Sports

The Rewind: UAA gymnastics shines at home and Joshua Caleb earns second-straight GNAC honor

Welcome to The Rewind, a weekly digest that puts a spotlight on the biggest stories and best performances from Alaska’s world of sports.

This past week featured several notable individual and team performances across the Alaska sports landscape at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. The 2024 high school basketball season saw the reigning boys state champions at the 4A level suffer their first loss and boys prep hockey had a pair of brothers stay hot on the ice when it comes to scoring goals. On the college scene, the University of Alaska Anchorage had one of its student-athletes honored for another standout performance while streaks were extended and snapped for the basketball programs. Outside the state, several Alaskans had impressive performances and career achievements worth recognizing and celebrating.

Headlines and highlights

The past week in the high school hockey season saw defending Division I state champion West extend its winning streak to seven in a row and stay undefeated in Cook Inlet Conference play by notching a pair of victories over Bartlett and South. In a 15-1 win over the Golden Bears last Tuesday, the Eagles got hat tricks from brothers Paul and Joey Dittrich for the second time in their last six games. They combined for seven of the team’s goals with senior and older brother, Paul Dittrich, leading the team with a quartet.

For the fourth year in a row, the two-time defending 4A state champion Bettye Davis East boys basketball team experienced the bitter taste of defeat for the first time in a season at the hands of an out-of-state powerhouse program at the Alaska Airlines Classic tournament. This time around, the Thunderbirds fell to two-time defending Alabama state champion Hoover High School 62-30 in the tournament final.

“Alaska has some tough competition, but I just feel like we come out here, we play hard and we play a little bit tougher and we were able to come out with the win,” Hoover senior power forward and tournament MVP DeWayne Brown said. “Overall, it was a good tournament and a good experience.”

While his team’s consecutive wins over in-state opponents streak continued with a 47-42 win over crosstown rival West in the semifinals, head coach Chuck Martin expected his team to perform better against the Buccaneers even though the chances of pulling off an upset were slim to none.

“I’m not disappointed we lost; we just didn’t play very well,” he said. “We’re not beating that team. Even if we played perfect, we’re not beating that team. They just do too many things well, are really gifted and well-coached. I’m disappointed that we didn’t do a good job executing initially defensively with the ball screen stuff.”

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[Alabama’s Hoover hands East boys basketball first loss in Alaska Airlines Classic championship game]

The Alaska Airlines Classic on the girls side featured an all Alaska team slate in round-robin format and saw Bartlett run the table and increase its winning streak to five in a row after beating Ketchikan, Lumen Christi and host West by double digits. The Golden Bears were led in their lopsided victories by tournament MVP and star freshman Kennedi Gaines, who averaged 23 points over the course of the three-day event and recorded the most assists (10) and steals (17).

“It was a little rough to start, but in the end we came up with the energy and did what we do best,” Gaines said after beating West 66-48 last Wednesday.

The final regular-season race of the 2024-25 high school ski season, the Lynx Loppet Invitational, was supposed to take place Friday and Saturday but was canceled. Unseasonably warm weather melted the snow on the trails at Kincaid Park and prevented the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage from manufacturing enough manmade snow to hold the competition.

“It’s definitely pretty difficult,” West senior Liam Dudley said. “I think it’s hard when we can’t get out there. These have been impressively bad conditions. I’ve definitely skied in similar conditions.”

[‘Impressively bad conditions’: How an uncharacteristic Alaska winter has impacted the high school skiing season]

On the college scene, the UAA gymnastics team hosted its first competition at the Alaska Airlines center and showed out on its home mats, bars and beams with a pair of victories over visiting Greenville University on Thursday and Saturday. One standout performance from the Seawolves home-opener came from sophomore Jamilia Duffus who recorded a career-high score of 9.775 on the bars to help lift the team to a 190.875-185.800 victory.

“I’m just grateful, because I’ve been working really hard on it,” she said. “Every 10th (of a point) counts, and I tell myself that every day. So I fight for every little detail so I can better myself on each competition.”

[Fairbairn, Duffus lead UAA gymnastics to victory in home opener]

Both UAA basketball teams lost last week with the men’s team extending its losing skid to five straight with back-to-back narrow road losses to Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings.

“We battled, but we need to defensive rebound better,” UAA head coach Rusty Osborne said in a statement. “We got some contributions from guys who haven’t played a lot. Hopefully we can make a few more plays going forward.”

Meanwhile, the women’s team extended its winning streak to seven in a row with a 90-54 win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday but had the streak snapped Saturday by suffering its first conference loss of the season to nationally ranked Montana State Billings 70-55 with all-conference candidate Tori Hollingshead out with injury. The Seawolves were led in scoring over the past week by senior guard Jazzpher Evans. Evans was the only player on the team to reach double figures in points in both games, including a game-high 23 points in the loss to the Yellowjackets.

“We started off with great energy, but we weren’t able to sustain it through their big runs at the end of the first half and then in the third quarter,” UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy said in a statement. “Give credit to Billings for playing tough and hitting some big shots. I’m confident we can regroup and play some of our strongest ball over the final third of the season.”

UAA sophomore sprinting sensation Joshua Caleb continued his blazing start to the indoor track and field season by dominating at the Nevada Invitational last weekend. Even though he came up .02 seconds away from tying his conference record time in the 60-meter race, Caleb still cruised to a victory with a mark of 6.59 and came in second among 55 competitors in the 200 meters in a time of 21.08 seconds. Those impressive feats earned him Great Northwest Athletic Conference Male Track Athlete of the Week honors for the second week in a row and fourth time in his already illustrious career.

Joshua continues to show consistency and poise in his races,” UAA coach Ryan McWilliams said in a statement. “He has learned a lot from his freshman year and that is noticeably having a positive impact on his conceptions. There are certainly a few more aspects of races he can improve on too. The good balance of doing things right and having stuff to improve on that combine with his consistency has us feeling confident.”

The Anchorage Wolverines were back at home this past weekend for a second straight two-game series against the Kenai River Brown Bears and came up short in both contests. Despite giving up four goals in the second period of Friday’s game, they had a chance to win in regulation or at least force overtime but gave up a go-ahead goal in the final minute to seal their fate and a 6-5 loss. They were up 3-1 early in the third period of Saturday’s game but gave up two in the final four minutes less than 20 seconds apart and lost in a shootout 4-3. Three players tied for the team lead in goals scored over the weekend with forwards Taisetsu Ushio and Daniel Bagnole and defenseman Jackson Stimple each recording a pair.

Alaska stars shining Outside

Anchorage’s Jeremy Swayman helped lead the Boston Bruins to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche this past Saturday as the starting goaltender. The former South standout made 27 saves on 28 shots to earn the team’s second straight victory and his 17th win of the season.

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Anchorage’s Edefuan Ulofoshio was active for the sixth straight game and seventh time this season on Sunday in the Buffalo Bills’ 32-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. His only snaps came on special teams, where he played 14, the third-most of his rookie campaign. He finished his first year in the NFL with six total tackles including five solos and one for a loss and a pass deflection with all 64 of his defensive snaps coming in the final week of the regular season while his other 98 snaps including the playoffs came on special teams.

Anchorage’s JT Thor reached double figures in scoring in three straight games for the Cleveland Charge in the NBA G-League last week.

Palmer’s Patrick McMahon set a single-game career high in scoring for the Montana State University men’s basketball team in a 77-70 loss to rival Montana University on Saturday. The former Colony High star and Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year led the Bobcats in scoring with 18 points to go along with four rebounds and a steal.

Anchorage’s Kaeleb Johnson recorded his 14th and 15th double-digit scoring outings of the season for the Vancouver Island University men’s basketball team in back-to-back wins over Okanagan over the weekend. The former East standout finished third on the Mariners with 18 points and tied for the lead in rebounds with six in Friday’s 116-69 victory and scored 10 points in a 96-75 triumph on Saturday.

Anchorage’s Angelline Nageak reached double figures in scoring for the Adam State University women’s basketball team in back-to-back games this past week, finishing second in points both times. The former Dimond standout scored 16 points and led the Grizzlies with four steals in a 77-60 loss to Colorado State University at Pueblo last Thursday. In an 86-66 win over Colorado Christian University on Saturday, she recorded 20 points and led the team with six assists and four steals. Her teammate and fellow Alaskan, Mykaila Pickard of Anchorage Christian School fame, set a new single-game season-high in points with nine and recorded three rebounds.

Anchorage’s Isaiah Moses helped lead the University of California Riverside men’s basketball team to back-to-back wins this past week and reached double digits in scoring in each. In an 84-80 win over the University of California Irvine on Thursday, he scored 11 points and dropped a dozen in an 83-79 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday.

Anchorage’s Akeem Sulaiman stayed hot for the Peninsula College men’s basketball team this past week, fresh off a career-high 36 points in a 103-92 win over Olympic last Saturday. This past week, the former East high standout led the Pirates with 18 points in a 72-60 loss to Skagit Valley last Tuesday and recorded a double-double in a 73-68 win over Everett this past Saturday with 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Palmer’s Meika Lee recorded a career-high 9.825 to help the University of Pittsburgh’s gymnastics team record an efficient 49.000 score in the floor event in a 196.175-194.550 loss to No. 15 Stanford University on Sunday.

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(If you know of an Alaska athlete who has achieved a standout performance or reached a noteworthy milestone on the Outside, email sports@adn.com or jreed@adn.com with the details.)

Fast Forward

Prep

Basketball

2A Conference Clash at Lumen Christi, Thursday-Saturday

Several of the top teams at the 2A level on the boys and girls side will be in town this week for the biggest small school tournament of the regular season. The list of attendees includes reigning girls state champion Metlakatla, defending boys state champion Petersburg and perennial contenders such as the Hooper Bay boys and the Unalakleet girls.

Hockey

Chugiak v. Eagle River at MAC, Friday at 7:30

These two rivals will be facing off for the second time this season and first since they squared off in the season-opener. The Mustangs won that matchup 2-1 and the Wolves will be seeking their first win in the series since the 2021 season.

College

Women’s Basketball

UAA v. Central Washington at Alaska Airlines Center, Thursday at 5:15 p.m.

The Seawolves will be looking to bounce back and establish another win streak this week with a pair of home games over conference opponents starting with a bout with the Wildcats on Thursday night followed by a matchup against Northwest Nazarene at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night.

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Men’s basketball

UAA v. Western Washington at Alaska Airlines Center, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

The Seawolves will be trying to notch their first win in nearly a month this week starting with a conference matchup with the Vikings, who were the last opponent they beat in a 71-67 road victory on Jan. 4. If they can pull off the regular-season sweep, they’ll have a chance to string together consecutive wins for the first time since the first week of the new year two days later when they host Simon Fraser on Saturday night with a tipoff time of 6 p.m.

NAHL

Anchorage Wolverines v. Fairbanks Ice Dogs, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The hometown junior hockey team will be on its home ice at the Sullivan Arena for the second week in a row this weekend for a two-game series against their arch in-state rivals looking to make up ground in the Club 49 Cup standings.

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Last week’s results

High School

Basketball

Girls

Monday

Susitna Valley 34, Unalaska 22

Lumen Christi 52, Ninilchik 10

Tuesday

Susitna Valley 47, Ninilchik 12

Service 47, Chugiak 40

Dimond 80, East 24

Bartlett 51, Ketchikan 29

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Kenai Central 61, Homer 46

Mountain City Christian 60, Palmer 22

West 52, Lumen Christi 28

Wednesday

Ketchikan 50, Lumen Christi 19

Bartlett 66, West 48

West 54, Ketchikan 33

Thursday

Bartlett 65, Lumen Christi 11

Kenai Central 32, Eagle River 20

Lathrop 61, Nikiski 40

Sitka 56, Houston 24

Soldotna 57, West Valley 33

Friday

West Valley 39, Eagle River 29

Juneau-Douglas 62, Dimond 48

Barrow 77, Nikiski 23

Kenai Central 55, Soldotna 44

Saturday

Kenai Central 45, West Valley 39

Seward 54, Susitna Valley 24

Wasilla 60, Kodiak 7

Dimond 53, Juneau-Douglas 43

Boys

Monday

Susitna Valley 49, Unalaska 38

Ninilchik 56, Lumen Christi 48

Tuesday

Susitna Valley 56, Ninilchik 53

Homer 54, Kenai Central 52

East 52, Dimond 49

Bartlett 73, Eagle River 52

Service 60, Chugiak 28

Palmer 67, Mountain City Christian 58

Thursday

Hoover 69, Service 26

West 65, Ketchikan 60

Kenai Central 55, Eagle River 47

Heritage Christian 59, Colony 35

Cook Inlet Academy 69, Soldotna 58

East 41, Columbia 39

Sitka 63, Houston 33

Friday

Colony 47, Service 42

East 47, West 42

Cook Inlet Academy 86, Eagle River 77

Susitna Valley 77, Ninilchik 60

Kenai Central 45, Soldotna 35

Sitka 94, Houston 62

South 50, Chugiak 47

Barrow 83, Nikiski 44

Saturday

Columbia 51, Colony 47

Kenai Central 63, Cook Inlet Academy 52

Ninilchik 72, Homer 58

Heritage Christian 67, West 28

Seward 72, Susitna Valley 55

Soldotna 68, Eagle River 46

Hoover 62, East 30

• • •

Hockey

Tuesday

Kenai Central 11, Homer 1

Wasilla 6, Colony 3

West 15, Bartlett 1

Wednesday

Houston 11, Monroe Catholic 1

Thursday

North Pole 5, Houston 4

Chugiak 3, Bartlett 1

Dimond 4, Eagle River 1

Friday

West 6, South 2

Palmer 13, Kodiak 0

Kenai Central 5, Juneau-Douglas 4

Saturday

Kenai Central 5, Juneau-Douglas 1

Palmer 10, Kodiak 1

Chugiak 2, South 1

• • •

Bowling

Monday

Boys

West 29, Dimond 6

West - Jahdyn Odom 300

Dimond - Tim Kiehn 234

Girls

Dimond 35, West 0

Dimond - Sierra Walkins 197

West - Kendall Bencid 113

Wednesday

Boys

East 29, Dimond 6

East - Colton Penetac 247

Dimond - Lhevinn Bulaong 226

Service 18, West 17

Service - Cyrus Varela 243

West - Jahdyn Odom 203

South 27, Eagle River 8

South - Jack Wood 221

Eagle River - Benjamin Charlestream

Bartlett 35, Chugiak 0

Bartlett - Alex Egoak 236

Chugiak - Sterling Mason 124

Girls

Dimond 35, East 0

Dimond - Aurora Panilo 214

East - Lina Phatthana 148

Service 25, West 10

Service - Lillian Blumenberg 178

West - Kendall Bencid 167

South 27, Eagle River 8

South - Kristabell Teekell 113

Eagle River - Morgan Van Slyke 146

Chugiak 26, Bartlett 9

Chugiak - Abigail Lanehart 233

Bartlett - Nivea Prayer 151

• • •

College

Women’s basketball

Thursday

UAA 90, Seattle Pacific 54

Montana State University Billings 71, UAF 51

Saturday

UAF 88, Seattle Pacific 82

Montana State University Billings 70, UAA 55

• • •

Men’s basketball

Thursday

Seattle Pacific 64, UAA 60

Montana State University Billings 83, UAF 70

Saturday

Montana State University Billings 66, UAA 64

Seattle Pacific 56, UAF 54

• • •

Gymnastics

Thursday

UAA 190.875, Greenville 185.800

Saturday

UAA 192.300, Greenville 182.675

• • •

NAHL

Friday

Kenai River Brown Bears 6, Anchorage Wolverines 5

Saturday

Kenai River Brown Bears 4, Anchorage Wolverines 3 (SO)

Josh Reed

Josh Reed is a sports reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. He's a graduate of West High School and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

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