Palmer Olympian deserves more recognition

PALMER — On Thursday, one of our own will be playing for a gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Palmer native and 1999 Palmer High School graduate Kerry Weiland, a Team USA defenseman, scored a goal to help her squad move into the gold medal game with a 9-1 win over Sweden in the women’s hockey tournament semifinals during the Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Monday.

A woman from Palmer and a Palmer High grad could win a gold medal.

Can you believe it? It’s absolutely huge.

She’s only the second Olympian with Valley roots, at least the second I can come up with. The other, Tommy Moe, a gold and silver medalist in alpine skiing in the 1994 games, spent some time in Palmer, but typically calls Girdwood his Alaska home. Weiland is just the second Alaskan to play for the Team USA women’s hockey squad in the Olympic games. And on Monday, Weiland became only the fifth Alaskan to earn a medal at the Winter Olympics.

With the win over Sweden, Weiland and her teammates guaranteed themselves of at least a silver.

Once again, this is absolutely huge.

I too am a graduate of Palmer High School. It’s fairly amazing to think that the school, which may have never reached a student body population of 1,000, is represented by an Olympic medal-winning athlete. It’s incredible to know that our tiny town of Palmer has produced one of the best female hockey players in the country.

But I’m also stunned that more has not been made of this.

Where are the banners? Where are the “Go Kerry” signs?

I guess I just expected more — more chatter in the grocery store about the hometown girl’s chance to win gold, more businesses showing a little Palmer pride.

Palmer Mayor John Combs assures Weiland’s accomplishments won’t go unnoticed, at least from the city’s viewpoint.

“It’s tremendous, a wonderful thing,” Combs, another Palmer High School graduate, said Monday morning, hours before Weiland and her teammates advanced to the gold medal game. “We’re going to do something to recognize that, honor that.”

Combs isn’t shy when it comes to praising his alma mater.

“I think Palmer High is the best in the nation,” Combs said. “We’ve had a lot of special people who have come out of Palmer High School.”

Palmer High School is also working to recognize its now famous alum, PHS Activities Director Jeff Thiede said late last week. Thiede said the school has purchased a pair of Team USA Weiland jerseys that will be soon be placed in a glass case and displayed at the school.

Palmer and the Mat-Su Valley have produced a number of great athletes who have excelled in their respective sports. This area has produced professionals in multiple sports, and numerous athletes who have found success at the collegiate level.

But Weiland’s accomplishments are going to be hard to top. She’s among the best 21 women’s hockey players in the country, and she’s on a team that’s put together only once every four years.

And if Team USA does win gold on Thursday, she’ll be among the best 21 in the world.

I think that deserves recognition — a lot of it.

Moe did win a gold and silver medal during the 1994 Winter Games. Moe did, at one time, live in Palmer and attend Palmer High School. But Moe also publicly called Girdwood his hometown.

For some time, there was a “home of Tommy Moe” sign that stood alongside the Palmer-Wasilla Highway where the road enters city limits. That Tommy Moe sign has since been taken down. Mayor Combs said Moe never came out and officially called Palmer his home, but the sign was taken down for other reasons. The city preferred to use the “Alaska at it’s best,” slogan.

Maybe it’s time for a new sign?

“Palmer: Home of Olympian Kerry Weiland.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.