Schooler cleans the mats at major wrestling invitational

JDHS sophomore wins title against grapplers from 25 teams  

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé 107-pound sophomore champion Nixie Schooler, center, is shown Saturday, Nov. 1, on the medal stand with Student Wrestling Development Program senior runner-up Jade Sherry, left, and Bethel sophomore third-place finisher Claire Dyment, right, at Mountain City Christian Academy's Rich Hofaker Wrestling Invitational in Anchorage. (Photo courtesy Eva Carrillo)

By Klas Stolpe

Juneau Independent

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Nixie Schooler continues to have success this high school wrestling season, claiming the 107-pound girls’ championship Saturday in the Rich Hofacker Wrestling Invitational at Anchorage’s Mountain City Christian Academy.

Schooler, now 12-0 on the season, pinned all five of her opponents, including last year’s ASAA 107-pound champion Jade Sherry from North Pole’s Student Wrestling Development Program.

 “I am happiest about pinning Sherry in the finals,” Schooler said. “It really helped me feel confident in my current spot at number one. I’m learning a lot still and I am having lots of fun with my team, I think that is the most important part. I am becoming more confident in myself.”

Sherry is a three-time state placer and the defending 107-pound state champion. She defeated Schooler in the state semifinals last season by fall, but Schooler won a 6-2 decision over Sherry (12-3 on the season) at the Houston Invitational on Oct. 17. 

Schooler opened the Rich Hofacker Invite with a pin over Dimond sophomore Serena Brooks at 1:20. She next won by 18-1 technical fall over Hutchison freshman Samantha Baugher (0-2 on the season) at 1:24 and then won in the quarterfinals over Bartlett junior Heryzon Hutchison (2-2) by fall at 2:23. In the semifinals, Schooler stopped Chugiak freshman Rylee Ruggles (12-4) by fall at 0:57.

“I pinned Brooks with an armbar,” Schooler said. “And I pinned Hutchison just by, like, laying on her…I pinned Ruggles by barbed wire and Sherry by reverse half.”

Six more JDHS girls wrestled in the tournament.

JDHS 107-pound freshman Fiona McFarlin (7-7) lost her first match by fall to Bartlett sophomore Flossie Olemaun (4-3) at 1:35; defeated Seward freshman Hazel Dickinson by 20-3 TF at 3:13; defeated Bartlett’s Hutchison by 19-0 TF at 1:59 and lost in the consolation sub-semifinals to Eagle River freshman Violet Roschi (15-4) by fall at 1:46.

JDHS 114-pound freshman Madelyn Dale (2-2) lost by fall to West Valley junior Jordan Aldridge (11-3) at 0:51; won by fall over Chugiak freshman Pamela Lazenby (6-9) at 0:14; won by 9-7 decision over Lathrop junior Cynara Koch (8-4); and lost by fall to Seward sophomore Olive Jordan at 2:15.

JDHS 120-pound freshman Adriana Blanton (2-2) lost to Service sophomore Alexandra Barrera (11-5) by fall at 0:50; defeated Eagle River freshman Zoe Browning (2-5) by fall at 1:58; defeated Reddington freshman Iselin Swalling by 12-3 major decision; and lost to Dimond junior Jessica Caldwell (10-7) by fall at 0:41.

JDHS 120-pound sophomore Sunny Dutton (3-3) lost to Swalling by fall at 5:38 and lost to Barrera by fall at 0:49.

JDHS 126-pound sophomore Toriana Johnson (8-5) defeated Kenai sophomore Jadeyn Jacko by fall at 0:25; lost to Ketchikan senior Minh-Thu Vo (3-2) by 17-9 MD; and lost to West Valley senior Anna Belle Valentine (6-2) by fall at 2:21.

JDHS 138-pound freshman Ciara Dutton (5-4) lost to Bethel junior Riley Boney (2-2) by fall at 1:03; defeated Metlakatla sophomore Haylen Ladnier (4-4) by fall at 3:42; defeated Colony sophomore Samanatha Sample (2-2) by fall at 3:19; and lost to West Anchorage senior Lily Oldham (5-2) by 16-1 TF at 4:08.

JDHS placed 16th out of the 25 girls teams with 53.5 points. Soldotna won with 145.5 points, with Wasilla second at 139.5 and Lathrop third with 113. Southeast teams included Mt. Edgecumbe 10th with 83.5 points, Wrangell 11th with 78.5 and Ketchikan 21st with 43.5.

Top Southeast wrestlers included WRG so. Kourtney Barnes (14-1) taking first at 126 pounds; KTN sr. Summer Boling (6-2) second at 132; MEHS sr. Breana Nelson (4-2) fourth at 120; WRG jr. Hailey Cook fourth at 114; MEHS jr. Sophie Didrickson (4-2) fourth at 235; MEHS so. Marykay Evon (5-2) fifth at 114; and WRG fr. Jenna Meissner (9-3) fifth at 100.

Southeast grapplers who did not place included MEHS fr. Kaija Donath (2-2) at 107; MEHS fr. Audrina Dull (0-2) at 126; MEHS jr. Ashlynn Lonewolf (2-2) at 132; MEHS sr. Halena Slats (4-2) at 138; MEHS jr. Briahna Standifer (0-2) at 152; MEHS jr. Arianna Olanna (2-2) at152; WRG fr. Clara Carney (2-2) at 132; KTN sr. Minh-Thu Vo at 126; and KTN sr. Meg Thompson (4-2) at 138.

In the Division II boys portion of the tournament, Wrangell tied with Kenai for the team title out of 42 teams with 164.5 points, Haines placed 11th with 103, MEHS 13th with 90.5, Sitka 19th with 49, Metlakatla 24th with 30.5 and Hoonah 31st with 15.

Top Southeast podium finishers included WRG fr. Ryder Ritchie, first at 103; WRG jr. Jackson Carney first at 145; HNS sr. James Stickler first at 215; SIT fr. Jene Keith second at 103; MEHS sr. Elden Andrew second at 135; WRG so. Michael Cook second at 140; WRG sr. Cody Barnes second at 215; MEHS jr. Benjamin Balluta third at 112; HNS sr. Nolan Wald third at 171; MEHS sr. Carlos Sandoval third at 189; HNS so. Finne Crowe fourth at 112; WRG sr. Ben Houser fourth at 130; HNS fr. Luke Bell fifth at 103; MET so. Jeshua Mowers fifth at 119; WRG jr. Everett Meissner fifth at 160; and HNH jr. Lawrence Howland sixth at 152.

The JDHS boys spent the weekend at the Halloween Monster Bash Duals hosted by South Anchorage High School. The event included Eagle River, Colony, Soldotna, SWDP and Wasilla.

JDHS 103-pound fr. Jayden Frickey lost by fall to SOHI fr. Peyton Cobb; lost by fall to SAHS fr. Manny Novelli; lost by fall to ERHS so. Grant Brunner; lost by fall to SWDP fr. Kane Bronson; won by WHS forfeit; and lost by fall to CHS so. David Walz.

112-pound fr. Matthew Shockley lost 9-5 to SOHI fr. Coleman LeClair; pinned SAHS fr. Gavin Gianelloni; pinned ERHS fr. Wyatt McCain; won by SWDP FF; pinned WHS jr. Brigg Pettijohn; and won by 20-5 TF over CHS fr. Ethan Michell.

119-pound fr. Landon Hill won by 16-1 TF over SOHI fr. Corbin Ebenezer; lost 4-2 to SAHS fr. Mason Ekle; won by ERHS FF; pinned SWDP fr. Josiah Witcher; pinned WHS fr. Trystyn Andrews; and pinned CHS sr. Gabriel Crockett.

125-pound jr. Camden Messmer lost by 17-2 TF to SOHI jr. Titus Watts; pinned SAHS so. Dylan Frawner; pinned ERHS so. Dominick Votta; lost by 11-3 MD to SWDP jr. Lincoln Werner; pinned WHS jr. Alexander Probasco; and won 12-6 over CHS fr. Rowyn Mayer.

130-pound jr. Felix Hesson lost by 15-0 TF to SOHI sr. Sam Henry; lost by 17-14 SV to SAHS so. Kaden Costigan; won 9-7 over ERHS fr. Jacob Driscoll; lost by 11-3 MD to SWDP jr. Quenten Halverson; pinned WHS jr. Cameron Toston; and lost by fall to CHS fr. Regan Yundt.

140-pound jr. Landyn Dunn lost by fall to SOHI sr. Mason Bock; lost by 12-4 MD to SAHS jr. Shaw Gerondale; pinned ERHS so. Izzak Alonzo; lost by fall to SWDP jr. Kendall Syble; pinned WHS sr. Joseph Henson; and won 6-4 over CHS jr. Mac Roderick.

145-pound sr. Marlin Cox lost by fall to SOHI fr. Landon Foster; lost by fall to SAHS so. Ben Dunlop; lost by fall to ERHS jr. Caleb Driscoll; lost 5-0 to SWDP sr. Ezekiel Bolton; lost by fall to WHS so. Marshall Moat; and won 4-1 over CHS jr. John Bennis.

152-pound jr. Jed Davis lost by 17-2 TF to SOHI sr. Michael Dickinson; lost by 15-0 TF to SAHS fr. Shane Ostermiller; won by 15-0 TF over ERHS jr. Vern Stott; and lost 6-2 to SWDP jr. Hayden Reuter.

160-pound sr. Alexzondro Marx-Beierly lost by fall to SOHI jr. Laramie Gibson; lost by fall to SAHS so. Jacob Morris; pinned ERHS jr. David Stott; pinned SWDP jr. Wallace Evans; won by JDHS FF; and won by 14-5 MD over CHS so. Sebastian Echak.

171-pound sr. Sam Buttner lost by fall to SOHI jr. Anthony Payne; by fall to SAHS jr. Bohdan Porter; by fall to ERHS so. Gavin Weiss; by fall to SWDP so. Noah Kemp; by fall to WHS jr. Gunnar Sides; and by fall to CHS so. Byron Reynolds.

189-pound sr. Hyrum Fish pinned SOHI jr. Tristen Barnes; lost by fall to SAHS so. Zane Gerlach; lost by fall to ERHS sr. Bryson Diola; lost by fall to SWDP jr. Hunter Terbeek; won by JDHS FF; and lost by fall to CHS so. Thor Nelson.

215-pound sr. Kyle Carter lost by fall to SOHI sr. Rodney Mcneel; won by FF’s over SAHS, ERHS, SWDP and WHS; and pinned CHS jr. Lucas Quennell.

285-pound so. Sean Fairchild lost by fall to SOHI so. Calvin Lyman; lost by fall to SAHS so. Lucas Griffin; lost by fall to ERHS jr.  Rylan Echeverria; won by FF over SWDP and WHS; and lost by fall to CHS sr. Maverick Remaklus.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.