Four (Or More) Time State Champs in College = Alaska

 Moving on where we left off on Alabama we now check out the only state you have to have a passport to drive to, Alaska.  Here is how their four (or More) time State champs did at the collegiate level. 

Gary Steeby 

Technically there was no Alaska High School State tournament Steeby's freshman season of 1971. However the Western Alaska Championships that he won that season is counted as an official title. Competing for Chugiak, he won three more titles going 127-5 during his high school career. He did not wrestle in college. 

Matt Matson 

Matson is one of the most unique stories I have ever heard regarding high school wrestling. Competing for West Valley, he won his first three titles in 90', 91' & 92'.  An accident caused him to tear his spleen & break his pelvis, completely missing his senior season of 1993. He petitioned & was allowed to complete his senior year & wrestle in 1994, winning his fourth state title. Accepting a scholarship to Wisconsin, he competed as a freshman & sophomore but decided to move on from wrestling to concentrate solely on his studies after that. 

Jed Wade

Winning four titles for Wasilla, Wade competed collegiately for Columbia. 

Eli Hutchison 

Winning four Alaska State titles for Skyview, Eli Hutchison competed collegiately for Boise State. Of note, his sister Michaela was the first girl to win an Alaska High School State title. 

David Wiese

Winning his four Alaska High School State titles for West Valley, David Wiese competed collegiately for Cumberland. He was an NAIA qualifier his junior season of 2010. 

 
Hollan Gravely 

Winning Alaska State titles from 04'-07' for Colony, I know that Hollan Gravely was going to compete at Western State, but I'm not 100% positive whether he ever did or not. 

Nathan Hoffer 

A four time State Champion for East Anchorage, Hoffer wrestled collegiately for Arizona State.  He started off rather strong with back to back 3rd place finishes at the PAC-12 tournament his freshman & sophomore seasons. Unfortunately injuries hampered the rest of his career. 

Matthew Malnoski 

Another four time champion from East Anchorage that wrestled for Arizona State was Matthew Malnoski. 

Jared Miller 

A four time state champion for Dillingham from 09'-12', Jared Miller wrestled for Southern Oregon. 

Emery Booshu 

Going 136-5 winning Alaska State titles in 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 for Nome, I don't believe that Emery Booshu ever wrestled in college. 

Seth Hutchison 

Like brother Eli, Seth won four state titles while in high school. He competed collegiately for Minnesota State-Moorhead, but unfortunately injuries hampered his career. 

Thomas Dyment 

To my knowledge I don't believe that Thomas Dyment of Bethel who won four Alaska State titles from 15'-18' wrestled in collee. 

Sydnee Kimber 

Sydnee Kimber absolutely dominated the girl's division of Alaska High School State wrestling going 90-0 & winning four titles. Things were no different for her in college as she won WCWA titles & a Gorriaran award while competing for McKendree. 

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All things considered, it's pretty impressive that so many of these wrestlers decided to continue their wrestling careers in college considering all that they had going against them. Alaska has never had much for collegiate wrestling to begin with. Their best program (as well as one of the only ones they've ever had) was Alaska-Pacific an NAIA program & that only lasted around 10 years. I knew there would be some that didn't wrestle beyond High School, but honestly I thought there would be more. 

It's also of note that we still have some currently competing in college. 

McKenzie Cook who won 4 girl's state titles is at McKendree

Aedyn Concepcion of South Anchorage is currently competing for Gardner Webb

Hadyen Lieb of Bethel is competing for Wyoming 

I'm not sure but I do think Landon Smith of Bethel is also going to be competing somewhere next season. I haven't heard or read where yet, but I think we'll see him on the mat.