Nanook Wrestlers Finish Season On High Note

The Nome-Beltz wrestlers finished up their season at the state championships in Anchorage and came home with much to be proud of. “I was really happy with our kids,” said Coach Dudley Homelvig. “We wrestled much better than expected.”

JJ Marble at 130 lbs was unseeded and placed third. Stephan Anderson was unseeded at 160 lbs and he placed fifth. Freshman Thomas Hannon, also unseeded, placed fourth. “And he beat three seeded kids who’d beaten him the first weekend of the year,” said coach Homelvig. “I was just so pleased with these kids.

“Freshman Natallie Tobuk was the number six seed in the tourney and she should have been in the finals,” said the coach. “She was leading 8-0 at one point in the semi-finals and she made a mistake and got pinned. And then in the third place match she got ahead, lost her way and ended up losing in overtime.”

Elden Cross wrestled his way to third place at 145 lbs.

At 215 lbs Derek Seppilu Jr. of Savoonga finished third. The Nanook boys finished in twelfth position in the team scoring. Bethel won the championship in Division II.

On the girls side Ava Earthman won her first match and then lost to top seed Aileen Lester of Newhalen. At 160 lbs Alaina Pete of Brevig Mission lost in the championship match to take second. The Nome girls finished in 19th position. They are competing against the big schools as there is only one tournament on the girls side.

While some of the wrestlers will now join the basketball teams and some of the girls become cheerleaders, more wrestling awaits in the spring. Coach Homelvig is hoping the Alaska National Guard will allow the team to leave their mats at the armory so instruction can begin in two other forms of wrestling, freestyle and Greco-Roman. “The girls have already asked me where they can go for summer camp,” he said. “So, we want to keep this rolling. This was a fun year for me with all these youngsters who are so eager to improve. They made the year fun.”

He added he hopes the enthusiasm generated during the season will inspire a few more to turn out to wrestle next year. “And hang in there long enough to get over the physical and mental hurdles that all beginners have to face. It’s not an easy sport,” he said.

Photos by Josh Marble CHAMPIONSHIPS— Nome wrestlers Natallie Tobuk, Thomas Hannon, Elden Cross, JJ Marble and Stephan Anderson pose for a picture after the State Championships in Anchorage.

Photo by Eric Osborne SILVER MEDAL— Haley Osborne of Nome and a student at Mt. Edgecumbe, won the silver medal in his weight class during last weekend’s Wrestling State Championships in Anchorage. Due to a knee injury, Haley didn’t compete until the Southeast Regional Championship, in which he won the 285 lbs class. In the State championship match he bruised or sprained his oblique muscles in his chest making breathing temporarily difficult. His opponent was the number one seeded wrestler Nicholas Liomaiava of Barrow. Haley emerged as the runner-up in the state championships.

MEDALS— Elden Cross and JJ Marble show off their third place medals. Cross placed third in the 145 lbs division, Marble in the 130 lbs division.