Wrestling stalwarts Aaron Concepcion and Kenton Cooke named Alaska Athlete of the Week co-winners

Wrestlers Aaron Concepcion and Kenton Cooke were selected as co-winners of our Alaska Athlete of the Week honors after capping identical 29-0 seasons by winning state championships.

South High’s Concepcion won his championship match with a first-round pin. East High’s Cooke won his final match 7-5.

The two number-one seeds had similarly dominant seasons, winning the majority of their matches by pin, repeating as state champions, and finishing their high school careers with unbeaten seasons.

Also receiving votes:

Rosie Brennan – The 34-year-old APU skier, grabbed second place in the women’s 10-kilometer classic race in Trondheim, Norway. She ranks second in the women’s overall World Cup standings behind teammate Jessie Diggins.

Michael Earnhart – The Eagle River native came from 21st place midway through the 10-kilometer freestyle mass start to win the finale of the Anchorage Winterstart SuperTour Series by three-tenths of a second.

Evan Fitzgerald – The West High senior defenseman on the Eagles hockey team entered the final week before the holiday break with 13 goals and 7 assists.

Mac Swanson – The 17-year-old from Anchorage delivered big for Team USA, racking 2-9—11 totals in six games at the World Junior A Challenge, helping the Americans to a Bronze medal in Truro, Nova Scotia.

Aryanna Watson – A freshman on the Service Cougars basketball team, Aryanna had one of the best Alaska high school basketball debuts in recent memory. The sharpshooting point guard put up 40 points in a 67-61 loss to state runner-up Wasilla at the Doc Larson Roundball Classic in Wasilla.

Bryant Holloway (Criag HS), Uatahouse Tuifua (Barrow HS),Amelia Fawcett (Colony HS), Jahzara O’Neil (Dimond HS), ,Jessailah Thammavongsa (South HS) – This group of five join Concepcion and Cooke as the only Alaska high school champion wrestlers to complete the season with undefeated records.