Alaska
Alaska 1A state basketball: Kake boys earn redemption in finals rematch; Shishmaref girls and boys advance
The Kake high school boys basketball team was disappointed to learn that despite being undefeated heading into the Alaska 1A State Basketball Tournament for the third year in row, it wasn’t first or even second seed in the bracket.
However, that momentary letdown quickly turned to joy when they found out their first opponent on the opening day of this year’s tournament was reigning state champion King Cove, which prevented Kake from pulling off a successful title defense in last year’s state finals.
“It was a redemption game for us,” Kake head coach Anthony Ross said.
Not only did the Thunderbirds avenge their gut-wrenching defeat with a resounding 61-41 win Wednesday afternoon at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, but in doing so, they extinguished any hopes the T-Jacks had of spoiling Kake’s tournament again.
“It was a long year to get back here, and to get back here and to be able to kind of redeem ourselves and play King Cove, it felt good,” Ross said.
Last year, their offseason started as soon as they returned to their small community in Southeast Alaska.
“These boys were hungry,” Ross said. “I’ve got six seniors on the team, so as soon as we got home, we hit the gym and got in a lot of shots (and) a lot of studying. (King Cove) came out again with their 1-3-1 (zone) that kind of destroyed us last year, so we were ready for it this year and kind of made them shift out of it a little bit.”
Even though his team defeated King Cove, the Thunderbirds weren’t satisfied with how they played overall.
“We were a little sloppy to be honest,” Ross said. “A lot of turnovers. We ended the game with 19 turnovers, which is way too many for us. We have to tighten that up, but to still have a 20-point win after 19 turnovers is a testament to our defense. Guys playing with hands high, a lot of communication and sliding our feet. Our defense got the job done, but we’ve got to clean it up on offense.”
Leading the charge for the team on both ends of the court was senior Keontay Jackson, who earned Player of the Game honors after recording a double-double in which he scored a game-high 22 points and snagged a game-high 11 rebounds.
“He’s our all-around go-to,” Ross said. “I got him as a sophomore and he came off the bench the first time we won (state), and he’s earned that starting role and earned that captain role. He leads us on both ends of the floor.”
Shishmaref sweats out thrilling win over Buckland
The team Kake will face Thursday night is coming off a hard-fought opening-round battle as the Northern Lights of Shishmaref narrowly edged out the Buckland Sissauni 57-55 in the most competitive game of the first session of action.
“It was a battle,” head coach Tyler Ivanoff said. “These first-round games are pretty difficult to win and Buckland has got a lot of experience at the state tournament, coming almost every year.”
Trailing by a point after the first quarter, his team used an explosive second quarter in which they outscored their foes 20-8 to take an 11-point lead at halftime. Coming out of the break, Buckland’s defensive pressure paved the way for a comeback as they outscored Shishmaref 30-19 in the third quarter.
“They kind of caught up to us but we just had to settle down because I think we were just working the ball a little too much trying to rush things,” Ivanoff said. “Once we settled down, we were able to execute some of our plays.”
The Northern Lights were propelled to victory by a big game from sophomore guard Ivan Davis-Nayokpuk, who recorded a game-high 28 points and justly received Player of the Game honors.
“Ivan is a really unselfish player and he’s really patient,” Ivanoff said. “It really allows him to get the opportunities to attack the basket and find players.”
Buckland was able to momentarily regain the lead in the final minutes but couldn’t hold on to it. With 22 seconds left on the clock, Shishmaref got a clutch go-ahead bucket from junior Colten Hadley who got an open look because of the gravitational pull from the defense Davis-Nayokpuk was commanding.
“I was trying to draw up a play for Ivan there to kind of give him some spacing but they wanted to work the ball a little bit and we got to our spots and Fred (Olanna) found Colton (Hadley) in that wing on the baseline and he hit a big shot,” Ivanoff said. “Colton is pretty ice cold when he’s open on that baseline.”
Girls
Shishmaref 43, Tri-Valley 39
In the first game of the day, the Northern Lights of Shishmaref found themselves up by three points over the Tri-Valley Warriors at halftime, and instead of heading to the locker room, they decided to stay on the court and get up some more shots. It paid immediate dividends as they opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run, which proved to be pivotal in the end as Tri-Valley tried to mounted a late comeback and got within two points with less than 30 seconds left to play. But Shishmaref’s cushion was just big enough to get keep the comeback from being completed.
The Warriors had a pair of players reach double figures in scoring, led by Iris Wappel with a game-high 23 points. Shishmaref had one player reach double digits, with Loretta Sinnok leading the team with 11 points.
Hoonah 25, Scammon Bay 20
In the lowest-scoring game of the first session, the only player to reach double figures in scoring was Hoonah sophomore Jora Savland. Savland nearly had a triple by leading the winning team with 10 points, eight rebounds and seven steals.
Fort Yukon 55, Cook Inlet Academy 20
The reigning state champions began their title defense with a bang as they cruised to an opening-round victory over the Eagles. Fort Yukon dominated on both ends of the court, forcing 42 turnovers to 19 for Cook Inlet and having a pair of players reach double figures in scoring. Leading the charge for Fort Yukon both in scoring and on the boards was junior Kylee Carroll, who recorded a game-high 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Akiuk (Kasigluk) 33, Klawock 16
After being held to just three points in the first quarter, the Akiuk Grizzlies outscored the Klawock Chieftains 30-7 in the remaining three, including a fourth-quarter 8-0 shutout. While Natalia Slim was the only player on either team to reach double figures in scoring with 10 points, her Akiuk teammate, Chloe Wassillie, came up one point shy of a double-double with nine points and game-high 18 rebounds.
Bristol Bay 51, Davis Ramoth (Selawik) 38
The Bristol Bay Angels went from trailing five points after the first quarter to being up by 10 points at halftime following a 19-4 run in the second. Even though they could only muster nine points in the third quarter, they held the Davis Ramoth Wolves to just four points for the second straight period, which made them getting outscored 15-13 in the fourth not impact the final outcome. Bristol Bay’s Olivia Harvilla nearly notched a double-double by leading all players with a game-high 21 points and finished second on the team with eight rebounds.
Napaaqtugmiut (Noatak) 66, Nunamiut 16
Napaaqtugmiut School, from the Northwest community of Noatak, dominated from start to finish. Napaaqtugmiut’s Brooke Schaeffer was the only player in double figures with 19.
Shaktoolik 58, Emmonak 30
Annette Paniptchuk led nine Shaktoolik players to score with 14 points in an easy 58-30 win. Emmonak’s Khia Teganlakla led all scorers with 19.
Newhalen 72, Aniak 28
Newhalen scored at least 22 points in each of the first three quarters in an easy opening-round win. Newhalen’s Dannika Wassillie scored 20 points to lead all scorers while Sierra Lang’s 13 was high scorer for Aniak.
Boys
Cook Inlet Academy 63, Scammon Bay 39
The first boys game of the day pitted Eagles against Eagles and saw the flock from Soldotna soar past the one from Southwest Alaska. Leading the charge for Cook Inlet Academy was junior Alek McGarry, who accounted for nearly half of the team’s total points with a game-high 30, which included going 3-of-4 from behind the arc. He also recorded five rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists.
Tri-Valley 57, Chief Paul Memorial (Kipnuk) 41
The Tri-Valley Warriors used a dominant opening quarter — in which they outscored the Falcons 15-2 — to propel themselves to a dominant victory as they outpaced their foes the rest of the way. Tri-Valley had three players record double figures, led by senior Michael Renshaw with 18 points, and got a double-double from sophomore Isaiah Mayo, who finished with 11 points and led with a game-high 10 rebounds.
Minto 63, Nunamiut 51
The Minto Lakers built up a sizeable lead in the first half, scoring 20 points in each of the first two quarter. That served them well: Even though the Nunamiut Amaguq outscored them 33-23 after halftime, Minto was still able to come out on top in the end. Leading all players in scoring was Minto’s Jonathon David Jr. with 24 points, and he came up one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards.
Shaktoolik 78, Akiachak 53
Shaktoolik jumped out to a 23-7 lead after the first quarter and never looked back in cruising to the win. Seth Paniptchuk led Shaktoolik with a game-high 34 points.
Davis Ramoth 78, Skagway 71 (OT)
Davis Ramoth, from the Northwest Alaska village of Selawik, went to overtime to top Skagway 78-71. Gavin Hanshaw (28 points) and Brennen Stalker (26) had big games for Davis Ramoth while Skagway’s Royce Borst led all scorers with 30 points.
Manokotak 80, Emmonak 64
Jethron Nanalook scored 40 points to lead Manokotak to a runaway win over Emmonak. His teammate Nevaeh Gloko added 24 while Emmonak’s leading scorer was Connor Hootch with 35.
ASAA 1A State Championship Tournament
At Alaska Airlines Center
Girls
Wednesday’s results
Shishmaref 43, Tri-Valley 39
Hoonah 25, Scammon Bay 20
Fort Yukon 55, Cook Inlet Academy 20
Akiuk (Kasigluk) 33, Klawock 16
Bristol Bay 51, Davis Ramoth 38
Napaaqtugmiut (Noatak) 66, Nunamiut 16
Shaktoolik 58, Emmonak 30
Newhalen 72, Aniak 28
Thursday’s quarterfinals
Fort Yukon v. Bristol Bay at 8 a.m.
Akiuk v. Napaaqtugmiut (Noatak) at 9:30 a.m.
Hoonah v. Shaktoolik at 3:15 p.m.
Shishmaref v. Newhalen at 4:45 p.m.
Boys
Wednesday’s results
Cook Inlet Academy 63, Scammon Bay 39
Shishmaref 57, Buckland 55
Tri-Valley 57, Chief Paul Memorial (Kipnuk) 41
Kake 61, King Cove 41
Minto 63, Nunamiut 51
Shaktoolik 78, Akiachak 53
Davis Ramoth 78, Skagway 71 (OT)
Manokotak 80, Emmonak 64
Thursday’s quarterfinals
Shaktoolik vs. Minto, 11 a.m.
Manokotak vs. Tri-Valley, 12:30 p.m.
Kake vs. Shishmaref, 6:15 p.m.
Davis Ramoth vs. Cook Inlet Academy, 7:45 p.m.
Division 2A boys basketball tournament
At Alaska Airlines Center
First round
Thursday’s games
No. 2 Metlakatla vs. No. 7 Chevak, 8 a.m.
No. 4 Seward vs. No. 5 Wrangell, 9:30 a.m.
No. 3 Cordova vs. No. 6 Su Valley, 3:15 p.m.
No. 1 Unalakleet vs. No. 8 Effie Kokrine, 4:45 p.m.
Division 2A girls basketball tournament
At Alaska Airlines Center
First round
Thursday’s games
No. 1 Metlakatla vs. No. 8 Chevak, 11 a.m.
No. 3 Seward vs. No. 6 Cordova, 12:30 p.m.
No. 2 Unalakleet vs. No. 7 Su Valley, 6:15 p.m.
No. 4 Glennallen vs. No. 5 Haines, 7:45 p.m.
Officials with the University of Alaska have tapped the commander of the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division’s Arctic Aviation Command as the new permanent chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Col. Russell “Russ” Vander Lugt was selected from four finalists after an eight-month search process. He will be the top executive of Alaska’s leading research institution, which describes itself as “America’s Arctic university.” He will replace interim chancellor, and former U.S. Ambassador to the Arctic, Mike Sfraga, who succeeded former chancellor Dan White who announced his retirement in May of last year.
Vander Lugt is a senior U.S. Army officer, an Arctic scholar and UAF alumni, with over two decades of executive leadership experience, according to a university announcement on May 27. He has served as commander of the 11th Airborne Division’s Arctic Aviation Command at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks since Aug. 2024.
“I’m humbled to be selected to lead the University of Alaska Fairbanks during this pivotal time,” Vander Lugt said in a statement with the announcement.
“I look forward to leading through trust, transparency, and teamwork as we see Alaska and the Arctic transformed through education, research, and public service. I’m committed to building on the strong foundation Chancellors Sfraga and White have established, and working closely with university leadership and governance to support and advance UAF’s mission,” he said.
Vander Lugt will step into the permanent chancellor role on Sept. 8. Sfraga’s last day was Friday, and university officials have selected Larry Hinzman, director of the UA Arctic Leadership Initiative, to serve as interim chancellor through the summer.
Vander Lugt has had a long career with the U.S. Army in various roles in Alaska, where he is stationed in Fairbanks, and across the U.S. His resume lists deployments to Europe and the Middle East.
He served in executive leadership roles that include the Alaskan Command, a division of the U.S. Northern Command, the 601st Aviation Support Battalion, and the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat team. He also taught history and military leadership as an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was a professor of military science and department chair at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.
He holds a master’s degree and doctoral degree in Arctic and Northern Studies, which he completed in 2022 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Vander Lugt’s hire is the latest in major leadership changes in the University of Alaska system — former UA President Pat Pitney retired last month and former university attorney Matt Cooper was named as her successor. Cooper will begin as university president in early August, and Michelle Rizk, vice president of university relations and chief strategy, planning and budget officer, is serving as interim president. Cheryl Siemers was appointed permanent chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage in March, after serving as interim chancellor since the retirement of former chancellor Sean Parnell last year.
Vander Lugt’s base salary will be $309,000, according to the university’s announcement.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks serves roughly 7,500 students. It employs more than 800 faculty and nearly 2,000 staff across urban and rural campuses in Fairbanks, Kotzebue, Nome, Bethel and Dillingham.
Originally published by the Alaska Beacon, an independent, nonpartisan news organization that covers Alaska state government.
WHEREAS, on June 3, 1942, six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, World War II arrived in Alaska when Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island was bombed by Japanese – the first aerial attack by an enemy on the continental United States; and
WHEREAS, the Japanese pilots expected little resistance; but because of an intercepted message three weeks earlier, the installation was on high alert, and Navy and Marine personnel were prepared with anti-aircraft defenses; and
WHEREAS, encountering unexpected resistance at Dutch Harbor, installation, Japanese forces shifted their focus to the Margaret Bay Naval Barracks, where the attack claimed the lives of 25 servicemen; and
WHEREAS, following the initial attack on Dutch Harbor, Japanese forces launched additional assaults on Dutch Harbor, Adak, Kiska, and Attu, resulting in the Aleut people being evacuated and held in internment camps in Southeast Alaska for three years, through which many did not survive; and
WHEREAS, the brave soldiers of the United States Armed Forces and allied Canadian Forces fought valiantly for more than a year to reclaim the remaining Aleutian Islands. The battle of Attu stands as one of the most costly American assaults in the Pacific, with hundreds of servicemen making the ultimate sacrifice to liberate Alaska; and
WHEREAS, on the 84th anniversary of the bombing of Dutch Harbor, we remember and honor all who were affected by the attack, paying tribute both to the military personnel who served and died to defend our Nation and to the Aleut people who died while imprisoned.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Mike Dunleavy, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, do hereby proclaim June 3, 2026, as:
Dutch Harbor Remembrance Day
in Alaska and encourage all Alaskans to join with the people of Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, and the Aleutian Islands to honor all who were lost in Alaska during World War II, and I order the Alaska State Flag to be flown at half-staff in remembrance of those who perished.
Dated: June 3, 2026
A plane belonging to the Alaska National Guard appears to have been damaged during operations connected to Operation Epic Fury as part of American military efforts against Iran, according to online reports. Defense officials have so far declined to confirm whether Alaska National Guard personnel or equipment are taking part in the campaign.
Last week, defense industry news outlet The War Zone published photos of a KC-135 Stratotanker transiting through a British airbase. In the pictures, made by photographer Andrew McKelvey, the rear bottom of the fuselage and wing stabilizers are “peppered with temporary shrapnel damage repairs‚“ according to The War Zone’s article. The plane also appears to be missing its refueling boom, the proboscis extending from under the tail to pump off fuel to other aircraft.
In the photographs, the Stratotanker’s tail number is visible, identifying the refueling plane as belonging to the Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing, based at Eielson Air Force Base outside of Fairbanks. The wing’s mission includes aerial refueling. That’s the tactic of large planes unloading vast quantities of fuel to aircraft, ranging from fighter jets to rescue helicopters, in midair.
Pictures from a different photographer published last week by another blog, The Aviationist, show the same plane. The tail includes the letters “AK” painted above a white polar bear.
In addition to the photographs, the reporting from The War Zone is based on publicly available flight data and social media posts scraped from a variety of sources.
According to information from Flight Radar 24, the Stratotanker left Eielson on March 5, just days after the U.S. and Israeli militaries began bombing Iranian targets on Feb. 28. Through March, according to public flight records, the plane was based at Ben Gurion Airport southeast of Tel Aviv, where, according to The War Zone, dozens of American refueling aircraft were staged as part of Operation Epic Fury.
There are no public flight records connected to the Stratotanker through April and most of May, until it appeared to fly through England on the way to the United States at the end of last month.
It is not clear how many Alaska Air National Guard planes, personnel or units are currently deployed in connection to the war effort against Iran.
A spokesperson for the Alaska National Guard referred all questions about Operation Epic Fury to the U.S. Central Command.
A spokesperson for CENTCOM, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, declined to answer questions on the record or provide any specific information about Alaska National Guard units deployed as part of ongoing military operations, citing the need to protect service members and operational security.
The Alaska National Guard has posted no informational releases or pictures connected to an overseas deployment during the last few months.
Much of Operation Epic Fury has been waged by military aircraft, and aerial refueling is critical to keeping planes supplied during long flights. A May 12 report from the Congressional Research Service composed of public damage reports to U.S. military aircraft noted that among the 42 records of damage or losses were seven KC-135 Stratotankers, though the findings were published before photos emerged of the Alaska-based plane. The report noted that the Defense Department “has not published a comprehensive assessment of combat losses” from Operation Epic Fury.
The tail number is associated with a Stratotanker manufactured in 1964, the year before Boeing ceased making them. All of the nearly 400 KC-135s currently in operation within the American military date back to that era of the Cold War.
The aircraft has the word “Tetlin” painted on the top of its tail. The name is an homage to the Interior Alaska village, one of several selected to honor longstanding bonds between military aviators and Alaska Native communities, according to photographs of a dedication ceremony posted by the Alaska National Guard last summer.
The 168th Wing currently has 12 Stratotankers attached to the unit. That number bumped up in April after a long campaign by Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan to allocate more tankers to the state’s portfolio given its vast geography and high number of advanced fighter jets.
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