Beans-Polk, Bethel wrestlers grab Alaska USA girls’ state crown

File photo

by Tommy Wells

Lindsey Beans-Polk found herself in the spotlight on Friday.

And she delivered in a huge way

Beans-Polk was one of four Bethel Wrestling Club standouts to claim gold medals in Wasilla and helped power Bethel to the top of the standings at the 2017 Alaska USA State Girls Wrestling Championships. The 15-member Bethel team rolled up 90 points and edged out the Arctic Warriors for the team championship by 2 points.

Beans-Polk more than delivered on her share of the points. She dominated the girls’ 144-pound classification with a perfect 4-0 record. Half of her wins came via Falls less than 3 minutes into the contest.

After opening with an easy 26-second win over Cordova’s Zya Taylor, Beans-Polk earned a trip to the semifinal round by dispatching Interior Youth’s Desarae Matheny. In the semis, Beans-Polk needed just 2:57 to down Kodiak’s Emily Lorring.

Matheny fought her way back from the second-round loss to net a rematch with the Bethel standout in the finals. The end result was the same, howeber. Beans-Polk picked up the title with a decision at the 5:03 mark.

Alexis Evon, Isabel Lieb and Hannah Howell also contrubuted to Bethel’s gold-medal totals. Evon won the Schoolgirl 128-pound title, while Lieb captured the Novice 110-pound division. Howell won the Novice 85-pound honors.

Evon highlighted a 1-3 finish by Bethel in the Schoolgirl 128 standings. She posted a 4-0 record in the meet, including a pair of wins over Kodiak’s Olivia Troxell. She also defeated the Arctic Warriors’ Heidi Newland and BWC teammate Madison Glore.

Glore wrestled her way to a 2-3 mark and finished third.

Lieb and Briana Henry didn’t have any trouble scoring points for Bethel in the Novice 110-pund bracket. The two finished first and second, respectively, and combined for 18 points.

Lieb grabbed the top spot by pounding out wins over Henry and Anchorage Avalanche’s Marty Burton. Henry dispatched Burton by an 11-2 mark in the second-place bout.

Howell defeated Alaska Battle Cats’ Kelsey Charlie in 49 seconds to win the Novice 85 crown.

In addition to the team’s four golds, Bethel also benefitted from three second-place marks, and a pair of thirds.

Saige Wheeler picked up a second-place finish in the Pre-Bantam 50 classification with a 1-1 record. Jasey Pace was second in the Novice 60 standings.

Amber Wade and Deja Jackson, both of whom also helped the BRHS basketball team advance to state, starred in the Junior 132-pound division. Wade collected a silver medal with a 3-2 record. Jackson was third.

Bethel’s Tiana Ashepak also competed in the Junior 132 field but did not place.

Julian Stanley also netted a third-place finish with her efforts in the Cadet 112-pound division.

The Bethel Wrestling Club also garnered solid outings from Maya Iverson, Natalie Nicholson and Reema Dela Cruz.