Mat-Su squad earns NYO state title

WASILLA — As his Mat-Su squad prepared for the Native Youth Olympics State Games, head coach Jared Barrett thought his team had the potential to accomplish something special.

And Barrett’s athletes didn’t disappoint. If anything, they went above and beyond.

Five athletes combined to win seven events, and the Mat-Su A team earned the NYO state title following the three-day event last weekend at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.

“I thought we had a great chance,” Barrett said Tuesday afternoon. “With all of these kids and all of their different talents, they came together as a great team and ended up taking the gold.”

Mat-Su finished with 48 total points to win the team title, beating runner-up Unalaska by four points. Barrett said it was a battle with Unalaska throughout. Kaiden Jimenez and Madi Ko each won a pair of events to help Mat-Su become the first Valley team in about a decade to win the NYO state meet. Wasilla High was the last Valley squad to earn the NYO team title.

Jimenez, who was named the overall top male athlete of the meet, finished first in the boys’ scissor broad jump and one foot high kick, and was third in the two foot high kick.

“The kid is just an amazing athlete,” Barrett said.

Jimenez used a mark of 35 feet, 4.75 inches to finish first in the scissor broad jump. He hit 106 inches in the one foot high kick.

Madi Ko also earned a pair of titles, and broke her own NYO and world record in the girls’ scissor broad jump. Last year, Ko hit a mark of 29-6.25 in the event. This year, Ko topped 30 feet to break the record, with a mark of 30-1. Ko also finished first in the two foot high kick, with a mark of 76 inches. She was also second in the one foot high kick.

Ko also earned the sportsmanship award.

Like Ko, Ashley Hoglund earned a title for the second straight year. She successfully defended her title in the girls’ Eskimo stick pull.

One of the team’s youngest competitors, Mia Weiss, also won an event. Weiss finished first in the girls’ wrist carry with a distance of 463 feet, 4.5 inches.

“She’s a seventh grader going up against juniors and seniors,” Barrett said.

Noah Brown also scored a win over Mat-Su, finishing first in the two foot high kick.

A half-dozen other Mat-Su A team athletes also finished in the top 5. Mark Donlan (boys’ wrist carry) and Ko (one foot high kick) were both second. Tim Meyer finished fourth in the boys’ kneel jump. Matt Grothe (Eskimo stick pull), Jacob Smith (one hand reach) and Jenni Klebesadel (girls’ seal hop) each finished fifth.

Klebelsadel (wrist carry) and Madison Ortega (Eskimo stick pull) each finished fourth for the Mat-Su B team.

The title is Mat-Su’s first since the Valley formed a combined team in 2011. Barrett said the squad has finished in the top 5 each year since the merger, and as high as second. Barrett said he is proud to see the interest in the sport continue to grow in the Valley, and was quick to praise the dozen coaches who help mentor the NYO athletes throughout the Valley.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.