Middle schooler wins top spot at state wrestling tournament

Wrangell eighth grader Kourtney Barnes earned the top spot in her weight bracket for the second year in a row at the state's biggest middle school wrestling tournament.

It was the third time in three years that she faced Jordynn Colby of North Pole in the finals.

Two of Kourtney's schoolmates placed second and fourth at the tournament.

"We had a capstone weekend to our wrestling season," said head coach Jack Carney, who added that the wrestling community considers the Tanana Invitational Wrestling Tournament in Fairbanks to be the unofficial middle school state championship. Approximately 40 teams competed this year March 1-2.

In the tiebreaker period of her final match at Tanana, Kourtney won by fall in 1:57. "Kourtney is a two-time state champ," Carney said. "She wrestled the same girl all three years, having (only) lost to her in her sixth grade year."

Kourtney's record for this season was 14-0, and an impressive 56 wins, 2 losses and 50 pins during her middle school years. Carney considers her one of the best he's ever coached. "I think she'll do well in high school."

Wrangell eighth grader Arabella Nore took second place in her bracket, while seventh grader Jenna Meissner placed fourth.

Eighth graders Lucas Stearns and Michael Cook, as well as sixth grade wrestler Tommy Rohr-Wickman barely missed placement as they lost in their respective blood rounds, Carney said, adding that until his final match, Tommy had been doing well, even defeating eighth graders in his bracket.

Carney added that in the previous week, the middle school girls team won Southeast regionals, while the boys team took fourth behind three schools from Ketchikan and Juneau.