Caleb Hopkins
Levi Hopkins
Brothers Caleb Hopkins and Levi Hopkins of Palmer had their own whatever-you-can-do, I-can-do-better competition going on for the Campbell University wrestling team.
Both Alaskans are featured in the starting lineup for the NCAA D1 Camels and both of them went 2-0 as Campbell swept a college tri-meet against Virginia Military Institute and Ohio in Lexington, Virginia.
Redshirt sophomore Caleb Hopkins had probably the best showing of any Alaska wrestler on the weekend, with the 184-pounder picking up two bonus-point wins by pin and major decision.
His younger brother Levi Hopkins posted back-to-back 5-1 decisions at 197 to earn his first wins at the college level.
The Hopkins brothers highlighted an Alaska contingent of college wrestlers who notched varsity victories on the weekend.
Other weekend winners included Anchorage’s Noah Ottum at Colorado School of Mines, and Glennallen’s Caden Gerlach and Anchorage’s Evan Bockman at Cal Baptist.
Even more Alaskans were in action on the mat this weekend and they will mentioned later in this wrestling roundup story.
Caleb Hopkins, of Colony High fame, improved to 29-12 for his college career after demolishing Ohio’s Carson Brewer 16-3 and pinning VMI’s Chase Meilnik at the 3:46 mark.
Noah Ottum
He has racked up 13 career pins at Campbell.
Both Hopkins brothers were part of Campbell’s 39-0 win over VMI, the team’s first shutout in a calendar year.
Ottum, of South High fame, is among Alaska’s active wins leaders with a 45-31 career record at NCAA D2 Colorado School of Mines.
The 149-pound redshirt senior pinned Josh Lenker in 99 seconds to help Mines beat 12th-ranked Fort Hayes State 31-6.
Palmer’s Levi Farris won an exhibition match for Colorado School of Mines over Clint Herrick 5-2.
At NCAA D1 Cal Baptist, Gerlach and Brockman both went 1-1 on the weekend with wins against Utah Valley and losses to Northern Colorado.
Gerlach improved to 7-5 for his career, earning his win with a 13-5 major decision over Ashton Seely at 184.
Caden Gerlach keeps working for bonus points, with another nearfall in the third period.#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/vfyMdHG752
— CBU Wrestling (@CBUwrestling) January 8, 2021
Bockman earned his first college win with a 5-2 decision over Jacob Armstrong at 197.
Together, the Alaskans combined for seven points in a 25-16 loss to Utah Valley.
Other Alaskans to compete on the mat included Anchorage’s Alex Hernandez at Arkansas Little Rock, Anchorage’s Aedyn Concepcion at Gardner-Webb, Stebbins’ Joycelyn Katchaek at Jamestown, Kotzebue’s Gary Eakin at Navy and Anchorage’s Cole Phelps at Air Force. They may not have won, but they gave it everything they had.