The Unalaska Raiders capped their season this weekend with state medals and a regional title they haven’t claimed in about three decades.
For Head Coach Rainier Marquez, an Unalaska alumni, the title was the perfect gift.
“I told the team that I turn 30 this month, and a regional title to wrap up the season would be the best birthday present, and they delivered,” Marquez said.
At the regional tournament in Bethel, the team crowned five champions, winning their first regional title since the early ‘90s, according to Marquez.
“The team worked hard all year, on and off the mat, spending extra time fundraising to send 15 wrestlers to the Great Alaska Conference tournament in Bethel,” he said.
The team also sent eight athletes to the 2025 Alaska State Wrestling Tournament in Anchorage last week — twice as many wrestlers as they brought last year. They came home with three medals.
In his return to the Alaska Airlines Center, senior Cache Henning won his second silver medal in a row, this time in the 140-pound weight class. Senior Jamin Tolai took third place in the 215-pound class. And Kaidon Parker, also a senior, took fourth place at 171 pounds.
Marquez said the senior captains all had strong finishes to their Raider athletic careers.
The team traveled to several competitions this season, including the Nikiski Top Dawg Tournament, the Rick Hofacker Invitational and the Lancer Smith Memorial tournament. The student athletes also hosted the Cordova Wolverines for their first home matches since 2021.
Marquez, who has coached the team for four years, said it was a very successful wrestling season, with multiple Raiders reaching the podium at every tournament they attended.
