UAA throws offer, Wasilla grad lands with Seawolves

WASILLA — John Knowles is no stranger to finding a different path in life.

As Knowles was growing up, the 2010 graduate of Wasilla High School spent much of his time on the basketball court. Knowles started playing when he was in the second grade, and when it came to sports, his focus was on basketball.

But during his time at Wasilla High, Knowles began to find great success as a thrower on the school’s track and field team.

While basketball was a big part of his life, the military was a much larger influence. His father is in the Army. His grandfathers and great grandfathers served. Knowles wanted to follow in that tradition and attend the United States Military Academy at West Point.

But just as he took a different path, opting to move from the hardwood to the throwers circle, Knowles has now set his sites on the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he will throw the shot put and discus for the Seawolves track and field team.

Knowles, a winner of three state track and field titles during his final two years at Wasilla High, had wanted to attend West Point, but instead has found a new home with the Seawolves.

“It’s exciting. They came forward with an offer for me to go throw for them,” Knowles said on Thursday. “They have a nice program, nice facilities. They take care of you.”

Knowles said he’d only been in contact with West Point and Ohio University during the bulk of the recruiting process, but UAA emerged as a late candidate.

The Seawolves have emerged as a Great Northwest Athletic Conference track and field power in recent years, and the team includes a number of Valley athletes. Both factored into Knowles’ decision to compete for the Seawolves.

Knowles also hopes to continue his family’s military tradition by joining the UAA ROTC program.

“I want to be in the military,” Knowles said. “That’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Most of the males in my family have served. It seems like a good life to live, seems honorable.”

In May, Knowles capped a stellar career at Wasilla High by winning both the shot put and discus events during the ASAA/First National Bank 4A Track and Field Championships. He also won the state shot put championship as a junior, giving him three titles for his career. Knowles also swept the weight events at the Northern Lights Conference Championships as a junior and a senior.

Knowles said he really began to favor throwing over playing basketball during his junior year. Knowles missed virtually his entire senior season of basketball due to injury.

“With basketball, I played a lot. I think I did it too much, got burnt out,” Knowles said. “(Track and field) is a fun, laid-back sport to do.”

Knowles said he also likes the individual aspect of the sport.

“You rely on yourself,” Knowles said. “The personal satisfaction from it is one of the biggest things.”

Knowles also said, while it’s an individual sport, he knows there are many people who helped make him a success.

“I definitely would not have got here without the help of others,” Knowles said.

As a senior, Knowles hit 50 feet, 11.5 inches in the shot put, and 167-10 in the discus as a senior. Knowles said he would like to continue throwing those distances as he graduates to the heavier shot put and discus used in the college competitions.

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