Nome hosts Invitational Wrestling Meet
By Peter Loewi
The Nome-Beltz gym was packed Friday night and Saturday morning as community members from across the region came to watch their teams compete in the Nome Wrestling Invite. Student athletes came from Brevig Mission, Galena, Gambell, Kotzebue, Koyuk, and Shaktoolik.
By total team points, Nome won the meet, a fact acting Head Coach Corey Erikson didn’t even mention on Saturday. “We did pretty well in terms of medaling, but don’t want to get a big head,” he said. “I’m really happy with the kids, always. Their demeanor, work ethic, sportsmanship.”
Regardless of the results, many participants seemed to be happy. After losing, Kotzebue’s Devin Fields embraced his opponent, Nome’s Kael Osborne. “Man, I almost had you!” Fields smiled.
And not all the joy was about the same thing, either. “You guys have a nice gym!” laughed Kotzebue’s Kyle Agnus. The junior hadn’t wrestled since eighth grade, and admitted he was nervous at first. Ultimately, though, he said he felt “pretty good.”
Friday night was Senior Night, with six of the 20 or so Nanook wrestlers being recognized: Karlin Awhinona-Smith, Tommy Cushmann, Lucas Marvin, Kael Osborne, Andy Peterson, and Natallie Tobuk. Having six seniors is “both good and bad,” Erikson said. On the one hand, they bring lots of knowledge and leadership, but on the other hand, they’re all leaving.
One of them is returning state champion Natallie Tobuk, who celebrated her 18th birthday on Friday winning her first match faster than most people could get ready to watch. “I think someone said it was like 15 seconds,” she said afterwards.
This is the only home meet this season, but there is still plenty of wrestling ahead. Erikson explained that the Nome tournament is traditionally a smaller meet, but a nice opportunity for new and seasoned wrestlers to see where they’re at performance wise. After the recent tournament in Bethel, this is the second meet of the season, and the next is in Nikiski. Every other year, Nome hosts the regional tournament, but this year it will be in Kotzebue, in early December. The state championships will be in Anchorage in mid-December.
Because it was this year’s only home meet, the stands were full of friends and family, glued to the two mats taking up the whole gym. There were as many cheers from the crowd as there were grunts from the mats. Wrestlers wore the immense physicality of the sport of the faces. A visiting coach, after comforting one of his students after a hard loss, called it “the agony of defeat and the joy of triumph.”
Varsity 112
Round 2 - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Kapono Kaha`i (Nome High School) (Fall 1:20)
Round 3 - Damian Campbell-Newhall (Gambell) won by fall over Kapono Kaha`i (Nome High School) (Fall 2:40)
Round 4 - Young Erikson (Nome High School) won by fall over Kapono Kaha`i (Nome High School) (Fall 1:45)
Round 5 - Michael Marvin (Nome High School) won by decision over Kapono Kaha`i (Nome High School) (Dec 5-3)
Varsity 112
Round 1 - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Damian Campbell-Newhall (Gambell) (Fall 2:00)
Round 2 - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Kapono Kaha`i (Nome High School) (Fall 1:20)
Round 3 - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Young Erikson (Nome High School) (Fall 1:28)
Round 4 - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Michael Marvin (Nome High School) (Fall 4:57)
Varsity 112
Round 1 - Young Erikson (Nome High School) won by fall over Michael Marvin (Nome High School) (Fall 5:30)
Round 2 - Michael Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Damian Campbell-Newhall (Gambell) (Fall 1:33)
Round 4 - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Michael Marvin (Nome High School) (Fall 4:57)
Round 5 - Michael Marvin (Nome High School) won by decision over Kapono Kaha`i (Nome High School) (Dec 5-3)
Varsity 112
Round 1 - Young Erikson (Nome High School) won by fall over Michael Marvin (Nome High School) (Fall 5:30)
Round 3 - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Young Erikson (Nome High School) (Fall 1:28)
Round 4 - Young Erikson (Nome High School) won by fall over Kapono Kaha`i (Nome High School) (Fall 1:45)
Round 5 - Young Erikson (Nome High School) won by fall over Damian Campbell-Newhall (Gambell) (Fall 0:56)
Varsity 152
Round 1 - Karlin Ahwinona-Smith (Nome High School) won by fall over Devin Rock (Shaktoolik High School) (Fall 1:04)
Round 2 - Karlin Ahwinona-Smith (Nome High School) won by tech fall over Davien Angi (Gambell) (TF 17-2)
Round 3 - Karlin Ahwinona-Smith (Nome High School) won by fall over Kirk Apassingok (Gambell) (Fall 1:10)
Round 4 - Karlin Ahwinona-Smith (Nome High School) won by fall over Jamal Romie (Galena Hawks) (Fall 1:24)
Varsity 160
Round 1 - Brenan Paine (Galena Hawks) won by fall over Steve Lopez (Nome High School) (Fall 3:03)
Round 3 - Andy Peterson (Nome High School) won by fall over Steve Lopez (Nome High School) (Fall 1:19)
Varsity 160
Round 2 - Andy Peterson (Nome High School) won by fall over Brenan Paine (Galena Hawks) (Fall 2:55)
Round 3 - Andy Peterson (Nome High School) won by fall over Steve Lopez (Nome High School) (Fall 1:19)
Varsity 171
Round 1 - Jaden Jorgensen (Nome High School) won by fall over Milo Huntington (Galena Hawks) (Fall 1:55)
Round 2 - Jaden Jorgensen (Nome High School) won by fall over Atlas Boeckmann (Nome High School) (Fall 0:41)
Round 3 - Jaden Jorgensen (Nome High School) won by fall over Harold Allen (Kotzebue High School) (Fall 2:37)
Varsity 171
Round 1 - Harold Allen (Kotzebue High School) won by decision over Atlas Boeckmann (Nome High School) (Dec 9-8)
Round 2 - Jaden Jorgensen (Nome High School) won by fall over Atlas Boeckmann (Nome High School) (Fall 0:41)
Round 3 - Milo Huntington (Galena Hawks) won by fall over Atlas Boeckmann (Nome High School) (Fall 1:42)
Varsity 189
Round 1 - Kael Osborne (Nome High School) won by fall over Devin Fields (Kotzebue High School) (Fall 1:20)
Round 2 - Kael Osborne (Nome High School) won by fall over Kyle Agnus (Kotzebue High School) (Fall 1:15)
Round 3 - Kael Osborne (Nome High School) won by fall over Cody Smith (Galena Hawks) (Fall 0:56)
Varsity 285
Round 1 - Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Frank Ahnangnatoguk (Nome High School) (Fall 0:21)
Round 2 - Hawken Scotton (Galena Hawks) won by fall over Frank Ahnangnatoguk (Nome High School) (Fall 3:01)
Round 3 - Timmy Gammett (Kotzebue High School) won by fall over Frank Ahnangnatoguk (Nome High School) (Fall 1:05)
Round 4 - Michael Woods (Galena Hawks) won by fall over Frank Ahnangnatoguk (Nome High School) (Fall 1:01)
Round 5 - Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) won by medical forfeit over Frank Ahnangnatoguk (Nome High School) (MFF)
Varsity 285
Round 1 - Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Frank Ahnangnatoguk (Nome High School) (Fall 0:21)
Round 2 - Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Michael Woods (Galena Hawks) (Fall 1:23)
Round 3 - Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Hawken Scotton (Galena Hawks) (Fall 0:23)
Round 4 - Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) (Fall 0:21)
Round 5 - Timmy Gammett (Kotzebue High School) won by fall over Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) (Fall 3:56)
Varsity 285
Round 1 - Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) won by fall over Hawken Scotton (Galena Hawks) (Fall 1:10)
Round 2 - Timmy Gammett (Kotzebue High School) won by fall over Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) (Fall 1:00)
Round 3 - Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) won by fall over Michael Woods (Galena Hawks) (Fall 1:36)
Round 4 - Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) (Fall 0:21)
Round 5 - Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) won by medical forfeit over Frank Ahnangnatoguk (Nome High School) (MFF)
Varsity Girls 145G
Round 2 - Natallie Tobuk (Nome High School) won by fall over Cadence Madros (Galena Hawks) (Fall 0:23)
Round 3 - Natallie Tobuk (Nome High School) won by tech fall over Emma Duny (Galena Hawks) (TF 16-0)
Round 4 - Natallie Tobuk (Nome High School) won by fall over Camille Johnson (Galena Hawks) (Fall 0:14)
Round 5 - Natallie Tobuk (Nome High School) won by fall over Shanae Campbell (Gambell) (Fall 1:16)
Varsity Finals 112
Michael Marvin's place is unknown and has scored 0.0 team points.
Semifinal - Young Erikson (Nome High School) won by fall over Michael Marvin (Nome High School) (Fall 1:49)
Varsity Finals 112
Young Erikson's place is 2nd and has scored 9.0 team points.
Semifinal - Young Erikson (Nome High School) won by fall over Michael Marvin (Nome High School) (Fall 1:49)
1st Place Match - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Young Erikson (Nome High School) (Fall 5:05)
Varsity Finals 112
Ben Milton's place is 1st and has scored 16.0 team points.
Semifinal - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Damian Campbell-Newhall (Gambell) (Fall 0:39)
1st Place Match - Ben Milton (Nome High School) won by fall over Young Erikson (Nome High School) (Fall 5:05)
Varsity Finals 152
Karlin Ahwinona-Smith's place is 1st and has scored 16.0 team points.
Semifinal - Karlin Ahwinona-Smith (Nome High School) won by fall over Kirk Apassingok (Gambell) (Fall 0:33)
1st Place Match - Karlin Ahwinona-Smith (Nome High School) won by fall over Devin Rock (Shaktoolik High School) (Fall 1:59)
Varsity Finals 160
Steve Lopez's place is unknown and has scored 0.0 team points.
Semifinal - Brenan Paine (Galena Hawks) won by fall over Steve Lopez (Nome High School) (Fall 2:33)
Varsity Finals 160
Andy Peterson's place is 1st and has scored 13.0 team points.
Semifinal - Andy Peterson (Nome High School) received a bye () (Bye)
1st Place Match - Andy Peterson (Nome High School) won by major decision over Brenan Paine (Galena Hawks) (Maj 12-1)
Varsity Finals 171
Jaden Jorgensen's place is 1st and has scored 16.0 team points.
Semifinal - Jaden Jorgensen (Nome High School) won by fall over Atlas Boeckmann (Nome High School) (Fall 0:33)
1st Place Match - Jaden Jorgensen (Nome High School) won by fall over Milo Huntington (Galena Hawks) (Fall 2:53)
Varsity Finals 171
Atlas Boeckmann's place is unknown and has scored 0.0 team points.
Semifinal - Jaden Jorgensen (Nome High School) won by fall over Atlas Boeckmann (Nome High School) (Fall 0:33)
Varsity Finals 189
Kael Osborne's place is 1st and has scored 16.0 team points.
Semifinal - Kael Osborne (Nome High School) won by fall over Cody Smith (Galena Hawks) (Fall 0:14)
1st Place Match - Kael Osborne (Nome High School) won by fall over Devin Fields (Kotzebue High School) (Fall 1:46)
Varsity Finals 285
Thomas Cushman's place is unknown and has scored 0.0 team points.
Semifinal - Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) (Fall 0:17)
Varsity Finals 285
Lucas Marvin's place is 2nd and has scored 9.0 team points.
Semifinal - Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) won by fall over Thomas Cushman (Nome High School) (Fall 0:17)
1st Place Match - Timmy Gammett (Kotzebue High School) won by fall over Lucas Marvin (Nome High School) (Fall 1:23)
Varsity Girls Finals 145G
Natallie Tobuk's place is 1st and has scored 16.0 team points.
Semifinal - Natallie Tobuk (Nome High School) won by fall over Camille Johnson (Galena Hawks) (Fall 1:03)
1st Place Match - Natallie Tobuk (Nome High School) won by fall over Cadence Madros (Galena Hawks) (Fall 0:20)
