The Nanooks turned in a strong performance at the Northern Conference Wrestling Tournament in Kotzebue over the weekend, with seven athletes punching their tickets to the state tournament. Led by five individual champions, the boys’ team secured third place overall while the girls placed fourth.
Among the standouts was junior Renee Brown, who continued her run of dominance in the girls’ 100G class. After pinning Brevig Mission’s Mary Lucy Iyapana in just 36 seconds in the semifinal, Brown went on to earn the title with a hard-fought win over Kotzebue’s Caris Nanouk in the finals.
Freshman Leyna Ulroan also shined in the girls’ 126G class while cruising to a conference title. After a first-round bye Ulroan pinned White Mountain’s Angelicia Titus in just 52 seconds in the semifinal. She then secured her title with a second-period pin against Barrow’s Matrona Evans.
In the girls’ 145G division Lacey Sherman added to her impressive senior season with a dominant performance by pinning Elim’s Miranda Nakarak in just 16 seconds in the final. It was her fifth first place finish of the season.
The boys’ team was led by junior Young Erikson and senior Wyatt Ahmasuk with both claiming titles at the regional tournament. Erikson, wrestling in the 130-pound weight class, earned three falls on his way to the championship. He pinned Gambell’s Jarvis Campbell in the finals to cap off an undefeated tournament run.
Ahmasuk pinned Barrow’s Gabriel Ortilla in the semifinal before advancing past teammate Rayden Cross in the finals due to an injury default. Cross, who placed second in his division, had a strong showing of his own, pinning White Mountain’s Trent Buffas and Barrow’s Donald Adams en route to the final.
Freshman heavyweight Treydon Thomas also earned a second-place finish for Nome, pinning Unalakleet’s Judah Ivanoff in the semifinal before falling to Barrow’s Sioeli Tuifua in the championship match.
Ben Milton and Talan Johnson both placed third in their respective divisions. Milton rebounded from an injury default in the semifinal to pin Barrow’s Kennedy Elavgak in the third-place match of the 140 pound class. Johnson earned a consolation-round pin over Buckland’s Nickolas Ticket to claim third. Jaiden Sookiayak-Moriarty also picked up a fourth place finish, while Dade Ellanna earned sixth.
The Nome’s boys’ team finished third in the standings with 140 points, just behind Barrow and Kotzebue. The girls scored 58 points to take fourth place in their division. Barrow dominated both team competitions, finishing first with 248.5 points in the boys’ bracket and 92.5 points for the girls.
The Nanooks will now turn their attention to the State Division II Wrestling Tournament, which will take place this upcoming Friday and Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. Seven Nome athletes — Brown, Ulroan, Sherman, Erikson, Ahmasuk, Cross, and Thomas — will take on the top wrestlers in the state.
