Valley athletes earn top spots at state NYO meet

ANCHORAGE — Twelve top finishers in the Valley district Native Youth Olympics meet last weekend claimed top spots on the state leader boards this weekend.

Mat-Su A team’s standout performers were Colony High School junior Kayla Olhausen, winner of the Indian stick pull; Wasilla High senior Josh Hughes, winner of the wrist carry; and Colony High senior Teyah Clark, the only A team member to place in more than one event. Clark tied for third in the one-hand reach and took third in the Alaskan high kick.

Olhausen, who won the district Indian stick pull competition, has been a vital part of the Colony NYO team since she entered high school, but never before has she placed at the state meet.

Colony coach Tim LeCount said he expected Olhausen to do well this year.

“She is an incredible stick puller,” LeCount said. “I absolutely knew that she could do it but it was so fun to see her just get in the mode and pull her best.”

LeCount said Olhausen initially lost to last year’s champion, but since she also had a loss to her name, they went once more, and Olhausen won.

“That was the most intense moment of the whole weekend for me,” LeCount said.

In the wrist carry, Hughes had a reputation that preceded him. He won last year’s event by a whopping 150-foot margin, setting a state record and beating out former Mat-Su B team member Jacob McNaulty with a 730-foot, 6-inch carry.

Hughes only made it an inch past the 532-foot mark this year, but still beat out the competition by more than 65 feet.

“He just made a little mental mistake and put his foot down. And it could’ve been a worse mistake because he still got first place,” said Mat-Su coach Jared Barrett.

Clark moved up in the Alaskan high kick from last year’s fourth-place finish, gaining four inches in her final kick height this year — and this time, she never missed. Her finish in the one-hand reach was an improvement from last year as well, as she didn’t even make the top five in 2014.

Mat-Su team members also dominated the boys’ competition in the Eskimo stick pull. Frank Kelly, Su Valley High School’s only state representative, placed second as a member of the Mat-Su A team. Mat-Su B team member and Houston student John Koeneman and Malaki Barrett from the Knik Tribal Council team followed Kelly in third and fourth place, respectively.

“We’ve always done really well in the stick pull but it was great to have three Valley teams up on the podium,” Jared Barrett said.

Other Valley placers include Wasilla’s Stephanie Egnaty, who finished fourth in the kneel jump for Mat-Su B team; Palmer’s Tim Meyer finished fourth in the kneel jump for Mat-Su A; Colony’s Jesse Kurtz finished fifth in the Alaskan high kick for Mat-Su A; Houston Middle’s Ashley Hoglund finished third in the Eskimo stick pull for Mat-Su A for the second year in a row; Colony’s Cheyenne Terwilliger finished second in the seal hop for Mat-Su A; and Allison Qualls finished fourth in the two-foot high kick. This year’s state meet was the first in which Kelly, Koeneman, Barrett, Egnaty, Meyer, Kurtz and Qualls placed in the top five.

The toe kick was the only event in which no Valley competitor placed.

Mat-Su A finished third overall in team results, just one point behind Unalaska. But cheering on their teammates — and competitors — ranked higher on the list of tournament goals, Barrett said.

“The kids showed great sportsmanship, which I think is the most important thing of the games,” he said.

Barrett thanked the Mat-Su Borough School District federal programs administration, Mat-Valley Federal Credit Union and Knik Tribal Council for making the Valley teams’ participation possible.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com

2015 State Native Youth Olympic Games

April 16-18

University of Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Airlines Center

Team results

1. Lower Kuskokwim School District, 45 points; 2. Unalaska, 31; 3. Mat-Su A, 30; 4. Anchorage A and Dillingham (tie).

Girls individual results

Kneel jump — 1. A. Campbell, BSSD A 55.25 inches; 2. J. Kashatok, LKSD 51; 3. S. Dray, Dillingham 44.5; 4. S. Egnaty, Mat-Su B 43.75; 5. M. Qutekcak, Native Tribe 42.75.

Wrist carry — 1. E. Sivits, Anchorage A 344 feet, 0 inches; 2. S. Tuckwood, Dillingham 288-0.5; 3. M. George-Johnson, Yupiit 284-4; 4. A. Smith, LYSD 190-4; 5. Kaye Gumera, Unalaska 153-0.5.

Alaskan high kick — 1. A. Pail, LKSD 76 inches, 0 misses; 2. T. Agwiak, Nenana 76, 2m; 3. T. Clark, Mat-Su A 72; 4. M. Ko, West Valley 70, 0m; 5. A. Mute, MEHS 70, 3m.

Eskimo stick pull — 1. S. Schroeder, Dillingham; 2. P. Savea, Anchorage A; 3. A. Hoglund, Mat-Su A; 4. A. Sullivan, West Valley; 5. L. Adams, NWABSD.

Toe kick — 1. J. Boucher, MEHS 68 inches; 2. S. Dray, Dillingham 66; 3. H. O’Brien, Bethel 62, 0 misses; 4. A. Egoak, 62, 3m; 5. T. Johnson, Anchorage A 62, 4m.

One-hand reach — 1. B. Woods-Orion, MEHS 56 inches, 1 miss (56 in.); 1. I. Maillelle, Anchorage B 56, 1m (56); 2. J. Snyder, LKSD 56, 1m (54); 3. S. Swope, Bethel 56, 1m (50); 3. T. Clark, Mat-Su A 56, 1m (50).

Two-foot high kick — 1. M. Ko, West Valley 75 inches; 2. J. Boucher, MEHS 74; 3. J. Wilson, Kenaitze 72; 4. A. Qualls, Mat-Su A 70; 5. C. Post, LKSD 70, 1 miss.

Indian stick pull — 1. K. Olhausen, Mat-Su A; 2. L. Ekada, MEHS; 3. A. Roxas, Unalaska; 4. M. Wilson, BBSD; 5. C. Phillips, Anchorage B.

One-foot high kick — 1. M. Ko, West Valley 91 inches; 2. J. Wilson, Kenaitze 88; 3. Kaye Gumera, Unalaska 86; 4. J. Boucher, MEHS 84; 5. S. Dray, Dillingham 82.

Seal hop — 1. B. Dray, Dillingham 123 feet, 0 inches; 2. C. Terwilliger, Mat-Su A 112-3.5; 3. J. Wilson, Kenaitze 109-3; 4. L. Holmes, Mat-Su B 102-8.75; 5. E. Sivitz, Anchorage A 100-6.

Boys individual results

Kneel jump — 1. E. George, LKSD 60.75 inches; 2. T. Felix, Yupiit 58; 3. S. Rivers, LYSD 1st attempt (tie) 51 (2nd 49 inches); 4. T. Meyer, Mat-Su A 1st attempt (tie) 51 (2nd 48.5); 5. K. Kompkoff, Tatitlek 50.

Wrist carry — 1. J. Hughes, Mat-Su A 532 feet, 1 inch; 2. C. McCraken, Unalaska 465-4.5; 3. J. Moses, Yupiit 455-2; 4. J. Dye, Dillingham 416-0; 5. C. Paul, LKSD 413-3.

Alaskan high kick — 1. Kim Gumera, Unalaska 89 inches, 0 misses; 2. A. Andrews, LYSD 89, 2m; 3. K. Kanuk, LKSD 88; 4. M. Ivanoff, BSSD A 87; 5. J. Kurtz, Mat-Su A 86.

Eskimo stick pull — 1. T. Winn, Anchorage A; 2. F. Kelly, Mat-Su A; 3. J. Koeneman, Mat-Su B; 4. M. Barrett, Knik Tribal Council; 5. P. Christensen, LPSD.

Toe kick — 1. I. Charles, LKSD 84 inches; 2. C. Okbaok, BSSD B 80 inches, 3 misses; 3. N. Bucaneg, Unalaska 80, 7m; 4. D. Black, Galena 78, 3m (60 in.); 5. V. Friday, LYSD 78, 4m (74).

One-hand reach — 1. J. Panruk, LKSD 64 inches, 0 misses; 2. A. Bonn, Anchorage A 62, 0m; 3. B. Conwell, Unalaska 62, 1m; 3. M. Ivanoff, BSSD A 62, 1m; 3. J. Angaiak, Galena 62, 1m

Two-foot high kick — 1. Kim Gumera, Unalaska 92 inches, 1 miss; 2. A. Kashevarof, Anchorage A 92, 3m; 3. K. Kompkoff, Tatitlek 90, 2m (90 in.); 4. Z. Martin, Seward 90, 2m (86); 5. R. Egoak, LKSD 88.

Indian stick pull — 1. R. Dock, LKSD; 2. D. Greene, Pilot Station; 3. R. Bavilla, SWRSD; 4. B. Vanlandingham, West Valley; 5. E. Fitka, BSSD A.

One-foot high kick — 1. M. Ivanoff, BSSD A 110 inches, 0 misses; 2. Kim Gumera, Unalaska 108, 0m; 3. C. Okbaok, BSSD B 106, 1m; 4. Z. Martin, Seward 106, 2m; 5. J. Bouker, Dillingham 104.

Seal hop — 1. S. Dock, LKSD 188 feet, 0 inches; 2. D. Black, Galena 162-7.5; 3. J. Phillip, Yupiit 137-10; 4. E. Larionoff, ANC B 112-11; 5. A. Kashevarof, Anchorage A 112-9.