11 Valley athletes win NYO events

PALMER — More than 150 athletes competed in the Alaska Job Corps Center Native Youth Olympics at the Alaska Job Corps Center in Palmer over the weekend.

Of the 19 events during the two-day meet, 11 were won by athletes hailing from Mat-Su Valley programs.

Alice Oksoktaruk led Wasilla with a meet-high three wins. Oksoktaruk in the girls one foot high kick, two foot high kick and one arm reach.

She won by at least five inches in all three events.

Noel Curtis posted a pair of wins for Wasilla, finishing first in the boys one foot high kick and two foot high kick.

Adia Miles (girls wrist carry), Cody Pfeifer (boys Indian stick pull) and Pauline Valencia (girls Indian stick pull) also won for Wasilla.

Simone Pushruk led the Chickaloon squad with two wins, capturing victories in the girls Alaska high kick and girls seal hop.

Brad Kuramoto led the Alaska Job Corps team with a win in the boys toe kick.

This is the first of three events local athletes will participate in during the coming weeks. On Thursday, Palmer Junior Middle School is hosting the regional meet. The state NYO meet is scheduled for April 23-25 at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

For a feature about the Alaska Job Corps Center Native Youth Olympics, see www.frontiersman.com/sports.

Alaska Job Corps Center Native Youth Olympics

Saturday-Sunday; Alaska Job Corps Center, Palmer

Boys kneel jump

1. Aaron Wilde, East 49.5 inches; 2. Austin Sumdum, Yakutat 49.5; 3. Chris Smith, Job Corps 42.5.

Girls kneel jump

1. Robin Standish, Seward 38 inches; 2. Alice Oskoktarnk, Wasilla 35.5; 3. Kylie Gordon, Houston 33.

Boys wrist carry

1. Garret Hansen, Seward 420 feet, 3 inches; 2. Justin Wolf, Kenai 367-8; 3. Forest Oksoktaruk, Wasilla 346-7.

Girls wrist carry

1. Adia Miles, Wasilla 165 feet; 2. Irene Attungenak, Houston 144-4; 3. Simone Pushruk, Chickaloon 140-11.

Boys Alaska high kick

1. Andrew Henry, Yakutat 74 inches, 2. Charlie Buzby, Houston 74 (two misses); 3. Noel Curtis, Wasilla 74 (three misses).

Girls Alaska high kick

1. Simone Pushruk, Chickaloon 60 inches; 2. Liz Milligrock, East 60 (one miss); 3. Alice Oksoklaruk, Wasilla 57.

Boys Eskimo stick pull

1. Matt Leack, Kenai; 2. Jake Towsley, Seward; 3. Tyler Barron, Houston.

Girls Eskimo stick pull

1. Liz Milligrock, East; 2. Pauline Valencia, Wasilla; 3. Rachel Denton, Palmer.

Boys toe kick

1. Brad Kuramoto, Job Corps 66 inches (four misses); 2. John Waska, Romig 66 (six misses); 3. Chris Smith, Job Corps 64.

Boys two foot high kick

1. Noel Curtis, Wasilla 86 inches; 2. Chris Smith, Job Corps 85 inches; 3. Austin Sumdum, Yakutat 78.

Girls two foot high kick

1. Alie Oksoktaruk, Wasilla 72; 2. Robin Standish, Seward 65; 3. Simone Pushruk, Chickaloon 58.

Boys one arm reach

1. Mark Tubin, Yakutat 60 inches; 2. Andrew Henry, Yakutat 58; 3. James Alpiak, Wasilla 54.

Girls one arm reach

1. Alice Oksoktaruk, Wasilla 59 inches; 2. Chelsea Morrow, Kenai 54; 3. Kierra Holmes, Houston 51.

Boys seal hop

1. Nelson Kanuk, Yakutat 120 feet, 7 inches; 2. Jacob Meriweather, Palmer 75-5 1/2; 3. Aaron Wilde, East 75-4.

Girls seal hop

1. Simone Pushruk, Chickaloon 98 feet, 6 1/2 inches; 2. Victoria Bugbudo, Houston 87-3; 3. Courtney Wilmarth, Palmer 57-5.

Boys Indian stick pull

1. Cody Pfeifer, Wasilla; 2. Benard Clark, Palmer; 3. Garrett Hanson, Seward.

Girls Indian stick pull

1. Pauline Valencia, Wasilla; 2. Courtnie Claywood, Wasilla; 3. Jessica Bagaberdo, Houston.

Boys one foot high kick

1. Noel Curtis, Wasilla 101 inches (one miss); 2. Chris Smith, Job Corps 101 (three misses); 3. Skylar Baldwin, East 96.

Girls one foot high kick

1. Alice Oksokloruk, Wasilla 82 inches; 2. Liz Milligrock, East 76 (four misses); 3. Simone Pushruk, Chickaloon 76.