bartlett) won championship.
145 pounds - Dylan Taylor (TMHS) wrestled here and scored 3.00 team points. Cameron White (Kodiak) won title.
Champ. Round 1 - Dylan Taylor won by decision over Jacob Butler (Chugiak ) (Dec 6-5)
Champ. Round 2 - Collin Bendixen (Palmer) won by pin over Dylan Taylor (Pin 1:43)
Cons. Round 2 - Dylan Taylor won by decision over Jeriah Smith (East ) (Dec 11-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Nick Mayser (Dimond) won by pin over Dylan Taylor (Pin 2:56)
145 pounds - Wesley Brinkerhoff (TMHS) wrestled here.
Champ. Round 1 - Nolan Fitzgerald (West Anchorage) won by pin over Wesley Brinkerhoff (Pin 0:45)
Cons. Round 1 - Wesley Brinkerhoff (Thunder Mountain) received a bye.
Cons. Round 2 - Nick Mayser (Dimond) won by pin over Wesley Brinkerhoff (Pin 0:29)
152 pounds - Dante Taylor (TMHS) scored 4.00 team points. DJ Morrow (Wasilla) won championship.
Champ. Round 1 - Dante Taylor won by pin over Adam Burris (Service) (Pin 1:15)
Champ. Round 2 - Wyatt Nelson (Wasilla) won by pin over Dante Taylor (Pin 0:33)
Cons. Round 2 - Austin Compton (Wasilla) won by decision over Dante Taylor (Dec 5-4)
152 pounds - Tyler Cole (TMHS) wrestled here.
Champ. Round 1 - Mario Herrera (Service) won by pin over Tyler Cole (Pin 0:36)
Cons. Round 1 - Branden Truong (West Anchorage) won by pin over Tyler Cole (Pin 0:25)
160 pounds - Blake Phillips (TMHS) placed 5th and scored 26.00 team points. Logan Conway (Colony) won championship.
Champ. Round 1 - Blake Phillips won by pin over Michael Prada (Eagle River) (Pin 1:52)
Champ. Round 2 - Blake Phillips won by major decision over Dallas Leavitt (Colony) (Maj 18-6)
Quarterfinal - Zane Fejes (South) won by major decision over Blake Phillips (Maj 19-6)
Cons. Round 4 - Blake Phillips won in tiebreaker - 1 over Ashton Rouska (Bartlett) (TB-1 6-5)
Cons. Round 5 - Blake Phillips won by major decision over Dallas Leavitt (Colony) (Maj 12-4)
Cons. Semi - Conner Minnick (Wasilla) won by pin over Blake Phillips (Thunder Mountain) (Pin 2:00)
5th Place Match - Blake Phillips won in sudden victory - 1 over Zane Fejes (South) (SV-1 6-4)
170 pounds - Jackson Pavitt (TMHS) placed 4th and scored 30.50 team points. Josh Wiggins (East) won title.
Champ. Round 1 - Jackson Pavitt won by tech fall over Chun Lee (East ) (TF 16-0)
Champ. Round 2 - Jackson Pavitt won by pin over Mike Anders (Dimond) (Pin 3:30)
Quarterfinal - Hayden Seltenreich (Wasilla) won by pin over Jackson Pavitt (Pin 4:13)
Cons. Round 4 - Jackson Pavitt won by pin over Jack Soukanya (East ) (Pin 1:55)
Cons. Round 5 - Jackson Pavitt won in sudden victory - 1 over Brent Case (South) (SV-1 6-4)
Cons. Semi - Jackson Pavitt won by decision over Matt Aho (Kenai) (Dec 5-0)
3rd Place Match - Hayden Seltenreich (Wasilla) won by pin over Jackson Pavitt (Pin 1:18)
182 pounds - Lianno Vejar (TMHS) wrestled here and scored 6.00 team points. Troy Strieff (Soldotna) won Championship.
Champ. Round 1 - Mark Dobbs (Wasilla) won by pin over Lianno Vejar (Pin 0:39)
Cons. Round 1 - Lianno Vejar received a bye.
Cons. Round 2 - Lianno Vejar won by pin over Christopher Montuya (Bartlett) (Pin 3:32).
Cons. Round 3 - Jermaine (Julow) Tagaiu (West Anchorage) won by pin over Lianno Vejar (Pin 1:43)
195 pounds - Austin Rench (Colony) won championship.
220 pounds - Ian MacKenzie (Colony) won title.
285 pounds - Rick Johnson (TMHS) placed 9th and scored 19.00 team points. Keanu King (East) won title.
Champ.Round 1 - Rick Johnson received a bye.
Champ.Round 2 - Jordan Campbell (Wasilla) won by pin over Rick Johnson (Pin 3:11). Cons. Round 2 - Rick Johnson received a bye.
Cons.Round 3 - Rick Johnson won by pin over Jerry Yandall (East ) (Pin 2:52).
Cons.Round 4 - Geraldo Hernandez (Dimond) won by pin over Rick Johnson (Pin 2:16)
Cons.Round 5 - Rick Johnson won by pin over Garrett Williams (Palmer) (Pin 0:40).
9th Place Match - Rick Johnson won by forfeit.
