Welcome back to The Rewind, a weekly digest that puts a spotlight on the biggest stories and best performances from Alaska’s world of sports.
Last week featured notable individual and team performances across the Alaska sports landscape at the high school and professional levels, as well as new developments on the college front. The second week of the high school football postseason saw five different teams notch double-digit victories. On the college scene, the University of Alaska Anchorage volleyball team suffered its first setback in two and a half weeks. Outside the state, several Alaskans had outstanding efforts and career achievements worth noting in their respective arenas.
Headlines and highlights
The Division II and III finals weren’t the only state football championship tilts that took place in the Matanuska-Susitna on Saturday. Later that night at Redington High School, the Student Wrestling Development Program successfully defended its 9-man title with a 40-20 win over Kodiak. ADN will have more detailed follow story on that game later this week.
[Lathrop soars past Soldotna to claim third state Division II football title]
In the most anticipated CIC volleyball match of the week, Chugiak became the first in-state opponent to push reigning 4A state champion Dimond to five sets on Friday night. The Mustangs came out swinging, winning the first two sets before the Lynx rallied to win each of the next three to remain unbeaten against Alaskan opponents. Junior Anayah Sila and senior Ailafo Fautanu each recorded double-doubles by finishing first and second on their team in kills and digs. Sila led the Lynx with 17 kills and had the second-most digs with 17, while Fautanu had the second-most kills with 16 and the most digs with 21. The only Chugiak player to reach double figures in kills was senior Audrey Parks, who furnished a double-double of her own with 20 kills and 10 digs.
On the college scene, the UAA volleyball team suffered defeat for the first time in nearly three weeks on Saturday night. After extending their win streak to four matches in a row with a fourth straight sweep on Thursday, the Seawolves saw it halted in a four-set loss to nationally-ranked Central Washington. Senior outside hitter Lee Ivakina recorded her eighth double-double of the season trying to mount a comeback against the Wildcats, with a team-leading 15 kills and logging the third-most digs with 11.
“I’m proud of the fight we showed after getting outplayed in the first two sets,” UAA head coach Morgan Hooe said in a statement. “Our fans made it a terrific atmosphere and I think our team fed off that energy, but credit to a very good Central team in a hard-fought match.”
The UAA hockey team snapped its four-game skid to open the season and earned the first win of the new era under first-year head coach Eric Rud over the weekend. Hosting Lake Superior State for two home games, the Seawolves split the series, winning the first 5-2 on Friday and dropping the second 4-2 on Saturday. In their win, forwards Oren Shtrom and Karter McNarland tied for the team lead in scoring, with Shtrom recording a goal and two assists while McNarland led the team with a trio of assists.
“Tonight was an absolute team win,” Rud said in a statement on Friday. “Every single guy was playing for each other. The guys put forth a relentless resilient effort. This is a close-knit group who deserves to be rewarded for the hard work they have put in the last months.”
In their only action of the week, the Anchorage Wolverines took care of business on their home ice by skating to a 7-3 victory over the visiting Wisconsin Windigo Saturday night. Six different players put the puck in the back of the net, but the only one to do it twice was forward Sheldon Rioux. He did so on a power play and again with both teams at full strength for the first two scores of the game in the opening period.
Alaska stars shining Outside
Anchorage’s Jeremy Swayman picked up his fifth and sixth wins of the 2026-27 season as the starting goaltender of the Boston Bruins this past week. The former South standout made 35 saves in a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks last Tuesday and followed it up with 25 saves in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Utqiagvik’s Kamaka Hepa reached double figures in scoring twice last week for Cibona in the Croatian Premijer Liga over in Europe. The former Barrow hoops star and two-time Gatorade Player of the Year recorded 11 points in 27 minutes in a 96-89 win over Skrljevo on Wednesday and followed it up with 12 points in 18 minutes in a narrow 95-94 loss to Borac CA on Friday.
Anchorage’s Bret Link scored his second goal of the season for the Colorado College team on Saturday in a 4-1 win over UConn to split the two-game series 1-1. He found the back of the net off a deflection in the first period to tie the game at one goal apiece before the Tigers went on to score three unanswered.
Anchorage’s Mac Swanson helped lead the University of North Dakota hockey team to a second straight 5-0 victory over Bentley on Saturday by recording his third assist and fifth point of the season to aid teammate, defenseman Brasen Boser, who recorded the Fighting Hawks’ third goal of the game in the third period.
Anchorage’s Lexi Luff recorded her third goal of the season and first in over a month for the University of Texas at Tyler women’s soccer team on Saturday. The former South High star and 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year also recorded her third assist in the same game as she helped lead the Patriots to a 4-0 win over Sul Ross State.
(If you know of an Alaska athlete who has achieved a standout performance or reached a noteworthy milestone Outside, email sports@adn.com or jreed@adn.com with the details.)
Fast Forward
Prep
Football
South vs. West at Colony, Friday at 7 p.m.
The Division I ASAA state championship will take place out in the Mat-Su for the third year in a row on the home field of the Colony Knights. It will pit the reigning champion Wolverines against the top-seeded Eagles in a rematch of a Week 4 regular season bout that went down to the wire and saw West finish on top 21-14.
Volleyball
Colony at Dimond, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Two of the top teams in the state will face off for the first time in a non-tournament setting for a nonconference early-week clash and potential state preview.
Wrestling
South at Dimond, Wednesday at 6 p.m.
The first round of dual meets will take place in town this week, with the reigning region champions hitting the road to take on the Lynx. Elsewhere in the CIC, East will host West, Service will travel to Eagle River and Bartlett will host Chugiak.
NAHL
Anchorage Wolverines vs. Kenai River Brown Bears at Sullivan Arena, Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Wolverines will be wrapping up a two-game weekend series against their in-state rivals from the Kenai Peninsula at home after playing the first game in Soldotna the night before.
• • •
Last week’s results
High school
Football
Friday
West 27, Dimond 6
Saturday
Kenai Central 28, Homer 13
South 42, Juneau-Douglas 12
Lathrop 35, Soldotna 14
SWDP 40, Kodiak 20
• • •
Volleyball
Monday
Seward 3, Ninilchik 0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-14)
Glennallen 3, Tok 0 (25-9, 25-14, 25-18)
Tuesday
Delta 3, Hutchison 2 (26-24, 23-25, 25-12, 17-25, 15-11)
Grace Christian 3, Redington 0 (25-7, 25-19, 25-9)
Mountain City Christian Academy 3, Houston 2 (25-11, 23-25, 25-17, 18-25, 15-12)
Mt. Edgecumbe 3, Sitka 0 (25-8, 25-12, 25-19)
Wednesday
Monroe Catholic 3, Lathrop 0 (25-11 25-23, 25-9)
East 3, Service 0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-18)
Chugiak 3, West 0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-18)
Dimond 3, Bartlett 0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-13)
Thursday
West Valley 3, North Pole 1
Nikiski 2, Sitka 0
Monroe Catholic 3, Hutchison 0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-21)
Nuiqsut Trapper 3, Alak 1 (40-38, 14-25, 25-21, 25-13)
Homer 3, Kenai Central 2 (26-24, 25-21, 24-26, 15-25, 15-9)
Wasilla 3, South 1 (25-21. 26-24, 13-25, 25-16)
Nikiski 3, Mt. Edgecumbe 1 (25-22, 25-12, 18-25, 25-22)
Friday
Susitna Valley 2, Birchwood Christian 0
Susitna Valley 2, Lumen Christi 0
White Mountain 3, Gambell 0
Tikigaq 3, Nuiqsut Trapper 0
Mountain City Christian Academy 3, Seward 1
East 3, West 1
Nikiski 2, Mt. Edgecumbe 1
White Mountain 3, Unalakleet 2
Craig 3, Ketchikan 2
Sand Point 3, King Cove 0
Kenai Central 3, Grace Christian 0
Nuiqsut Trapper 3, Alak 1
Valdez 3, Delta 0
Colony 3, Soldotna 0
Unalakleet 3, Gambell 0
Dimond 3, Chugiak 2
Nikiski 3, Sitka 0
Bartlett 3, Eagle River 1
White Mountain 3, Gambell 0
Saturday
Sand Point 3, King Cove 1
Valdez 3, Delta 0
Grace Christian 3, Seward 1
White Mountain 3, Unalakleet 0
Colony 3, Soldotna 0
Kenai Central 3, Mountain City Christian Academy 0
Unalakleet 3, Gambell 0
• • •
Swimming
Chugiak vs. West
Girls Team Rankings
1. West, 101; 2. Chugiak, 63.
Boys Team Rankings
1. Chugiak, 80; 2. West, 76.
Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay
1. Chugiak ‘A’ (Londyn Koncaba, Elianah Philbrick, Magen Straka, Hannah Philbrick), 2:14.42; 2. West ‘A’, 2:18.70; 3. Chugiak ‘B’, 2:30.28.
Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay
1. West ‘A’ (Yaseen Elerian, Cruz Pineda, Al Hussain Elerian, Ezra Cutting), 1:55.79; 2. Chugiak ‘B’, 1:58.86.
Girls 200 Yard Freestyle
1. Londyn Koncaba, Chugiak, 2:20.08; 2. Suzanne Peterson, West, 2:27.79; 3. Nora Young, West, 2:29.57.
Boys 200 Yard Freestyle
1. Maika’i Davis, Chugiak, 1:57.79; 2. Kevin Zhang, West, 2:13.28; 3. Wade Davis, West, 2:32.81.
Girls 200 Yard IM
1. Harper Lind, West, 2:30.75; 2. Ella O’Brien, West, 2:53.11.
Boys 200 Yard IM
1. Yaseen Elerian, West, 2:23.33; 2. Weston Vik, Chugiak, 2:33.49; 3. Ezra Cutting, West, 2:37.27.
Girls 50 Yard Freestyle
1. Jane Carr, West, 27.23; 2. Magen Straka, Chugiak, 27.29; 3. Hannah Philbrick, Chugiak, 28.80.
Boys 50 Yard Freestyle
1. Al Hussain Elerian, West, 23.49; 2. Caleb Straka, Chugiak, 25.00; 3. Keegan Vik, Chugiak, 25.85.
Girls 100 Yard Butterfly
1. Jade Denny, Chugiak, 1:17.16; 2. Hannah Philbrick, Chugiak, 1:22.42; 3. Ella O’Brien, West, 1:28.80.
Boys 100 Yard Butterfly
1. Gavin Heath, Chugiak, 55.12; 2. Elijah Whitford, Chugiak, 59.39; 3. Caleb Straka, Chugiak, 1:00.41.
Girls 100 Yard Freestyle
1. Harper Lind, West, 58.10; 2. Londyn Koncaba, Chugiak, 1:02.83; 3. Lily Kanyer, West, 1:03.40.
Boys 100 Yard Freestyle
1. Hunter Fazio, Chugiak, 52.07; 2. Al Hussain Elerian, West, 52.26; 3. Keegan Vik, Chugiak, 58.33.
Girls 500 Yard Freestyle
1. Magen Straka, Chugiak, 6:05.11; 2. Daniela Hidalgo, West, 6:05.67; 3. Nora Young, West, 6:42.40.
Boys 500 Yard Freestyle
1. Luke Whitford, Chugiak, 5:03.71.
Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
1. West ‘A’ (Giselle Furin, Harper Lind, Daniela Hidalgo, Jane Carr), 1:50.64; 2. West ‘B’, 2:01.11; 3. Chugiak ‘A’, 2:12.92.
Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
1. West ‘A’ (Al Hussain Elerian, Yaseen Elerian, Ezra Cutting, Cruz Pineda), 1:43.73; 2. West ‘B’, 1:59.13.
Girls 100 Yard Backstroke
1. Giselle Furin, West, 1:07.63; 2. Daniela Hidalgo, West, 1:15.00; 3. Jade Denny, Chugiak, 1:16.76.
Boys 100 Yard Backstroke
1. Maika’i Davis, Chugiak, 57.97; 2. Elijah Whitford, Chugiak, 59.05; 3. AlHasan ElErian, West, 1:26.67.
Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke
1. Jane Carr, West, 1:16.19; 2. Giselle Furin, West, 1:23.79; 3. Lily Kanyer, West, 1:26.18.
Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke
1. Cruz Pineda, West, 1:08.50; 2. Hunter Fazio, Chugiak, 1:10.10; 3. Ezra Cutting, West, 1:18.48.
Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
1. West ‘A’ (Harper Lind, Daniela Hidalgo, Jane Carr, Giselle Furin), 4:16.89; 2. Chugiak ‘A’, 4:20.34; 3. West ‘B’, 5:13.36.
Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
1. Chugiak ‘B’ (Keegan Vik, Caleb Straka, Elijah Whitford, Hunter Fazio), 3:37.88; 2. Chugiak ‘A’, 3:40.11; 3. West ‘A’, 4:42.58.
• • •
College
Volleyball
Thursday
UAA 3, Northwest 0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-20)
Saint Martin’s 3, UAF 2 (20-25, 25-12, 25-19, 22-25, 16-14)
Saturday
UAF vs. Western Oregon (22-25, 19-25, 33-31, 25-23, 15-8)
Central Washington 3, UAA 1 (25-10, 25-19, 23-25, 28-26)
• • •
Hockey
Friday
Michigan Tech 3, UAF 0
UAA 5, Lake Superior State 2
Saturday
Michigan Tech 4, UAF 2
Lake Superior State 4, UAA 2
• • •
NAHL
Saturday
Anchorage Wolverines 7, Wisconsin 3
