Chickaloon athletes excel at Native games

A pair of Chickaloon athletes won events at the Native Youth Olympics at the Sullivan Arena last weekend.

David Thomas, of Chickaloon, won four events during the three-day event. His height of 88 inches was the best in the Alaskan high kick event.

Thomas earned a tiebreaker to beat Wasilla's Chris Warrior in the two foot high kick. Thomas and Warrior each scored on a kick of 90 inches. But Warrior had two misses at the target, while Thomas missed just once.

In the one-hand reach, Thomas' 66 inches was the event's best.

He also edged Wasilla's Jesse Davis to win the Indian stick pull.

Thomas recorded second-place finishes in the toe kick and one foot high kick.

Paxston Price, also of Chickaloon, won the wrist carry with a distance of 591 feet.

Warrior was second in the two-foot high kick and scissors broad jump.

In the girls' class, Chickaloon's Lynette Stettinger was second in the Indian stick pull. Houston's Melissa Wood finished fifth.

In the wrist carry, Kendra Wilson, of Wasilla, finished fourth.

Prep baseball begins

The Valley prep baseball teams are now in action. Three of the four squads have already made their season debuts in road games.

Palmer opened with an 8-6 win over Service High School in Anchorage. Colony suffered a 10-0 loss to Chugiak.

Last weekend Wasilla dropped a pair of games at Kodiak High School.

Friday, Palmer and Colony will be in action in Palmer. Colony hosts Valdez at 5 p.m. and Kenny Lake at 7 p.m. Palmer faces Homer in a doubleheader, starting at 5 p.m. All games are at the Palmer Little League fields.

Wasilla will travel to Houston to play the Hawks on Monday at Houston High School.

- Jeremiah Bartz