Senior Leo Wald was named the outstanding wrestler of the tournament, a first in recent memory. The team heads to state this weekend.
Haines wrestlers came out with “incredible energy” to take four wins and three second-place finishes out of a team of eight Glacier Bears at the Southeast Alaska regional tournament in Juneau over the weekend as they make their way to state championships this weekend.
The team finished second overall, but head coach Andus Hale said they filled just eight of the 14 weight classes.
“In my opinion, everybody in that room knew that we were the best team down there,” he said.
The Bears were led by 17-year-old senior Leo Wald, who dominated his opponent with a score of 14-2, to upset the number one ranked RJ Didrickson, a junior at Mount Edgecumbe in Sitka. The win in the 171-pound weight class earned Wald the prestigious award of Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had that type of award from any wrestler,” said Hale, who called the level of competition in that weight class “much higher” than some of the smaller weight classes.
In addition to Wald, Hayden Jimenez won the 112-pound weight class, Dalton Henry won the 160-pound class and Nolan Wald won the 145-pound division.
“Leo was the only one that didn’t have a fall or a pin in the end to win, which tells you how ready and competent our wrestling is,” said Hale.
The group has shown its strength already this season, winning a statewide invitational tournament in Anchorage earlier this season, a victory that came despite a substandard performance by Leo Wald, who finished third there.
Since then, the group has only been able to travel to one other competition due to weather delays that affected travel. It hasn’t stopped the group from doubling down on their training. Hale said the group has put a big emphasis on learning individual moves – often practicing slow motion drills or “shadow wrestling” – in order to internalize movement patterns. In recent weeks, they’ve started doing more real wrestling against teammates in order to build up endurance. In the few days before regionals, they were wrestling up to 50 minutes to simulate a match.
For Leo Wald, the win was especially meaningful in his last year on the team after finishing second last year.
“I went undefeated until state finals last year,” he said. “I think I came back wanting to win even more this year.”
He said he traveled to a wrestling camp in rural Idaho this summer where he learned new techniques that he hadn’t been exposed to before. That gave him confidence going into his matches on Saturday against Didrickson, despite having lost to him in the previous two head-to-heads.
Wald said he was watching for Didrickson’s characteristic move, a reach down with his lanky arms towards his opponents’ ankles.
“I learned to avoid that, just circle away from it and make sure he doesn’t trick you into it,” said Wald.
The group planned on a 6 a.m. practice on Wednesday before starting the drive to Tok and then Anchorage for state. Hale said the group is ready for state.
“I can’t wait, and I think the wrestlers feel as I do,” he said.