Valley athletes qualify for state meet

HOUSTON — Judging by how high Will Byrd can leap into the air, there are probably a few basketball coaches that wouldn’t mind having the Burchell High School junior on their court.

But Byrd has his own sport. He was on the hardwood Friday, but for different reasons. He was busy working his way toward a win in the one foot high kick during the 2014 Native Youth Olympics District Meet at Houston Middle School.

“It’s fun, not like any other sport,” Byrd said. “You get to learn new things. Everybody’s friendly. It’s really fun.”

Byrd was drawn to NYO after watching David Thomas, one of the Valley’s most notable NYO athletes, compete while Byrd was in elementary school.

“I watched David Thomas do it. I was like, that’s really cool. I wanted to get involved and have been doing it ever since,” Byrd said.

Byrd said he used to play soccer, but NYO is now his sport of choice.

Friday, Byrd won the one foot high kick (which requires athletes to jump off the floor using both feet, kick a ball hanging by a string and suspended in the air with one foot, and to land on the same foot) with a mark of 100 inches.

Byrd, who is recovering from a knee injury, fell short of his career best of 107 inches. But overall, he said he was fairly happy with the work. Byrd hopes to break his career record at the NYO state meet, which is slated for April 24-26 at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage.

Byrd is one of 16 Valley athletes who will compete as part of the Mat-Su combined team during the state meet.

“We’re extremely happy. We’ll have a very competitive state team this year,” Mat-Su NYO coach Jared Barrett said. “We should be top 3 at least, as long as everything goes the way it should go.”

Barrett said since the Mat-Su NYO programs opted to make one combined team for the state meet about four years ago, the team has finished in the top 5 at state every year. The best finish is second in state, he said.

The winner of each event during the district meet qualified for state as part of the Mat-Su A team. Three athletes qualified for the team in multiple events. Wasilla High School’s Forrest Strick will compete in the boys’ seal hop, Indian stick pull and knee jump. Palmer High School’s Daniel Adams qualified in the boys’ Alaskan high kick and one hand reach. Colony High School’s Teyah Clark qualified in girls’ Alaskan high kick and one hand reach.

Mat-Su will also be sending a B team to state. Every athlete who finished second in their respective events during the district meet will compete as part of the Mat-Su B team during state.

2014 NYO District Meet

Friday-Saturday,

Houston Middle School

Team scores:

1. Wasilla 41; 2. Palmer 17; 3. Houston 12; 3. (tie) Colony 12.

Boys individual results:

Kneel jump — 1. F. Strick, WHS 49 inches (next farthest 48); 2. T. Barclay, HHS 49 (next farthest 48); 3. T. Meyers, PJMS 48.75.

One hand reach — 1. D. Adams, PHS 61 inches; 2. F. Strick, WHS 58; 3. Q. Kutney, CTHS 50.

Alaskan high kick — 1. D. Adams, PHS 86 inches; 2. K. Gage, WHS 74; 3. J. Johnson, WHS 74.

Wrist carry — 1. J. Hughes, CTHS 699 feet, 11.5 inches; 2. J. McNulty, HHS 571-5.5; 3. F. Strick, WHS 349-8.5.

Toe kick — 1. K. Horton, WHS 90 inches; 2. F. Strick, WHS 88; 3. T. Smith, WHS 68.

One foot high kick — 1. W. Byrd, BHS 100 inches; 2. K. Gage, WHS 98; 3. K. Horton, WHS 96.

Eskimo stick pull — 1. E. Hartman, CTHS; 2. J. Johnson, WHS; 3. Z. Tuchek, HHS.

Indian stick pull — 1. F. Strick, WHS; 2. J. McNulty, HHS; 3. K. Gage, WHS.

Two foot high kick — 1. N. Brown, WHS 86 inches; 2. G. Waldhaus, PHS 84; 3. K. Gage, WHS 78.

Seal hop — 1. F. Strick, WHS 100 feet, 3.5 inches; 2. K. Gage, WHS 84; 3. J. Shepherd, CHS 73-2.5.

Girls individual results:

Kneel jump — 1. S. Egnaty, WHS 37 inches; 2. K. Ryan, PHS 34.25; 3. C. Vasquez, WMS 26.75.

One hand reach — 1. T. Clark, CHS 52 inches; 2. T. Nicholai, HMS 50; 3. N. Koob, WMS 43.

Alaskan high kick — 1. T. Clark, CHS 66 inches; 2. A. Kausel, PHS 65; 3. S. Egnaty, WHS 62.

Wrist carry — 1. M. Klawitter, CTHS 215 feet, 6 inches; 2. M. Kinne, WMS 142-7; 3. M. Peterson, WMS 115-10.

Toe kick — 1. K. Cruse, CMS 32 inches; 2. S. Egnaty, WHS 30.

One foot high kick — 1. O. Davies, TMS 82 inches; 2. A. Apangalook, HHS 80; 3. T. Clark, CMS 78.

Eskimo stick pull — 1. A. Hoglund, HMS; 2. T. Nicholai, HMS; 3. T. Lowry, CTHS.

Indian stick pull — 1. D. Nicholai, HMS; 2. K. Olhausen, CHS; 3. R. Porter, PJMS.

Two foot high kick — 1. A. Qualls, PHS 69; 2. T. Clark, CHS 64; 3. A. Kausel, PHS 58.

Seal hop — 1. L. Holmes, HHS 110; 2. S. Egnaty, WHS 95; 3. C. Vasquez, WHS 85-4.