HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Senior catcher Lauren Cashman heads off field after a long fly out at a home game.

Hannah Larue is having a good week; at least from a softball point of view.
The Lady Mariner junior is batting .564, with 10 doubles, one triple and one home run so far this season. She has driven in 23 runs.
Oh — and she threw a no-hitter against Bartlett on Saturday.
“It was my first no-hitter, and I actually had no idea it was a no-hitter until Coach told me a couple hours after the game,” Larue said. “It had been a long weekend and I was just focused on having a good game and finishing strong.”
No hits, no runs, no errors. That sounds pretty strong.
“Hannah obviously is a solid force on the team,” said Homer Head Coach Bill Bell. “She keeps the team centered on both defense and offense with her calm presence.”
“I try to stay calm in the box, but sometimes I’m incredibly nervous,” Larue admitted. “I focus on my form and constantly change it to be as powerful as I can.”
Larue said she enjoys being put in pressure situations so she can see how she performs and what she is capable of.
The Lady M’s are packin’ some heavy hitting this year, batting .383 as a team, and scoring 84 runs in the last five games. Monica Davis is batting .524, including six doubles, two triples and 20 RBIs.
“I’m really pleased with the way hitting is coming along,” Bell said. “When I look through the line-up, we just keep coming up with hitter after hitter.
If one is not sharp in a game, the next one will be.”
Miranda Beach is one of those “next ones.”
Also a junior, Beach nailed a home run against Skyview, had four hits against South — including two triples — and drove in six runs.
“That was my first home run of the season and it was very exciting,” Beach said about what she first thought was just a fly ball to center. “When I was rounding first, I saw the ball go over the fence. That was pretty cool.”
Beach is another “cool” hitter; able to take the heat in high-pressure situations.
“When I go up to bat, I don’t really get nervous,” she explained. “I just use it as a chance to prove myself offensively. You just have to go up there and make something happen for your team. Confidence is key.”
Confidence is not something of which the Lady M’s are lacking; yet they are quick to keep themselves in check with their “here and now” thinking.
“Although State is an aspiration, we are simply focused on the next pitch,” Beach said, (calmly, of course). “In other words, we take everything one step at a time.”
One step at a time resulted in a 4-1 record for the Lady Mariners in the past week. Their sole loss came at the hands of the Dimond Lady Lynx in a 5-6 nail-biter.
“It was a tight game, back and forth,” Bell said of the Dimond game. “We had one inning with three errors in a row that gave them several runs, so it’s a bit bittersweet.”
Bell called the Dimond loss a good game for the team to “learn from.”

Racking up the runs

HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Hannah Larue hurls a pitch past a batter in a home game last week. Larue pitched a no-hitter against Bartlett on Saturday.

Homer wins for the week included a solid 24-6 showing over the Skyview Panthers, a 24-8 victory over South Anchorage, Larue’s 4-0 no-hitter against Bartlett and a 27-5 thrashing of Eagle River.
Senior catcher Lauren Cashman chalks this year’s strong program up to bench depth.
“Each of our players has talent both in the field and at bat,” Cashman said. “That means there really aren’t any weak spots in our offense or defense. Our continuity as a team really helps keep us together under pressure. Everyone is reliable and can step in and support each other when we need it.”
Cashman also credited coaching staff for much of the team’s success.
“We have four excellent coaches who all bring a lot of game experience,” she said.
Beach agreed.
“Bill Bell has put so much time and effort into building the whole program; we owe much of our success to him,” she said. “A more recent addition to our coaching staff is Mary Joe Campbell. We love her intensity — and her 8 a.m. Saturday workouts.”

In the home stretch …

The team will play several conference games this week, beginning with a game at SoHi today. Kenai visits Thursday, and the Lady M’s take on Houston at home on Saturday.
“Our defense is looking good in the infield and we’re getting good support from the reserves,” Bell said. “I really feel like we are gelling as a team.”
Apparently, everyone is also having a lot of fun.
“Sometimes we just laugh at errors we make,” Larue said. “It’s the best way to stay positive.”
“If it looks like were having fun, it’s because we genuinely are,” Beach said. “Everyone on our team has an extreme love of the game, so softball is more of a passion than anything.”
Cashman said playing softball has always been a fun experience for her.
“While we take things seriously and strive to improve, it’s always fun being with people who love the sport.” she said. “Our main focus is doing our best. If that results in a successful state experience, then it will be an even better season.”

Thurs. May 10
Homer 24, Skyview 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Homer 9 0 6 9 24 19 4
Skyview 2 0 0 4 6 7 11

Batting: 2B: Davis, Edens, DeVaney, Hutt; 3B: Edens, DeVaney, Hutt, Larue; HR: Beach; Winning Pitcher: McNary

Friday May 11
Homer 5, Dimond 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Homer 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 5 4 3
Dimond 0 0 0 3 1 0 2 6 8 3
Batting: 2B: DeVaney

Friday, May 11
Homer 24, South 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Homer 1 4 4 1 4 10 24 21 6
South 4 2 1 0 2 0 8 10 6
Batting: 2B: Davis; 3B: Beach 2;
Winning Pitcher: Larue

Saturday, May 12
Homer 4, Bartlett 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Homer 1 0 1 2 0 10 4 10 0
Bartlett 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Batting: 2B: Davis; 3B: Davis;
Winning pitcher: Larue

Saturday, May 12
Homer 27, Eagle River 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Homer 5 13 9 27 15 1
E.R. 2 2 1 5 7 15

Batting: 2B Larue 3; 3B Davis
Winning Pitcher: Beach

HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Mariner Senior slugger Tayler Downes connects with the ball.

The Homer Mariner baseball team returned for games at home after going 1-2 on the road over the past week in Kenai and Kodiak.
The M’s opened play on Thursday, traveling to Kenai to play the Kardinals in a conference match-up. Homer fell 1-4 in the game. Mariner sophomore Brian Rowe scored the lone run for Homer in the first inning, while sophomore Zack Haning, freshman JJ Sonnen and senior Tayler Downes each produced hits for the team. Downes’ success came in the form of a double in the fourth inning.
Kenai was held to five hits for the game, none of them for extra bases. Homer Head Coach Lary Kuhns said that errors by the Mariners proved to be the difference.
“Three of the four Kenai runs were unearned,” Kuhns said.
On Friday, Homer made the lengthy excursion to Kodiak to take on the Bears.
“It was a pitching duel until the bottom of the sixth inning,” Kuhns said. “With the score tied at 2, Kodiak took advantage of a couple of our defensive errors and some timely hitting, to plate seven runners.”
The opportunistic Bears handed the Mariners a 9-2 conference loss. Homer’s Haning collected two of Homer’s four hits in the game, while senior Dylan Morrison and junior Lucas Schneider picked up the other two hits.
“Willie Deaver pitched a solid game against Kodiak, striking out five Bears and allowing just four hits,” Kuhns said. “Our play was definitely hampered by the very cool temperatures.”
The Mariners’ Saturday play proved to be quite an improvement, as Homer stayed in Kodiak to win a lop-sided 24-3 slugfest over the Bears. The game was called in the bottom of the fifth inning in compliance with the league’s “mercy rule.”
“That’s the first time in several years that we’ve beaten an opponent via the ‘mercy rule,’” Kuhns said. “Zack (Haning) pitched five quality innings, allowing three runs on six hits.”
Haning struck out four batters and walked five.
Homer was led in hitting by three different players, collecting three hits each. Haning and Brian Rowe went 2 for 5 and 2 for 6, respectively. Catcher Morrison went 2 for 4, scoring two runs. Sophomore Tommy Bowe also went 2 for 4, picking up two RBIs and scoring three runs.
Junior third baseman and pitcher, Deaver, also went 2 for 4 and scored three runs. He was forced to leave the game in the fourth inning because of a twisted ankle.
Pitcher Schneider helped his cause by scoring five times, after going 1 for 3 with a walk and a hit. Senior Mick Wells and sophomore Tommy Neal also collected a hit apiece and scored a run as late replacements for the Mariners.
Homer hosted the Kenai Kardinals on Tuesday, but game results were unavailable by press time. The M’s host SoHi on Friday, followed by a home game against Houston on Saturday.
The Region III Baseball Tournament begins May 24 in Kenai, and runs through the 26th.

HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Hanna Mikols battles for a ball against a Seward Seahawk on Friday with a little back-up from Alaine Miller.

The Homer Lady Mariner Soccer team ended its 2012 season last week with a 0-1 loss to the Lady Bulldogs in Nikiski on Saturday.
The Bulldogs scored an early goal and maintained a strong defensive pressure on the Lady M’s to hold Homer scoreless for the match.
The Lady Mariners struggled with scoring all season, thanks in part to a relatively young and inexperienced squad. Homer Coach Mickey Todd said he is already looking to next season, and is pleased with the growth and maturity of play he has seen as this year has progressed. Homer finished the regular season at 2-7-1.

Mariner tracksters earn State berths

Seven individual athletes will represent Homer in the State Track and Field Championships at Lathrop this weekend, thanks to strong Mariner performances at last week’s Region III meet at Skyview.
The Mariner Boys finished eighth overall in the region, led by a second-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles by Mark McGregor, and Travis Smith’s third-place leap in the long jump.
McGregor qualified in the hurdles with a time of 17.27 seconds, while Smith’s jump of 19 feet, 2.75 inches was enough to earn him a berth at the State Championships. Smith also earned a spot as an alternate in the 200m sprint, thanks to his fourth-place regional finish and time of 24.65 seconds.
Conner Seay also qualified as an alternate with his time of 45.72 in the 300m hurdles.
On the girls’ side, sophomore Tayla Cabana made a strong showing in the long jump to qualify for State competition with a jump of 14 feet, 4 inches to lead the Lady M’s to a ninth-place finish in the regional meet.
With a finish time of 4.44.84, Cabana also earned an alternate spot in the 4X400 Relay, joining teammates Crystal Crane, Casey Farrell, Sakota Mitchell, Mattea Peters, Elsa Simmons and Cassidy Soistsman.
Soistsman also qualified for the triple jump, after leaping to a third-place regional finish with an impressive jump of 30 feet, .05 inches.
Diane Frank earned an alternate spot in the long jump as well. Frank finished sixth in the region with a jump of 13 feet, 4.25 inches.

Lower Cook Inlet Fishing Report

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Southcentral Region, issued the weekly fishing report for the Homer area on May 15. Information on the report is valid through May 21.

Regulation Reminders/Emergency Orders
• Sport, personal-use and subsistence bag and possession limit for littleneck and butter clams has been reduced from 1,000 littleneck clams and 700 butter clams to a combined bag and possession limit of 80 clams.
• Effective May 19, the Anchor River will be closed to fishing on Wednesdays during the king salmon season. In addition, the ADF&G upstream regulatory marker will be relocated downstream approximately 1,000 feet of the junction of the North and South forks from May 19 through July 31.
• Regulations in the Early-Run King Salmon Special Harvest Area are in effect through June 30. After taking a king salmon 20” or longer, you may not continue to fish for any species of fish that same day within this special harvest area.
• Lingcod may not be harvested until July 1.

Salt waters
Halibut
• Early-season halibut fishing has been sporadic, and most fish are small. Success will improve as more fish move from deep, over-wintering waters back into shallow, summer feeding areas.
• The Department has already received reports of “mushy” halibut this season. A high prevalence of mushy halibut syndrome was seen in 1998, 2005 and 2011. All were diagnosed as a nutritional myopathy.
Salmon
• Trolling success for feeder king salmon has been fair off the south side of Kachemak Bay, Bluff Point, Point Pogibshi and north to Ninilchik.
• Early run king salmon are available this time of year in the near shore salt waters of Anchor Point, Whiskey Gulch and Deep Creek.

Fresh waters
Salmon
• The Anchor River, as defined by the ADF&G markers, will open to fishing at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 19, through midnight, Monday 21.
• Anchor River water conditions have been fluctuating daily with changes in weather and snow melt. Expect the water level to be high for this weekend.
• The Anchor River sonar began operating at 9 p.m. on May 14 and the king salmon count through midnight was six fish.
• Steelhead runs are not large and rainbow/steelhead fishery is catch-and–release only. Please familiarize yourself with the differences between king salmon and steelhead trout before you fish.. Remember that steelhead trout must not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
• All other streams along the Sterling Highway south of the Kasilof River are currently closed to all fishing at this time.
Shellfish
• The next series of clamming tides is May 19-23.
• Littleneck (steamer) and butter clams can be found in gravel beaches on the south side of Kachemak Bay from Seldovia to Chugachik Island.
• Razor clams can be found on the sandy beaches from Kasilof to Homer. Tides of minus 2.0 feet or lower are suggested, and larger razor clams can be found on beaches south of Deep Creek.
• All shrimp and crab fisheries in Kachemak Bay are currently closed.

HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Quinn Daugharty and Lewis Koplin use a little fancy footwork to score against Seward in a Friday scrimmage.

Homer junior Konstantin Reutov netted a hat trick in the Mariners’ 8-1 road win over Nikiski on Saturday. The M’s remain undefeated at 9-0-2 for the season as they head into Regional play this weekend.
Homer fell behind for the first time this season when the Bulldogs scored early in the contest.
But Reutov and team were having none of that. The Mariner offense kicked things up a notch, punching in five goals before the half.
“After I scored two goals, I just tried to stay aggressive,” Reutov said of his quest for the hat trick. “I pressured the defense, trying to make them mess up so I could score again.”
Reutov said he got a lot of help from his teammates.
“My game is trying to make good runs,” he explained. “My teammates saw the openings and passed to me.”
Homer also got two goals from Connor McCarron, while brothers Mario and Robin Glosser each chipped one in. The Bulldogs inadvertently scored on themselves to account for Homer’s final point.
The M’s also hosted Seward last week, winning by forfeit, as the Seahawks were short on players. To keep fresh and on top of their game, several Homer players donned Seahawk-green to round out the Seward squad for a scrimmage.
“During games that we are winning by a lot, we try to slow the tempo down and keep possession for as long as possible,” Reutov said. “If there’s an opportunity to score, we take it.”

HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Konstantin Reutov takes the ball upfield with a Seward Seahawk on his tail. Reutov scored a hat trick in Homer’s 8-1 road win against Nikiski on Saturday.

The Mariners’ depth on the bench affords them the opportunity to keep fresh legs in the game, without compromising quality of play. It’s a cohesiveness that Reutov — like his teammates — chalks up to years of playing together.
“We only lost three seniors last year and gained two amazing foreign exchange students who are fitting right into our style of play,” he said. “I think we have a very good chance at going to State this year.”
The M’s head to Regions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Skyview, where they are seeded No. 1 in the southern division.
The main focus at this point in the season, especially with an undefeated record, is to not get too cocky or confident heading into post-season play. However, Reutov thinks the M’s pretty much have their egos in check; besides, they’re all just having a good time.
“I always have fun when I play soccer; every game we played was fun,” Reutov said. “Of course, that’s probably cause we haven’t lost a game.”

HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Mady Gerard heads a ball up field against Skyview.

Lady Mariner Mady Gerard scored four goals on Thursday to lead Homer to a 5-0 victory over visiting Houston. Maggie Koplin picked up the fifth goal in the win that snapped a five-game losing streak.
“Our girls are playing extremely tough, with a never-give-up attitude,” said Homer Head Coach Mickey Todd. “We struggle putting the ball in the net as we figure out how to move together as a team.”
According to Todd, with the toughest part of their schedule behind them, the Lady M’s are hoping to pick up a couple of future wins from the hard lessons learned over the past two weeks.
“A couple of wins this week would really help boost their morale,” Todd said of his team. “Our main goal this year is to return to the Region Tournament after a two-year hiatus.”
Fresh off the win over Houston, Homer settled into a long defensive battle against the Skyview Panthers on Saturday. A diving save by Homer keeper Rachel Doan near the end of the match preserved a 1-1 tie between the two peninsula teams.
“They (Lady M’s) played well against Skyview,” Todd said. “They just could not put the ball in the net.”
The exception was Sara Andrews, who scored the Lady Mariners only goal for the game.
On Monday, Homer fell to conference rival Kenai 0-3, extending their season record to 1-6-1.
“Kenai scored a couple of fluke goals,” Todd said. “It was actually our best game of the season, although the result is not what we would have liked.”
Todd said scores could have been worse, were it not for “outstanding” performances by Doan.
“She’s averaging 12-15 saves per game,” he said.
Todd said dealing with injuries has been tough, as the team has played seven games in 10 days; over half their schedule in one week.
“But, no excuses,” Todd said. “This is spring soccer in Alaska and the girls know this. We try to instill a ‘never-give-up’ attitude in the girls. Hopefully, we can reward that this week with a couple of wins.”

HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Katy McNary delivers a pitch in Homer’s 16-2 win over the Service Cougars at home on Saturday.

Homer High softball coach Bill Bell can see the big picture. He’s seen it before. Bell captained a cohesive team of very talented young athletes to a state softball title in 2006. They were focused and committed — and had a lot of fun playing softball together.
Have you seen this year’s Lady Mariner Softball team?
“It’s deja vu all over again.” (Yogi Berra, circa 1961)
These Lady M’s are a definite force to be reckoned with. Powerful pitching and brawny bats help round out a squad of otherwise pleasant and friendly young ladies. Surely fleeting thoughts of the ‘06 season must be dancing in Coach Bell’s mind.
“We talk a lot about having no expectations other than ‘next pitch,’” Bell explained. “They are not taking anything for granted. They are totally focused on what is important now.”
Bell obviously prefers to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground.
“There is still so much to work on that there is no chance of getting complacent,” Bell said of his team. “The Soldotna game on Wednesday will be a defining point in the season. They always have a solid, tough team. The game will hinge on all those little things we try to build into practice.”
Senior pitcher Katie McNary tends to see it all as a big learning experience.
“I know we all want to win state, but realistically — before that — we just want to improve and learn after each game,” said McNary. “Our goal is to do the best we can, and see how far that gets us.”
The Lady Mariners’ mettle was tested Friday with their first two losses of the season, at the hands of South Anchorage. Despite a 10-hit Homer batting performance, the Wolverines squeaked by with an 11-9 win in game one.
Lady Mariner bats went cold in game two, allowing the Lady Wolverines the opportunity to finish things off with a 14-5 win.
“We all learned a lot from Friday’s games against South, and I think we improved pretty noticeably,” McNary said. “Bill told us that our word for the games was ‘synchronicity,’ and I feel like we filled that pretty well.”
On Saturday, Homer pitcher Hannah Larue logged six strike-outs in the Mariners’ 12-3 win over the Service Cougars.
The later game against the Cougars would follow suit, with McNary earning the 16-2 win after four innings pitched.
Homer’s offense saw consistent power from sluggers Hannah Larue and Briana Edens, who combined for seven hits and 11 RBIs over the four games. Larue currently holds a .619 batting average, while Edens sits at .500.
“Hannah and Briana are clearly our heavy hitters,” McNary said. “They both hit over-the-fence home runs in our opening game against Skyview.”
Certainly sounds like fair criteria for the title.
McNary said the team agrees that last year’s high morale was a huge factor in their success. They are working to maintain that same sort of “team friendship” this year.
“Having fun is really important to us,” McNary said. “Bill always tells us, ‘just go out and have fun!’”
What more could you ask for?
“Oh … and beating Sitka,” McNary added. “That’s a pretty big goal of ours this year. We definitely want that win.”

Box Scores

Friday
Game 1: Mariners 9, Wolverines 11
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
South 0 6 0 3 1 1 11 8 6
Homer 1 5 0 1 1 1 9 10 4

Game 2: Mariners 5, Wolverines 14
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
South 3 6 2 3 14 13 4
Mariners 0 2 0 3 5 4 5

Saturday
Game 1: Mariners 12, Cougars 3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Homer 3 3 4 0 2 12 8 3
Service 0 2 0 1 0 0 3 7 5

Game 2: Mariners 16, Cougars 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Service 1 0 0 1 2 3 10
Homer 4 7 1 4 16 11 4

HOMER TRIBUNE/Sean Pearson - Mariner Burl Tonga keeps an eye on the ball as he follows it into the goal against Houston

The Homer boys soccer team extended its season record to 7-0-2, following a 5-1 win over the Kenai Kardinals on Monday. The Mariners are now 3-0 in the Northern Lights Conference Southern Division.
The M’s had little trouble on offense against the Kards, grabbing goals from Lennart Von Schlicting, Mario Glosser, Vegard Unhjem and Cole Krikac.
Kenai’s lone goal found the back of the net after glancing off a Mariner defender.
The Mariners spread the scoring around fairly evenly against Houston on Thursday, picking up goals from six different players in their win at home. Von Schlichting, Robin Glosser, Konstantin Reutov, Mario Glosser, Grant Arseneau and Burl Tonga each scored a goal for the Mariners.
“Houston was missing two key players on Thursday,” explained Mariner Coach Warren Waldorf. “That made our work a bit easier than it might have been.”
Senior Burl Tonga credited the team’s ability to work tightly with each other and stay relaxed in high-pressure situations as key factors to winning.
“We passed the ball really well against Houston,” he said. “We weren’t as focused against Skyview, mainly because we had gotten so used to playing easier teams.”
Tonga said the Panthers “stacked” their defense, instead of trying to play them in a competitive game.
Waldorf referred to it as Catenaccio: a highly organized and effective backline soccer defense focused on nullifying opponents’ attacks and preventing goal-scoring opportunities.
Brothers Robin and Mario Glosser combined for all three of the Homer goals against Skyview. The M’s outshot the Panthers 24-0.
“Skyview’s defensive effort held us scoreless until the seventh minute of the second half,” Waldorf said. “Robin deflected a corner kick from Mario into the net.”
The senior standout returned the favor in the 16th minute, glancing a free kick off the side of his brother’s head and past a frozen Skyview keeper. Kyle Wisner set up Robin’s final goal in the 32nd minute.
Waldorf said the team will make a “to-do” list after the games, and tweak things during the practice the rest of this week.
“The trick is to figure out in what direction the team is developing, and respond to that unfolding with conversation and well-designed games to help them see where they’re going,” Waldorf explained. “We’re all involved in the struggle to shape our collective response to the unique challenges presented by our opponents during each contest.”
Tonga figures they need to work on staying focused — and shooting, since the team’s shots have been “off a bit.”
“We run quite hard in practice, but our main training has actually been scrimmaging,” Tonga explained. “That way, we push ourselves to improve at the game and not just conditioning.”
The Mariners face Seward at home on Friday at 6 p.m., before traveling to Nikiski on Saturday to complete their regular-season schedule.
Regional play gets underway May 17-19 at Skyview in Soldotna.

Senior Travis Smith earned the lion’s share of his team’s points with strong finishes in both sprint and field events at the Kenai Peninsula Borough Track and Field Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Mariner team placed fourth overall, edging Soldotna by one point.
Smith placed second in the long jump, stretching out to a length of eight feet, 6.5 inches. He also delivered solid sprint performances, turning in a time of 12.06 seconds for fourth place in the 100-meter event, and third in the 200m in 24.67.
Mark McGregor took 17.78 seconds to chase down second-place in the 110m hurdles. His time was a mere half-second longer than first-place finisher Joe Sandahl of Kenai. McGregor’s time of 48.43 in the 300m hurdles earned him fifth place.
Ninilchik’s Jack Wheeler placed fourth in the long jump, and third in the high jump. He cleared five-feet, four inches, while teammate Dakota Peterson took fourth. Peterson also finished fourth in the 200m, finishing in 25.39.
The girls team also placed fourth overall, thanks in part to Cassidy Soistman’s leap of 30-feet, 11.75 inches to earn second in the triple jump. Soistman also finished third in the 400m with a time of 1:07.98. Lady Mariner Melanie Mastolier was less than four seconds off the winning pace in the 3200m event. She finished third with a time of 12:48.21.
Casey Farrell also took third, turning in a time of 6:06.31 in the 1600m. Homer relay teams took second in both the 1600 and 3200m relays.

2012 Kenai Peninsula Borough Track and Field Tournament

Boys
Homer and Ninilchik results
100m: 4. Travis Smith, 12.06
200m: 3. Smith, 24.67; 4. Dakota Peterson, Nin, 25.39
400m: 5. Connor Seay, 58.17
110m Hurdles: 2. Mark McGregor, 17.78
300m Hurdles: 4. Conner Seay, 48.32; 5. McGregor, 48.43
400m Relay: 3. Homer, 48.69
1600m Relay: 4. Homer, 4:23.32.
High jump: 3. Jack Wheeler, Nin, 5’04; 4. Dakota Peterson, Nin, 5’02.
Long jump: 2. Smith, 18’06-1/2; 4. Jack Wheeler, Nin, 17’08-1/2
Triple jump: 4. Christopher Bice, 31’09-1/2

Girls
Homer Results
400m: 3. Cassidy Soistman,1:07.98; 4. Crystal Crane, 1:08.05
1600m: 3. Casey Farrell, 6:06.31
3200m: 3. Melanie Mastolier, 12:48.21; 6. Dakota Mitchell, 14:46.25.
300m Hurdles: 5. Elsa Simmons, 56.56;
800m Relay: 4. Homer, 2:00.12.
1600m Relay: 2. Homer, 4:49.09
3200m Relay: 2. Homer, 11:30.15
Triple jump: 2. Cassidy Soistman, 30’11-3/4

Popeyes win 13 State titles

Photo provided - Popeye wrestler Ravi Cavasos pins Alaska Battle Cat Kaitin Johnson at the State Tournament in Wasilla.

At last year’s State Tournament, Teddy Croft lost three very close matches in the finals and collected his three silver medals. This year, Teddy set out to win the Triple Crown in the Novice 95-pound weight class. In his quest for state dominance, he won 15 matches all by pin. 
Apparently, that wasn’t enough for Croft, as he earned 13 of his 15 pins in the first of three periods. He remains undefeated for the year.
More than 1,000 wrestlers took to the mats in the Wasilla tourney; 33 of them from the Popeye program.
Austin Shafford, Intermediate, 75 pounds, won all six of his matches by either pin or technical fall to win his second State title in three years. Shafford lost only one match this season to a 70-pound champion from Nikiski.  
Popeye Coach Chris Perk called Shafford, “one of the most advanced technical wrestlers on the team.” Shafford had to battle 24 competitors in his weight class. 
Calvin Johnson won three Junior Division titles at 106 pounds because there was no one else in his weight class, while Brandon Fenex won two titles in the Novice 140-pound class. He finished second in the third tournament. Anthony Kalugin, Intermediate 95-pound class, earned both Greco Roman and Freestyle titles, winning his six matches all by pin. 
Allison Wells and Kaitlin Rios both won Girls Freestyle State titles. Jadzia Martin fell just short of her weight-class title, winning three matches before losing to champion Alicia Evan from Bethel.
Jadin Mann, placed first in the Folkstyle tournament, second in the Greco and fourth in Freestyle. Jared Brant earned second and fourth-place finishes.
“He really surprised a few opponents, including an exciting win by fall over Ashton Sardakowski from Eagle River,” Perk explained. “Brant lost the first period 3-2, and then came back to throw Sardakowski to his back.”
David Woo finished fourth in Freestyle, and second in Greco, while Avraam Kalugin finished second and third in the Greco and Freestyle Tourneys, respectively.
Wrestlers Brandon Bernier, Rorey Cook, Dennis Martishev, Mischell Wells, Mina Cavasos and McKenzie Cook each placed second in their respective weight classes.

Trail Conditions:

Kachemak Bay State Park
Overall Conditions: Snow levels are at 250 ft., depending upon the aspect of slope.
Snowshoes are recommended for higher elevations.
Trails in KBSP are rough, with steep grades in places, and in some cases only marked routes. It is advisable to add 1/3 to your average hiking time.
Grewingk Creek Tram is open and upgraded, but difficult to use. Two people are required to operate it, and gloves are recommended.
Practice “Leave no trace” etiquette. Pack out what you pack in.
Report any problems or complaints to the Park Ranger at 235-7024 or 262-5581.