Athletes from the Dillingham, Lake and Peninsula, and Southwest Region school districts placed at this year's tournament. Congratulations to all the athletes who competed!
Athletes from around the Bristol Bay region traveled to Anchorage over the weekend to compete in the 2019 Native Youth Olympics.
Dillingham’s Kylie Clouse took second in Eskimo Stick Pull. In one of her first matches, she pulled against a three-time state champion - Mat-Su's Ashley Hoglund. Clouse lost.
"Then I beat everybody to get back to going against the three-time state champ," she said in an interview at the Anchorage airport Sunday morning. "Then I lost again. But she had a lot better form than I did. And she had the motions down. But it was good."
Clouse said that working her way back up after that first loss, she didn't know where she was in the lineup.
"I was honestly messing around," she said. "Every pull - I didn't know what place I was pulling for, so every pull was just another pull."
Asked whether she will compete next year, Clouse replied, "I hope so."
Kylie Clouse competes in the Eskimo Stick Pull. Credit: Robyn Chaney.
Monica Ishnook from the Southwest Region School District took fifth in Eskimo Stick Pull.
Dillingham’s Cate Gomez took fifth in the Kneel Jump at around 43 inches. Dillon Chaney and Jesse Noden carried Ethan Jenkins over 328 feet to fourth place in Wrist Carry.
Jesse Noden competes in Seal Hop, which many say is the most grueling event of the tournament. Credit: Robyn Chaney.
Lake and Peninsula School District’s Kaia Beebe won second place in the One-Foot High Kick at 86 inches and 2 meters.
"It was fun. It was like new competition, and I learned a lot," she said.
Beebe started participating in that event when she was in sixth grade. Standing in the large, echoing stadium this weekend, she felt nervous.
"I just had to focus. It was between me and the ball, and just had to shut the crowd out," she said.
Beebe also took third in Indian Stick Pull. Lake and Pen's Ian Anelon took fourth in that event for the boys.
A full list of results can be viewed at the NYO website.
Dillon Chaney and Jesse Noden of Dillingham carry Ethan Jenkins to fourth place in the wrist carry. Credit: Robyn Chaney.
Contact the author at isabelle@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
