Mat-Su team places second in 2022 NYO meet

WASILLA — The 2022 Native Youth Olympics brought Alaskan youth athletes from across the state together to demonstrate their physical prowess, various skills, and overall sportsmanship.

“It was a complete success,” NYO coordinator Adele Villa said.

The 2022 NYO featured the first in-person competition for the senior division since the onset of the pandemic. The junior division was still held virtually due to COVID protocols, but the plan is to have a full in-person event next year, according to Villa.

“I was just really happy that we were able to be together again. It was too long,” Villa said.

Mat-Su Valley athletes performed well this year, placing second overall with 32 points. Many Valley athletes made it to the top five across many of the categories.

McCrae Mills placed second in the girls’ Wrist Carry competition and Myles Campbell placed third in the boys’ division.

Deshawn Campbell placed second in the boys’ Alaskan High Kick competition.

Riley Malone placed second in the girls’ One-Hand Reach competition.

Daisy VanBlarcom placed fourth in the girls’ Two-Foot High Kick competition and

Deshawn Campbell placed first in the boys’ division.

Daisy Vanblarcom placed fifth during the girls’ One-Foot High Kick competition and

Deshawn Campell placed third in the boys’ division.

McCrae Mills placed second and Michaela Mills placed fourth in the girls’ Seal Hop competition.

Villa marveled at the youth athletes’ abilities and perseverance.

“They are unique skills. It takes a lot,” Villa said. Some students didn’t even have a gym to practice in.

The Cook Inlet Tribal Council has organized the NYO games for over three decades. Villa has been involved for a decade. She said that overall participation continues to grow, which is encouraging because more students across the state can succeed and prosper as individuals and teammates. She said the overall goal of NYO is to foster healthy competition, promote cultural values and traditions, and provide an outlet for participating athletes to empower themselves through positive self-esteem.

“I’ve really enjoyed watching NYO grow. NYO is about creating stronger communities,” Villa said.

For more information about NYO, visit citci.org/partnerships-events/nyo-games.

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

BREAKOUT:

Official 2022 NYO results:

Wrist Carry:

Girls

1st Sadie Elachik BSSD 359’ ¼’’

2nd McCrae Mills Mat-Su A 287’ 3 ¼’’

3rd Joy Walker Knik Tribal 286’ 3 ¾’’

4th Crystal Moses LKSD 177’ 1 ¾’’

5th Caelyn Carter Mat-Su B 165’ 3’’

Boys

1st Ethan Jenkins Dillingham 535’ 3 ¾’’

2nd Nick Louis Amora Unalaska 418’ 1 ¼’’

3rd Myles Campbell Mat-Su A 396’ 3 ½’’

4th Senen Torino BBSD 382’ 2 ¼’’

5th Tristan Feezel-Wild Mat-Su B 359’ 5’’

Alaskan High Kick:

Girls

1st Eden Hopson ANC A 70’’

2nd Kyra John LKSD 68’’ 0m

3rd Leila Kell Chickaloon 68’’ 2m

4th Isabelle Savo Dillingham 66’’ 2m

5th Ashlen Malchoff Homer 64’’ 0m

Boys

1st Colton Paul MEHS 90’’

2nd Deshawn Campbell Mat-Su A 86’’

3rd Ezra Elisoff Juneau A 84’’ 0m

4th Jordan Lewis LKSD 82’’ 1m

5th Kyle Abbott Juneau B 82’’ 3m

FRIDAY 04-22-2022

(Official Results)

Eskimo Stick Pull

Girls

1st Manu Muti Barrow

2nd Taylor Tiedeman Cordova

3rd Jada Moonin Nanwalek

4th Torill Mai SWRSD

5th Kiara Nelson LPSD

Boys

1st Derek Seppilu Jr. BSSD A

2nd Samiel Wilson Salamatof

3rd Kael Erickson BSSD B

4th Nathan Hansen BBSD

5th Aiden Wassillie LPSD

One-Hand Reach:

Girls

1st Eden Hopson ANC A 56’’

2nd Riley Malone Mat-Su A 54’’

3rd Abby Mallette Fairbanks A 54’’ 1m/54’’

4th Autumn Nanouk BSSD A 54’’ 2m/54’’

5th Neveah George MEHS 53’’ 0m

5th Destiny Panruk LKSD 53’’ 0m

Boys

1st Parker KEnick Nome 64’’

2nd Michael Flynn LKSD 64’’ 4m

3rd Ezra Elisoff Juneau A 62’’ 1m

4th Colton Paul MEHS 62’’ 2m/62’’

5th Anatoly Fomin Unalaska 62’’ 2m/50’’

Two-Foot High Kick:

Girls

1st Jordan Klejka Bethel 68’’

2nd Victoria Fisher BSSD A 66’’

3rd Tehana Baldwin MEHS 66’’ 3m

4th Daisy VanBlarcom Mat-Su A 64”

5th Emilee Wilson Salamatof 64” 1m

Boys

1st Deshawn Campbell Mat-Su A 94”

2nd Parker Kenick Nome 94” 2m/94”

3rd Colton Paul MEHS 92” 2m/86”

4th Michael Flynn LKSD 90” 2m/86”

5th Sage Worl ANC B 90” 3m/86”

Indian Stick Pull:

Girls

1st Shanelle Palma Unalaska

2nd Leah Evans Homer

3rd Trinity Vlasoff Tatitlek

4th Johnelle Smith LKSD

5th Mylee Yeoman Salamatof

Boys

1st Teague Green-Johnson Nome

2nd Evan Phillip LKSD

3rd James Ione Jr BSSD A

4th Graelin Chaney Dillingham

5th Geoffrey Anderson Fairbanks MS

One-Foot High Kick:

Girls

1st Lydia Alverts Chickaloon 84”

2nd Victoria Fisher BSSD A 82” 0m

3rd Emilee Wilson Salamatof 82” / 1m/82”

4th Jordan Klejka Bethel 92” 2m/82” (83 kickoff)

5th Daisy Vanblarcom Mat-Su A 82” 2m/ 82”

Boys

1st Colton Paul MEHS 110”

2nd Chad Hakala ANC A 106” 0m

3rd Deshawn Campell Mat-Su A 106” 2m/106”

4th Parker Kenick Nome 106” 2m/ 104”

5th Dez Hess Ninikchick 106” 7m/84”

Kneel Jump:

Girls

1st Shanelle Palma Unalaska 44”

2nd Tehana Baldwin MEHS 43”

3rd Leila Kell Chickaloon 41”

4th Eden Hopson ANC A 39 ¾” / 38 ¾”

5th Kyra John LKSD 39 ¾” / 37 ¾”

Boys

1st Nick Louis Amora Unalaska 62 ¼”

2nd Michael Flynn LKSD 58 ¼”

3rd Dayln Nelson Bethel 54 ½”

4th Colton Paul MEHS 54”

5th Davin Malzahn Fairbanks A 49 ½”

Seal Hop:

Girls

1st Crystal Moses LKSD 135’0”

2nd McCrae Mills Mat-Su A 134’3”

3rd Michelle Atcherian Chevak 131’ 8 ¾”

4th Michaela Mills Mat-Su B 124’ 7 ¼”

5th Mia Anderson MEHS 120’ 10 ½”

Boys

1st Devon Mann LKSD 113’ 8 ½”

2nd Teague Green Johnson Nome 93’ 11 ¾”

2nd Landon Smith Bethel 93 11 ¾”

2nd Dennis Ulak LYSD 93’ 11 ¾”

5th James Maska Johnson Fairbanks A 88’ 11”

SCISSOR BROAD JUMP:

Girls

1st Lydia Alverts Chickaloon 26’7”

2nd Jadrey Reynon Unalaska 26’ 6 ½”

3rd Jaden Wren ANC A 26’ 4 ½”

4th Eden Hopson ANC B 26’ 2 ½”

5th Tessa Anderson MEHS 25’ 9 ¾”

Boys

1st Colton Paul MEHS 36’ 5 ½”

2nd Alukka Ivanoff BSSD A 35’ 8 ½”

3rd Chad Hakala ANC A 35’ 4”

4th Deshawn Campbell Mat-Su A 34’ 5”

5th Colin McFarland Nome 34’ 3 ½”

Academic Excellence Awards

Team of 7 or less: Andreafski

Team of 8 or more: BSSD

The Worl Family Scholarship

Mia Anderson — MEHS

Ben Snowball Individual Sportsmanship Awards

Male: Fayzon Lawrence — Seward

Female: Eden Hopson – Anchorage

Gloria Walker Team Sportsmanship Award

Juneau

Healthy Coach

Kyle Worl – Juneau

Best Team Banner

Bethel

Ben Snowball Overall Athletes

Male: Colton Paul — MEHS

Female: Eden Hopson – ANC A

Overall Teams

1st LKSD 36 Points

2nd Mat-Su A 32 Points

2nd MEHS 32 Points

3rd BSSD A 27 Points

4th Unalaska 24 Points

5th ANC A 22 Points