Two Susitna Valley wrestlers battled the top grapplers in Alaska last weekend. The high school athletes competed in the Division 2 State Championship, held at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
Sawyer Love placed Sixth in the 125 pound weight class. Love powered through six matches as he fought his way onto the podium in the two day contest. The overall winner in the 125 pound weight class was Gusty Tunguing IV from Koliginek. Coming into the State Tournament, Love had previously nabbed Second Place at the John Tobin Invitational and the Homer Rumble and had won First Place at the Hutchinson Meltdown and the Denali Region contest. Love ended the 2025 season with a 20-9 record.
Tasi Taala won two matches in the heavyweight class, earning the opportunity to advance to the final twelve in the bracket, where he lost to Delta’s Micah Howell. The overall winner in that weight class was Thaddeus Lingenfelter from Kenai. This was Taala’s second appearance at the Alaska State Wrestling tournament. Taala ended his wrestling season with an 8-8 record.
