Wrestlers from more than 10 high schools are expected at this weekend’s tournament in Haines.
Competition opens about 3 p.m. Friday at the Haines School, and continues Saturday, when matches are “going all day, with a short lunch break; it’s a grinder,” said coach Dennis Durr. The tournament has free admission.
There will be a break from the round-robin matches at 6:30 p.m. each night, when wrestlers participate in “spotlight” dual meets, with two wrestlers competing at a time on one, spotlighted mat. Durr this week said the format for the dual teams was to be determined, but grapplers will appreciate the extra attention.
“It makes it a fun, main-event-type deal,” Durr said. “We’re hoping to get a lot of people to show up. It’s the only home event we get.”
The Glacier Bears have one senior competing on the squad this year, 170-pounder Casey St. Clair.
Junior Zane Durr will be wrestling at 145 pounds. It’s the second time he’s competed before a home crowd, and as meets here occur about once every two years, it will be the last time for him, as well.
“I expect to wrestle my heart out,” said Durr, who has been competing in the sport since seventh grade. In his weight class, there are as many as 16 athletes in the region, but some competitors from other schools will be in Palmer for a tournament this weekend.
The home-team advantage puts pressure on wrestlers, but in a good way, Durr said. “People are more likely to not give up. They’ll have more heart and desire to win because they’re on their home turf. Having familiar faces helps a lot. At first it makes you nervous, but once you’re wrestling, it helps.”
Fourth-year wrestler Ketch Jacobson, a sophomore, said there are five competitors in his 113-pound weight class who are pretty evenly matched. He saw them all at a meet at Mount Edgecumbe two weeks ago, when the Glacier Bears were under the direction of coach Andrew Cardella.
Jacobson said he is looking forward to the home meet. “You get to sleep at home. You’re not tired from traveling and you have a spot to go between matches and rounds. You have the home crowd, which is always good.”
Jacobson, who finished fourth at the Edgecumbe meet, said he expects to be able to climb at least a single notch.
Records at that meet included Jacobson, 2-5; freshman Cameron Merklin-Bauer, 5-1 at 120 pounds; sophomore Charlie Bower, 2-2 at 120 pounds; sophomore Mori Hays, 4-2 at 126 pounds; sophomore Austin Davis, 1-2 at 145 pounds; Zane Durr, 5-2 at 145 pounds; junior Kai Hays, 6-1, at 160 pounds; and St. Clair, 3-3 at 170 pounds.
Coach Durr noted Merklin-Bauer topped a past regional champion from Petersburg, and the freshman’s only loss was to teammate Bower.
“Getting into wrestling shape is a big thing for a freshman,” Durr said. “Him taking down the defending region champion was a big deal. Everyone is getting into shape, and the conditioning, and picking up techniques Andrew is teaching.”
He said the Haines competition is the last chance for wrestlers to see where they stand before the December regional tournament. Some Glacier Bears are peaking at the right time, by “beating guys they were losing to earlier,” he said.