Welcome to The Rewind, a weekly digest that places a highlight on the most important tales and greatest performances from Alaska’s world of sports activities.
On the highschool sports activities scene, the 1A/2A state basketball event concluded over the weekend and noticed two new champions topped on the 1A stage whereas two repeated on the 2A stage. On the faculty scene, the College of Alaska Anchorage gymnastics group wrapped up its 2023 season whereas a number of native merchandise shined vivid on nationwide levels elsewhere across the nation.
Headlines and highlights
The Lumen Christi ladies group performed within the first title recreation on Saturday and was in a position to edge out Shaktoolik 32-30 to say the primary 1A basketball title in program historical past. The Archangels had been led in scoring by senior Emily Ross, who accounted for half of the group’s complete with a game-high 16 factors whereas the Wolverines had been led by Kayleigh Sagoonick’s 11 factors.
[Lumen Christi girls hang on to top Shaktoolik 32-30 for first 1A state basketball title]
The Kake boys basketball group was in a position to finish a 36-year title drought by dominating Aniak from begin to end in a 67-49 victory to say its first 1A championship since 1987. The Thunderbirds had been led by senior Ethan Kadake, who recorded 25 of his game-high 31 factors within the first half whereas the Halfbreeds had been led by Ryan Steeves’ 19 factors.
[Kake boys cap undefeated season with 1A state basketball championship win over Aniak]
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The Tikigaq ladies gained a second straight 2A title and fourth since 2018 with a lopsided 55-33 victory over Metlakatla within the third recreation of the championship slate. The Harpooners had been led in scoring by sensational sopohmore Jennifer Nash, who recorded a game-high 20 factors which included pulling down 5 3-pointers. Almost half of the Chiefs’ level complete got here credit score of Bree Chavez’s 15 factors.
[Tikigaq girls repeat as 2A state basketball champs]
The Ninilchik boys set out with the identical aim in thoughts and had been in a position to safe this system’s first back-to-back state titles for the reason that 2016-2017 seasons after rallying previous Tikigaq 66-53 within the remaining recreation of the evening. The Wolverines had been led in scoring and rebounds by star senior Colvin Moore who recorded a double-double with 21 factors and 10 rebounds whereas the Harpooners had been led by their very own star, senior Joelian Lane who scored a game-high 25 factors.
[Ninilchik boys basketball team rallies past Tikigaq to repeat as 2A state champion]
Although his group fell in need of reclaiming the 2A throne, Lane and the Harpooners got here out on high of arguably probably the most entertaining and dramatic recreation of all the event at both division on Friday evening once they overcame an 18-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Metlakatla 67-63 and advance to the title recreation.
[Tikigaq boys erase 18-point fourth quarter deficit to advance to Alaska 2A basketball championship]
In school hoops information, College of Alaska girls’s group standout junior guard Vishe’ Rabb acquired one other honor final week following her excellent first season with this system. She was considered one of 10 NCAA girls’s basketball gamers within the Division II West Area to be named as a D2CCA Second Staff All-Area choice. The 5-foot-9 ahead was additionally named Nice Northwest Athletic Convention Newcomer of the 12 months and First Staff All-GNAC after main the group in scoring (436) and steals (52) with a free-throw share of .879 that led the GNAC and was second-best in program historical past.
The UAA gymnastics group concluded its 2023 season on the Mountain Pacific Sports activities Federation Championships this previous Saturday and the Seawolves completed fifth among the many 5 groups in mixed rating with 190.075. In her final collegiate performances, senior Rachel Decious tied for sixth amongst 30 rivals on beam with a 9.825, which was simply shy of her personal program season excessive, and freshman Ariana DeSouza scored a team-best 9.8 on ground.
“The group actually introduced it again on the final three occasions after a tricky begin (on uneven bars), and that wasn’t a straightforward feat on the largest competitors of the 12 months,” UAA head coach Marie-Sophie Boggasch stated in an announcement. “It was a special occasion for our seniors, who really led the group with their performances at present.”
The College of Alaska Fairbanks riflery group captured a nation championship for the eleventh time in program historical past and for the primary time since 2008 on March 11. With a 2,380 in air rifle, a 12-point lead on second-place Texas Christian College and an combination rating of 4,729, the Nanooks had been in a position to make their long-awaited return to the highest of the collegiate riflery world.
The 2023 U.S. Cross Nation Ski Junior Nationwide Championships passed off in Fairbanks final week and skiers from the Final Frontier confirmed up and confirmed out. Wells Wappett of Lathrop and Katey Houser of Palmer highlighted the standout performances by the internet hosting Alaska group that completed fourth with (613) factors.
Wappett gained three medals within the boys U16 division that included profitable bronze in Monday’s interval begin traditional, silver in Tuesday’s dash race and gold within the mass begin 5K freestyle on Thursday. Houser gained a pair of medals within the ladies U20 division that included bronze within the 15K mass begin, gold within the dash and positioned fourth within the interval-start race. Service and Anchorage Winter Stars skier Olivia Soderstrom gained the U16 dash race. Within the U18 dash, Murphy Kimball, Elias Soule, Owen Younger and Cole Flowers completed 2-4-5-6. Derek Richardson gained the U20 race and Aaron Energy positioned fifth, adopted by Philipp Moosmayer.
Different Alaskans with high 10 finishes within the mass begin freestyle races included Oskar Flora, Vebjorn Flagstad, Moosmayer and Aila Berrigan. Within the traditional race, Kieran Kaufman, Blake Hanley, Energy, Derek Richardson and Moosmayer earned top-10 finishes.
Alaska stars shining Exterior
Anchorage’s Alissa Pili continued her dominant first season with the College of Utah girls’s basketball group over the weekend when she set a career-high in factors with 33 within the Utes’ 103-77 win over Gardner-Webb College on Friday. Two days later, she adopted it up with 28 factors in a 63-56 win over Princeton College on Sunday the place she recorded the primary double-double within the postseason of her collegiate profession with a team-leading 10 rebounds. The All-American ahead of Dimond fame led her group to this system’s first Candy 16 berth in practically 20 years since 2006.
Seward’s Lydia Jacoby added to her already legendary legacy when the 19-year-old College of Texas freshman swimmer who already has an Olympic gold medal on her resume claimed an NCAA nationwide title by profitable the 100-meter breaststroke on Friday evening. Her profitable time of 57.03 was the seventh-fastest in NCAA historical past within the occasion, and she or he earned All-America honors after taking part within the Longhorns’ 400-medley relay group.
[Seward swimmer Lydia Jacoby takes NCAA title in 100 breaststroke]
Anchorage’s Tobin Karlberg recorded his second straight recreation of 20 or extra factors final Monday as he completed second on the Level Loma College males’s basketball group’s 89-83 loss to Cal State San Bernardino within the Division II regional championship recreation. The previous Grace Christian prep went 8-of-15 from the sphere, which included going 3-of-4 from behind the arc, and led the Sea Lions with a pair of steals.
Anchorage’s Finnigan Donley was topped an general nationwide champion on the U18 Junior Nationwide Championships that wrapped up early final week. His phenomenal efficiency included profitable two gold medals, a bronze medal, and a sixth-place end over the 4 racing disciplines over the course of the four-day occasion. His gold medals got here within the downhill and super-G on Saturday and Sunday, he got here in sixth place in large slalom Monday and his bronze medal got here on Tuesday within the slalom.
Eagle River’s Vanessa Aniteye acquired one other well-deserved accolade every week after she capped off her sensational graduate pupil marketing campaign at Seattle Pacific College by claiming a nationwide indoor observe title within the NCAA girls’s 800-meter when she was voted the West Area Division II Indoor Girls’s Observe Athlete of the 12 months by the U.S. Observe & Area and Cross Nation Coaches Affiliation. The previous Chugiak prep standout and former UAA switch concluded her illustrious collegiate profession with 4 Nice Northwest Athletic Convention outside championships within the 400 and completed sixth within the occasion at NCAA outside nationals final spring earlier than making the swap to the 800 for her final semester of eligibility.
Anchorage’s JT Thor tied his career-high for factors in a recreation on the NBA stage when he got here off the bench and recorded 11 factors for the second time this season and reached double figures in scoring for the third time in his profession within the Charlotte Hornets’ 120-104 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 14. The second-year professional and former West Excessive Eagle went 4-of-7 from the sphere and recorded 6 rebounds as properly.
Final week’s outcomes
Prep Basketball
Ladies
Wednesday
Cook dinner Inlet Academy 49, St. Mary’s 35
Lumen Christi 40, Akiachak 19
Newhalen 55, Kake 34
Shaktoolik 67, Akiuk 29
No. 3 Tanalian 47, Nunamiut 33
Aqqaluk 49, Klawock 47
Shishmaref 40, Walter Northway 37
Buckland 60, Scammon Bay 27
Thursday
Shaktoolik 65, Aqqaluk 44
Cook dinner Inlet Academy 52, Tanalian 47
Buckland 53, Newhalen 45
Lumen Christi 32, Shishmaref 24
Klawock 39, Akiuk 29
Nunamiut 53, St. Mary’s 43
Kake 47, Scammon Bay 34
Walter Northway 35, Akiachak 26
Metlakatla 52, Unalakleet 37
Su-Valley 39, Chevak 17
Tikigaq 58, Craig 47
Glennallen 39, Haines 23
Friday
Lumen Christi 58, Buckland 46
Shaktoolik 41, Cook dinner Inlet Academy 35
Walter Northway 39, Kake 38
Klawock 44, Nunamiut 42
Newhalen 49, Shishmaref 42
Tanalian 40, Aqqaluk 38
Metlakatla 28, Su-Valley 24
Tikigaq 40, Glennallen 35
Craig 41, Haines 36
Unalakleet 52, Chevak 39
Saturday
Lumen Christi 32, Shaktoolik 30
Buckland 53, Cook dinner Inlet Academy 47
Newhalen 46, Tanalian 32
Comfort
Klawock 63, Walter Northway 52
Tikigaq 55, Metlakatla 33
Su Valley 36, Glennallen 35
Craig 40, Unalakleet 39
Boys
Wednesday
Tri-Valley 69, Buckland 65
Newhalen 69, Shaktoolik 32
Cook dinner Inlet Academy 64, Emmonak 45
Kake 72, Lumen Christi 28
Napaaqtugmiut 51, Shishmaref 45
Scammon Bay 88, Nunamiut 54
King Cove 40, Klawock 39
Aniak 49, Nelson Island 47
Thursday
Scammon Bay 80, King Cove 65
Aniak 64, Napaaqtugmiut 55
Kake 67, Newhalen 45
Tri-Valley 65, Cook dinner Inlet Academy 63
Klawock 69, Nunamiut 50
Nelson Island 68, Shishmaref 61
Shaktoolik 49, Lumen Christi 40
Buckland 69, Emmonak 55
Petersburg 58, Hooper Bay 55
Ninilchik 97, Unalakleet 55
Tikigaq 64, Wrangell 51
Metlakatla 50, Cordova 33
Friday
Aniak 77, Scammon Bay 62
Kake 61, Tri-Valley 56
Klawock 59, Nelson Island 51
Buckland 76, Shaktoolik 74
Napaaqtugmiut 78, King-Cove 56
Newhalen 66, Cook dinner Inlet Academy 42
Tikigaq 67, Metlakatla 63
Ninilchik 53, Petersburg 42
Unalakleet 72, Hooper Bay 56
Wrangell 61, Cordova 47
Saturday
Kake 67, Aniak 49
Tri-Valley 73, Scammon Bay 62
Napaaqtugmiut 69, Newhalen 50
Klawock 50, Buckland 40
Ninilchik 66, Tikigaq 53
Metlakatla 58, Petersburg 44
Wrangell 60, Unalakleet 31
School
Gymnastics
Saturday
UC Davis 196.200; San Jose State 195.600; Air Power 195.475; Sacramento State 194.550; UAA 190.075
Quick Ahead
Prep
Basketball
2023 3A/4A ASAA State Championship Match
March Insanity within the Final Frontier is coming to a detailed this week because the prep hoops postseason wraps up this week with the conclusion of the 2022-2023 season for the upper stage faculties across the state. The highest 3A and 4A girls and boys groups shall be in Anchorage and enjoying on the Alaska Airways Middle the place they’ll battle it out for supremacy with the hopes of claiming a state title for his or her respective packages.
The motion begins on Wednesday and runs by means of Saturday with the championship bouts for 3A happening at 1 p.m. and three p.m. whereas the 4A title tilts tip off at 5:30 p.m. and seven:30 p.m.
1A/2A Alaska State Basketball Match
(All video games at Alaska Airways Middle except famous)
Alaska state 3A/4A basketball event
(All video games on Alaska Airways Middle Primary Court docket except famous)
3A Ladies
Wednesday
First spherical
No. 1 Grace Christian vs. No. 8 Bethel, 8 a.m.
No. 4 Barrow vs. No. 5 Sitka, 9:30 a.m.
No. 2 Monroe Catholic vs. No. 7 Kenai Central, 11 a.m.
No. 3 Mt. Edgecumbe vs. No. 6 Valdez, 3:15 p.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Thursday
Comfort
Loser Grace Christian/Bethel vs. Loser Barrow/Sitka, midday at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Loser Monroe Catholic/Kenai Central vs. Loser Mt. Edgecumbe/Valdez, midday
Semifinals
Winner Monroe Catholic/Kenai Central vs. Winner Mt. Edgecumbe/Valdez, 3:15 p.m.
Winner Grace Christian/Bethel vs. Winner Barrow/Sitka, 4:45 p.m.
Friday
4th/sixth place, 11 a.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Saturday
third/fifth place, 10:30 a.m.
Championship, 1 p.m.
3A Boys
Wednesday
First spherical
No. 4 Mt. Edgecumbe vs. No. 5 Kenai Central, 8 a.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
No. 1 Grace Christian vs. No. 8 Delta, 9:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
No. 2 Nome-Beltz vs. No. 7 Barrow, 3:15 p.m.
No. 3 Houston vs. No. 6 Valdez, 7:45 p.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Thursday
Comfort
Loser Mt. Edgecumbe/Kenai Central vs. Loser Grace Christian/Delta, 10:30 a.m.
Loser Nome-Beltz/Barrow vs. Loser Houston/Valdez, 10:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Semifinals
Winner Mt. Edgecumbe/Kenai Central vs. Winner Grace Christian/Delta, 6:15 p.m.
Winner Nome-Beltz/Barrow vs. Winner Houston/Valdez, 7:45 p.m.
Friday
4th/sixth place, 9:30 a.m.
Saturday
third/fifth place, 9 a.m.
Championship, 3 p.m.
4A Ladies
Wednesday
First spherical
No. 2 Wasilla vs. No. 7 Lathrop, 12:30 p.m.
No. 4 Thunder Mountain vs. No. 5 West Anchorage, 12:30 p.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
No. 3 Colony vs. No. 6 Juneau-Douglas, 4:45 p.m.
No. 1 Anchorage Christian vs. No. 8 Dimond, 6:15 p.m.
Friday
Comfort
Loser Anchorage Christian/Dimond vs. Loser Thunder Mountain/West, 12:30 p.m.
Loser Colony/Juneau-Douglas vs. Loser Wasilla/Lathrop, 12:30 p.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Semifinals
Winner Anchorage Christian/Dimond vs. Winner Thunder Mountain/West, 3:15 p.m.
Winner Colony/Juneau-Douglas vs. Winner Wasilla/Lathrop, 4:45 p.m.
Saturday
4th/sixth place, 10:30 a.m. at Seawolf Sports activities Middle
third/fifth place, 10:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Championship, 5:30 p.m.
4A Boys
Wednesday
First spherical
No. 1 West Valley vs. No. 8 Juneau-Douglas, 11 a.m.
No. 3 Bettye Davis East vs. No. 6 Anchorage Christian, 4:45 p.m.
No. 4 Monroe Catholic vs. No. 5 Colony, 6:15 p.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
No. 2 Dimond vs. No. 7 West Anchorage, and seven:45 p.m.
Friday
Comfort
Loser West Valley/Juneau-Douglas vs. Loser Monroe Catholic/Colony, 9:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Loser Bettye Davis East/Anchorage Christian vs. Loser Dimond/West, 11 a.m.
Semifinals
Winner West Valley/Juneau-Douglas vs. Winner Monroe Catholic/Colony, 6:15 p.m.
Winner Bettye Davis East/Anchorage Christian vs. Winner Dimond/West, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday
4th/sixth, 9 a.m. at Seawolf Sports activities Middle
third/fifth, 9 a.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
NAHL
Anchorage Wolverines vs. Minnesota Wilderness at Ben Boeke Ice Enviornment on Friday and Saturday 7 p.m. and Sunday 4 p.m.
After every week off, the Wolverines shall be again in motion and on house ice for the third weekend this month. They are going to be trying to bounce again from getting swept of their final trip towards the Minnesota Wilderness as they proceed to make a push for playoff positioning. On the season, Anchorage is 1-2 towards Springfield and could have an opportunity to tie or take the head-to-head sequence lead with a three-game sequence this weekend