The Nome-Beltz wrestling team was on the road over the weekend of Oct. 29-31. The girls’ team was in Anchorage, competing in the Halloween Bash, while the boys were in Nikiski at the Top Dog Invite.
The girl’s competition was a Round Robin style tournament, where each competitor wrestles everyone in their weight class. The boy’s competition was a bracketed style tournament, though, Nome-Beltz coach, Dudley Homelvig states, some of the smaller weight classes competed in Round Robin style.
In the girl’s competition, Nome-Beltz athlete, Natallie Tobuk placed first. She won her rounds two through five in the tournament, and received a bye, a pass to the next round without competing, in the first round. She scored 22.5 team points.
Nome-Beltz athlete Katie Smith placed third and scored 13 team points. She won three out of her five rounds.
Freshmen Nome-Beltz athlete Lacy Sherman placed seventh. As a comparatively new wrestler, according to Homelvig, she won some of her rounds for the first time. She scored five team points.
Nome-Beltz athlete Son Erikson won the boy’s tournament in his weight class and scored 28 team points. He received a bye in his first two champ rounds and then won the quarterfinal, semifinal and the first place match.
In Erikson’s same weight class, Nome-Beltz athlete Thomas Hannon placed fourth, scoring 22.0 team points. He received a bye in his first champ round before winning the second champ round and the quarterfinal and the cons semifinal. He lost the third place game, later on in the tournament, earning him fourth place.
In a higher weight class, Nome Beltz athlete Andy Peterson won fourth and scored 15.5 team points. He received a bye in his first two champ rounds and then won the cons fourth round, fifth round and semifinal.
Paris Hebel took sixth place, scoring 13 team points. He received a bye in his first champ rounds, won his second champ round and then won the quarterfinal.
In a higher weight class, Nome Beltz athlete Jaden Jorgensen won 13th and scored 3 team points. He received a bye in his first champ round and won his second and fourth cons rounds, as well as the thirteenth place game.
In a higher weight class, Nome-Beltz athlete Colin McFarland won eighth place and scored 8 team points. He received a bye in his first champ round and won his second, third and fourth cons round.
In a higher weight class, Nome-Beltz athlete Thomas Cushman took 12th and scored 6 team points. He received a bye in his first champ round and won his second.
The Nome-Beltz team still is “not at full strength,” Homelvig said. Eleven kids out of 22 were unable to make it this weekend due to various conflicts. In addition, a landslide stranded the boys’ team in Nikiski until after the weekend.
In spite of these difficulties, the team will be pushing through, Homelvig said.
The Nome-Beltz wrestling team will next compete in the ACS tournament in Anchorage.
Image at top: Nome-Beltz wrestling team in action. Image courtesy of Nome Public School staff. Used with permission (2019).
