Valley Grown: Colony grad part of UAA women's hoops program

The UAA Seawolves women’s basketball squad hit the court with a half-dozen Alaska products for the 2019-20 season, and one of those players is from the Mat-Su Valley.

Alexia Novelli, a 2018 graduate of Colony High School, is a sophomore with the Seawolves.

“We are very excited to have Lexi as a new member to our basketball family,” UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy said in a press release issued after Novelli committed to the program. “We followed her in high school and she obviously had a nice season at Spokane CC. She is a good athlete who can run the floor and has a nice touch around the basket. She really wants to be part of what we’ve worked hard to build, and that intangible is why I think she has high potential.”

The 6-foot forward spent a season at Spokane Community College in the Northwest Athletic Conference. As a freshman last season, Novelli averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Spokane, Washington, junior college program.

Novelli joins fellow Alaskans, sophomore guards Nicole Pinckney (Chugiak) and Jahnna Hajdukovich (Dimond), junior forward Tennae Voliva (East Anchorage) and freshman forward Ellen Silva (West Valley) and freshman guard Sierra Tate (West Valley).

Novelli’s high school teammate, Alex Carlton, is a sophomore at North Idaho College. The Cardinals begin their season Nov. 22 at the College of Southern Idaho Coca Cola Invitational.

College cross-country runningFormer Valley cross-country running standout Allison VanPelt competed in her first NCAA regional meet.

VanPelt, a Colorado State-Pueblo freshman, placed 48th during the 2019 NCAA Division II South Central Region Championship Nov. 9 in Canyon, Texas. She clocked a time of 23 minutes, 30 seconds in the 6-kilometer race. VanPelt, who fan for both Houston and Wasilla, is a 2019 graduate of Mat-Su Career and Technical High School.

College hockeyUAA sophomore Tanner Schachle scored his third goal of the season during a 4-4 tie at Alabama-Huntsville Nov. 8. Schachle, a former Wasilla High standout, has three goals and an assist in the first eight games of the season. Schachle had a four-game point streak snapped during a 3-1 win over UAH the following night.

College footballFormer Colony standout Jordan Nero enjoyed a big day for the College of Idaho during a 38-27 win over Montana Western Nov. 9. Nero, a starting safety, finished with seven tackles and an interception. Nero has played in six games for the 9-0 Yotes, who are ranked sixth in the country at the NAIA level.

Valley Grown is a regular feature highlighting the work of former Valley athletes at the next level. Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.