Alaska Native Youth Olympics: four time state champion Ashley Hoglund returns home amongst hundreds of Valley athletes to compete this year

HOUSTON — Houston High School senior Ashley Hoglund took first place in the Eskimo Stick Pull at the NYO Games state finals this year, one of many success stories HHS Head NYO Coach Jared Barrett was happy to share.

“I hope for this to be the biggest thing in the state — the Mat-Su NYO,” Barrett said.

The junior level ranges from first to sixth grade and the senior level goes from seventh to twelfth grade. Barrett said that some 560 junior athletes signed up this year with a little over 100 seniors.

“We dropped a little bit this year but the spirit was still there,” Barrett said. “They were cheering each other on.”

This is Hoglund’s fourth time in a row as state champ. She started her NYO career when she was in eighth grade, taking third place in the state finals.

She said that she was introduced to the sport when she was in elementary School by her gym teacher, Hank Foster. Barrett noted that Foster is currently a junior NYO coach at Larson Elementary School.

“He’s got a good team,” Barrett said.

Hoglund said that she looks forward to each NYO season. Aside from volleyball, it’s her favorite sport. She said that she practices every day to prepare for her signature event: the Eskimo Stick Pull.

The Eskimo Stick Pull involves two athletes going head to head, or in this case, foot to foot. They sit down and face each other with their feet touching and parallel to each other. Grabbing a stick in between them, each athlete pulls until their opponent is lifted from the floor, falls over sideways or loses their grip. Barrett said this game was originally used to build up the skill and strength needed for pulling heavy seals our of the ice.

“ It’s got to be a nice, steady pull and it’s got to be a nice, strong pull,” Barrett said.

After five years, Hoglund has reached her NYO swan song, coming home with the bittersweet victory. The bitter? It’s her last year since she’s graduating from high school. The sweet? She went the last two years undefeated and garnered four first place victories. Barrett said that she’s now mentoring the next generation of NYO athletes.

“She’s very humble. I try to brag for her,” Barrett said with a laugh.

Hoglund said that she’s taking a year off once she graduates high school to live life and figure out what she really wants to do. She said that she’s considering nursing as a career but still needs to take this time to figure out what type of work she is going to gravitate to.

“She’s been doing a great job. She has wonderful sportsmanship,” ,” Barrett said. “She has a great work ethic when she gets here.”

Barrett is wearing many NYO hats, including the Mat-Su Team Head Coach and Mat-Su NYO Coordinator. He said that his love for the NYO is in his blood, literally. He’s half Yupik and his ancestors played these northern games to learn how to survive as a community.

“Because we believe in always helping each other,” he explained. “A native philosophy is if one person goes out and has a bad hunting trip, it hurts the whole village. They help everybody so the whole village can be successful and survive... These games serve multiple purposes like preserving Alaskan Native culture, language and way of life. As each generation gets older, the more challenging it becomes to preserve Alaskan Native identify across the state. The native way of life is in danger… They still are pulling together and working to together to make sure it survives.”

At the core of NYO is that theme of community, accepting and encouraging all cultures to participate. Barrett said that he was involved with the NYO at a young age.

Since he started working in the Matanuska Susitna Borough School District, he’s made it his personal mission to grow NYO across the Valley, hoping to get as many coaches as he can and hoping that every school adopts a NYO program.

“Just to see them get past their best personal goal, to see them succeed — that’s what I love to do this for,” Barrett said.

He said that it’s grown a lot over the last decade, especially with the junior level. He said that he was grateful for the school and Knik Tribal Council supporting NYO in the Valley each year.

“We were really trying to push it at the elementary level,” Barrett said. “I’m just trying to light a fire underneath them at a young age so they just start to love the sport.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com

2019 NYO Senior Games

THURSDAY, April 25

KNEEL JUMP

Girls

Girls Regan Hoblet, Mt. Edgecumbe, 47 ¾”Alexandria Ivanoff, BSSD A, 44 ½”Tezlyn Kerrone, Mat-Su A, 43 ¾”Miranda Paul, LKSD, 43 ½”Cate Gomez, Dillingham, 43 ¼”

Boys

Murphy Charles Mt. Edgecumbe, 59”Eric Tinker LKSD, 56 ¾”Matthew Quinto, Sealaska, 56 ½”Jacob Brouillette, BSSD A, 55 ¼”Floyd Tickett III, NWABSD, 54”

WRIST CARRY

Girls

Lorraine Gregory, Anchorage A, 337′ 5″Mya Campbell, Mat-Su B, 230′ 4″Kate Koepke, Whitehorse, 222′ 1″Lisa Tran, Unalaska, 218′ 9″Victoria Probst, Mat-Su A, 215′ 7 ½”

Boys

Jerome Molina, Unalaska, 511′ 2″Chandler Ulroan, Chevak, 354′ 6 ¼”Micah Mitchell, NWABSD, 347′ 6 ½”Ethan Jenkins, Dillingham, 328′ 7 ½”Richard Oxerok, Mt. Edgecumbe, 327′ 10″

ALASKAN HIGH KICK

Girls

Kaeli Amik, LKSD, 72″Elaina Anawrok, BSSD A, 68″Abi Fry, Nunamuit, 67″ 0mJoBeth Stuart, Bethel, 67″ 1mAlexandria Ivanoff, BSSD B, 66″

Boys

John Villena, Unalaska, 89″Judah Eason, Salamatof, 84″Arnold Phillip, LKSD, 83″Edward Atcherion, Chevak, 82″ 0mMurphy Charles, Mt. Edgecumbe, 82″ 1m

FRIDAY, April 26

ESKIMO STICK PULL

Girls

Ashley Hoglund, Mat-Su AKiley Clouse, DillinghamKamila Asopaolo, Mat-Su BShaylena Inga, Anchorage AMonica Ishnook, SWRSD

Boys

Haley Osborne, Mt. EdgecumbeAndrew Bergan, NWABSDKelsey Slater, West ValleyJack Saslu, Mat-Su ASterling Zuboff, Sealaska

SCISSOR BROAD JUMP

Girls

Catherine Sunny, Mt. Edgecumbe, 28′ 2 ¼”Alexandria Ivanoff, BSSD A, 28′ 1 3/4″Lizzie Tran, Unalaska, 27′ 10 3/4″Emily King, FH Collins/Whitehorse YT, 26′ 11 ½”Kiley Hall, Mat-Su B, 26′ 6 3/4″

Boys

John Villena, Unalaska, 36′ 11 ½” (new state record)Jamin Crow, Bethel, 34′ 7 ½”Erik Mills, NWABSD, 34 2″Earl Annogiyuk, BSSD A, 34′ ¼”Jack “Hugh” Youngers, Mt. Edgecumbe, 33′ 4 3/4″

ONE-HAND REACH

Girls

Camille Bernard, Mat-Su A, 58″ 2m @ 58″Joeli Carlson, Mt. Edgecumbe, 58″ 2m @ 54″JoBeth Stuart, Bethel, 56″ 1m @ 54″Eden Hopson, Anchorage A, 56″ 2m @ 54″Chantal Snyder, LKSD, 55″ 0m

Boys

Shelby Samuel, Mt. Edgecumbe, 65″Iris Paul, LKSD, 63″Arsaar Japhat, Yupiit, 60″ 0mStorm Rohrer, Valdez, 60″ 1mEarl Annogiyuk, BSSD A, 60″ 2m

TWO-FOOT HIGH KICK

Girls

Andrea Apthorp, Mat-Su A, 72″Alexandria Ivanoff, BSSD A, 70″Amanda Kanrilak, LKSD, 66″ 0mBrystel Charlie, Mt. Edgecumbe, 66″ 1mEmily King, FH Collins, 66″ 2m

Boys

Trevor Wilson, Unalaska, 94″Jamin Crow, Bethel, 90″Jaden Black, LKSD, 87″Luke Riley, Nanwalek, 83″Dakota Brown, Valdez, 83″ 1m

SATURDAY, April 28

INDIAN STICK PULL

Girls

Shanelle Palma, UnalaskaRaeny Bell, LYSDKaia Beebe, LPSDChristine Washington, BBSDShayne Westland, Mat-Su A

Boys

Ilire Dementieff, Mat-Su BArnold Phillip, LKSDDavid Epina, Mat-Su AIan Anelon, LPSDKaden Gibbens, Mt. Edgecumbe

ONE-FOOT HIGH KICK

Girls

Emily King, FH Collins/Whitehorse YT, 88″Kaia Beebe, LPSD, 86″ 2mAlexandria Ivanoff, BSSD A, 86″ 3mSuzanne Beatty, Mat-Su A, 84″ 0mAndrea Apthorp, Mat-Su B, 84″ 2m

Boys

John Villena, Unalaska, 104″ 0mAdrian Pleasant, BSSD A, 104″ 4mEric Tinker, LKSD, 103″Edward Kokeok, BSSD B, 102″Briar Hahn, Mat-Su A, 101″

SEAL HOP

Girls

Adeline Dyment, Mt. Edgecumbe, 145′ 3″Michelle Atcherian, Chevak 142′ 7″Abi Fry, Nunamiut 122′ 9″Emilee Wilson, Kenaitze 109′ 1 ½”Kate Koepke, Whitehorse YT 108′ 8-3/4″

Boys

Tristan Anaver, LKSD 188′Avey Moses, Mt. Edgecumbe 167′ 9½”Edward Atcherian, Chevak 142′Trevor Wilson, Unalaska 113′ 6 ½”Alvin Washington, BSSD A 111″ 9-1/4″

Individual Sportsmanship Award

Male: Judah Eason, Salamatof

Female: Alexandria Ivanoff, BSSD

Gloria Walker Team Sportsmanship Award

Mt. Edgecumbe

Healthy Coach

Kyle Worl

Best Team Banner

Seward

Overall Athletes

Alexandria Ivanoff, BSSD 16 points

John Villena, Unalaska 15 points

Overall Teams

Mt. Edgecumb 44 points

LKSD 37 points (tie)

Unalaska 37 points (tie)

BSSD A 29 points

Mat-Su A 28 points