Hidden gems in little town Alaska

J's World, by Jeremiah Bartz

Five years ago, it was a thrill for Alaskans to see one of their own, Trajan Langdon, on a nationally televised game. First Langdon had his run at Duke University as a member of the Blue Devil basketball squad, then Juneau's Carlos Boozer had a chance to shine in the Duke spotlight.

About that time another Anchorage native, Scott Gomez, was establishing himself as one of the bright young stars of the National Hockey League.

Athletes from Alaska's largest city and its capitol city were being recognized by a national audience. Even at that time, who woulda thunk you could turn on ESPN and see a kid from Palmer, Alaska. And even more remote was the thought, multiple athletes from the Valley could be seen on nationally televised games.

On Thursday the former Colony High star and current Bowling Green State University standout made his fourth appearance on ESPN as a part of the Falcon football team. Magner not only played in the Mid American Conference championship televised by the cable sports superpower, but caught his 84th pass of the season, which was good enough to break a BGSU school record. Magner was also a frequent topic of conversation by analysts Mike Tirico and Lee Corso.

Tirico and Corso had anecdotes about Magner the Alaskan, how a 6 to 5 vote among the BG coaching staff earned him a college scholarship and how Magner's dad Randy supplies the BG coaches with fresh Alaskan fish during his trips to the midwest.

Magner is not the only Palmer boy to be on television right now. He is not even the most recognized Colony grad in athletics in the country. That honor is taken by Jessica Moore.

In just her fourth year out of high school, Moore has already won a pair of national championships with the University of Connecticut and is one of the top players for the top team in the nation this season. Moore could not only have as many as two more NCAA championships in her future, but a career in the WNBA.

And another Palmer native, C.J. Hooker, has made the most improbable leap onto the national scene. After receiving looks by mostly smaller schools and Division II programs coming out of Palmer High School in 2000, Hooker made the University of North Carolina basketball team this fall. After two years in the Tar Heel junior varsity program, Hooker is now part of arguably the most prestigious basketball program in the nation. Hooker grabbed his first career rebound in front of a national audience on Nov. 24 in a nationally televised win over Davidson on ESPN2.

It does not end there. Wasilla graduate Ray Schafer is now at Oregon and the 7-footer will be undoubtedly be seen in the future on CBS as the Ducks battle in the big dance. Palmer graduate Kerry Weiland is one of the best women's hockey players in the country and is a regular member of Team USA.

There are now a number of athletes from the Valley competing in Division I athletics. The sports of football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, skiing, hockey and wrestling are all represented by Valley athletes.

It is not only a thrill for residents to see locals succeed on a national scale, it is a thrill for me to see athletes I have covered succeed at the next level and report their progress along the way.

The most important benefit I see is the influence these current collegiate athletes from the Valley have on athletes currently competing at the prep and youth levels in the Valley. Even when I was in high school it was rare to see a teammate or class mate sign a National Letter of Intent to any college, now it not only happens on a regular basis, but Alaskan athletes are signing with Division I teams on a regular basis.

Now even when I am covering freshman and sophomores and watching them evolve into mature athletes, I can see them as legitimate college prospects. I wonder where Wade Williams is going to play hockey, where Jed Wade will wrestle and where Kristina Klapperich and Luke Schafer will hit the hardwood.

Now coaches see the local athletes as legitimate college prospects. And after seeing it is possible for a kid from the little town of Palmer, Alaska to be in a nationally televised game on ESPN, the players see themselves as legitimate prospects.