Warriors defend title

ANCHORAGE — Last year, the Wasilla Warriors shocked the field at the Senior Native Youth Olympics State Championships by taking home the program’s first state title. On Saturday, Wasilla proved the 2009 championship was no fluke.

Led by five state champions, Wasilla won its second straight team title at the 2010 Senior NYO State Championships at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage.

“I’m just so proud of them. They were hungry for another state championship and they worked hard all season,” Wasilla High School NYO coach Jim Shetter said.

Shetter brought 11 athletes to the three-day event. Five won state titles. Three — senior Cody Pfeifer, senior Manny Curtis and junior Alice Oksoktaruk — captured state gold for the second year in a row. Two others — junior Paulina Valencia and senior Grace Valencia — earned a state championship for the first time.

Oksoktaruk won three state championships, and two in record-breaking fashion.

Oksoktaruk, a multisport athlete at WHS, broke the world record in the one foot high kick and the state mark in the two foot high kick.

“She’s a phenominal athlete, a phenominal person,” Shetter said of Oksoktaruk.

Oksoktaruk entered 2010 as the defending state champion in both events. On Friday, Oksoktaruk used a mark of 76 inches to set the state mark in the one foot high kick. On Saturday, she managed to improve on her accomplishments, using a mark of 91 inches to set the world record in the two foot high kick event. Shetter said he believes her work in other sports — such as cross country running, cross country skiing and track and field — helped her become an NYO record-holder.

“All the hard work she’s put in this year in different sports, I know it really helped,” Shetter said.

Oksoktaruk also won a state title in the one hand reach.

Pfeifer, another multisport athlete at Wasilla, won the Indian stick pull for the second straight year. Shetter said Pfeifer had to finished at the top of a field with more than 150 athletes to win the event.

Curtis placed in the top five in four different events and won the boys’ two foot high kick for the second straight year. The WHS senior was also second in the one foot high kick, fourth in the kneel jump and fifth in the one hand reach.

Paulina and Grace Valencia, a pair of Wasilla sisters, won state titles for the first time. Paulina Valencia was first in the Indian stick pull and Grace Valencia finished first in the Eskimo stick pull.

Shetter said his team has been working since February. In addition to practicing the events, Shetter also customized weight lifting and workout plans for each athlete to help them excel in their events.

Wasilla’s 2009 NYO title was the program’s first. Shetter said typically the Lower Kuskokwin School District team is the squad to beat.

“They’re an all-star team,” Shetter said of the LKSD squad, which includes school such as Bethel.

Athletes from Susitna Valley, Palmer and Houston also placed at the state competion. Susitna Valley’s Hannah Clemmons was third in the wrist carry, Houston’s Emillee Melin was fourth in the wrist carry and Palmer’s Adam Smith was fourth in the Eskimo stick pull.

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

Alaska Native

Youth Olympics

Thursday-Saturday; Dena’ina Center

Girls final results:

Toe Kick— 1. Cynthia Asuluk, Toksook, 60 inches; 2. Raven Phillips, Aniak, 59; 3. Amanda McGill, Dillingham, 51; 4. Betty Sheldon, NWABSD, 49; 5. Jaclyn Weston, Anchorage, 49 inches.

Eskimo Stick Pull— 1. Grace Valencia, Wasilla; 2. Mariam Wamsley, Gilson; 3. Aurora Warrior, Knik; 4. Rachel Denton, Chickaloom; 5. Angelina McCord, Tebughna.

One-hand reach— 1. Alice Oksoktaruk, Wasilla, 59; 2. Kristen Smeaton, Dillingham, 59; 3. Revie Tony, Mt. Edgecumbe, 57; 4. Chelsea Morrow, Knik tribe, 56; 5. Stephanie Lupie, Bethel, 56.

Indian stick pull— 1. Paulina Valencia, Wasilla; 2. Josephine Daniels, Kenaitze; 3. Christina Glenzel, KPNYO; 4. Jodi Gilley, BSSD; 5. Jackie Stalker, NWABSD.

One-foot high kick— 1. Alice Oksoktaruk, Wasilla, 91; 2. Nicole Pingayak, Mt. Edgecumbe, 86; 3. Aurora Warrior, Knik tribe, 85; 4. Jordan Lisec, Dillingham, 78; 5. Jaclyn Weston, Anchorage, 78.

Two-foot high kick— 1. Alice Oksoktaruk, Wasilla, 76; 2. Aurora Warrior, Knik Tribe, 68; 3. Jackie Joekay, KKSD, 68; 4. Katiya Erickson, BSSD, 66; 5. Nicole Pinayak, Mt. Edgecumbe, 66.

Seal hop— 1. Dajan Treder, Anchorage, 141 feet .25 inches; 2. Mary Dymet, Bethel, 137-11; 3. Simone Pushruk, Chickaloon, 96-0.25; 4. (tie. Raven Phillips, Aniak, 94-0; Chelsea Hadley, NWABSD, 94-0; Heather Kanuk, LKSD, 94-0.

Kneel jump— 1. Apaay Campbell, BSSD, 42.75 inches; 2. Alice Oksoktaruk, Wasilla, 42.5; 3. Laura Therchik, Toksook, 41.5; 4. Magdeline Kapatak, SWRS, 40; 5. Molly Norback, Mt. Edgcumbe, 38.5.

Wrist carry— 1. Shoney Ridderbush, Gilson J.H., 367-6; 2.Tashina Esparza , BSSD, 332-8; 3. Hannah Clemons, Su Valley, 246-6.5; 4. Emillee Melin, Houston, 233-.5; 5. Anne Marie Paul, LKSD, 230-11.

Alaska high kick— 1. Jaclyn Weston, Anchorage, 79 inches; 2. Chinace Egoak, LKSD, 70; 3. Magdelene Isadora, Lower Yukon School District, 68; 4. Maria Oksoktaruk Mt. Edgcumbe, 68; 5. Jessica Waska, Yupit, 68.

Boys final results:

Toe kick— 1. Max Fancher, BSSD, 82; 2. Peter Aliralria, LKSD, 81; 3. Timothy Standifer, Nenana, 72; 4. Antone Ukatish, Nanwalek, 68; 5. Justin Ulak, LYSD, 68.

Eskimo stick pull— 1. Jaylin Prince, Mt. Edgecumbe; 2. Ben Haeldlt, Aniak; 3. Johnny Wilson, Kanaitze; 4. Adam Smith, Palmer; 5. Patrick Trinidad, Unalaska.

One-hand reach— 1. Yako McCarr, LKSD, 65; 2. Andrew Walker, Anhcorage, 64; 3. Manny Curtis, Wasilla, 64; 4. Conor Ferguson, Chevak, 63; 5. Saul Lockuk, Dillingham, 63.

Indian stick pull— 1. Cody Pfeifer, Wasilla; 2. Charles Teter, Fairbanks; 3. Vincent Tomalonis, BSSD; 4. Andre Simon, LYSD; 5. Corey Olympic, Salamatof.

One-foot high kick— 1. Andrew Walker, Anchorage, 104; 2. Manny Curtis, 104; 3. Milton Jones, Yupit, 102; 4. Jonathon Samuelson, King Cove 102; 5. Stuart Towaruk, BSSD, 100.

Two-foot high kick— 1. Manny Curtis, Wasilla, 88; 2. Moses Charles, Toksook, 86; 3. Milton Jones, Yupit, 82; 4. Gordon Iya, Anchorage, 82; 5. Jonathan Samuelson, King Cove, 82.

Seal hop— 1. Moses Charles, Toksook, 154-5.25; 2. Alexie Phillip, LKSD, 126-0.75; 3. Fabian Pete, BSSD, 112-10.25; 4. Christian Paul, Mt. Edgecumbe, 108-11.24; 5. Niikia Brown Abel, 93-6.75.

Kneel jump— 1. Justin Bill, Toksook Bay, 63.75; 2. Daniel Andrew, LKSD, 60; 3. Andrew Walker, Anchorage, 58; 4. Manny Curtis, Wasilla, 56; 5. Christian Paul, Mt. Edgecumbe, 54.

Wrist carry— 1. Mike Wassilly, Dillingham, 540-3; 2. Evan Terada, Unalaska, 499-7.5; 3. David Chagluak, LKSD, 477-4.5; 4. Wassillie Andrew, SWRS, 464-10, 5. Dallas Zimin, Bristol Bay, 402-11.

Alaska high kick— 1. Yako McCarr, LKSD, 93; 2. Andrew Walker, Anchorage, 90; 3. Jason Tulik, Toksook Bay, 84; 4. Andrew Demientieff, 84; 5. Zachary Gust, SWRS, 84.