Wrangell’s Arabella Nore and Jenna Meissner delivered standout wrestling performances at the Southeast Showdown in Juneau last weekend, each winning her weight class and helping a shorthanded program post strong team finishes.

The tournament ran Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7-8.

Competing in her first event of the season, Nore captured the girls 235-pound title. Meissner added a championship at 100 pounds. Wrangell brought only three girls to Juneau, and two left as champions, a striking conversion rate for a roster tilted toward underclassmen and newcomers.

Despite traveling without many of its veterans, Wrangell’s boys placed second with 128 points, trailing only host Juneau. The girls finished sixth with 53 in the 11-team field. The Wolves collected 32 pins across the two-day event — nearly half of the team’s wins — underscoring an aggressive, finish-minded approach that translated into bonus points and podium spots.

“I was very proud of how they wrestled,” coach Jack Carney said. “We’ve got some young kids without very much experience, and they’re really stepping up.”

He added that the team’s travel list intentionally skewed younger so more athletes would have the opportunity to compete at least once this season, a strategy designed to build depth and confidence without overloading a single event.

The results backed up that plan. Nore navigated the upper-weight bracket with poise, closing out her run with a first-place finish, while Meissner set the tone in the lightweights, taking the 100-pound class and adding crucial points to the girls tally. Those titles, combined with the pin total, helped offset the absence of several experienced teammates who stayed home.

“You really love to see a performance like this,” Carney said. “You hope the younger wrestlers gain a lot of experience from tournaments like that.”

He noted the team’s 32 pins as a measuring stick of both technique and mindset: the ability to capitalize when matches tilt in their favor and the willingness to wrestle through tough positions.

Beyond results, he praised the group’s resilience and demeanor.

“These kids never quit, even if they’re on their backs and fighting to get out,” he said. “They just don’t know how to give up.”

He also highlighted their sportsmanship, saying he regularly hears compliments about how respectfully they treat opponents and opposing teams. “They never whine or complain and they show lots of positive character,” he said.

Wrangell now turns to one of the season’s marquee events, the Lancer Smith Memorial in Wasilla, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14-15. The tournament annually draws top contenders from across Alaska, making it a midseason proving ground for wrestlers with state-level aspirations.

“That tournament will be a pretty big deal,” Carney said. “A lot of big dogs from the state level will be there. If you win, you’re a name everyone will be looking at.”