All-state basketball player will take his talents out of state, while a track star decides to stay close to home

While high school graduations were nearly a month ago for the class of 2024, several student-athletes each year embark on the next chapter of their respective careers at the collegiate level.

The Anchorage Daily News has continued tracking developments and, through reporting and submissions, we’ve compiled a second list of more than a dozen official commitments and preferred walk-on opportunities from students around the Last Frontier.

[Star quarterback and prolific point guard highlight first round of Alaska’s high school senior signings]

Among the most notable signings so far are Bettye Davis East’s Akeem Sulaiman and Eagle River’s Alan Szewczyk Jr. Both standout recent graduates dominated in their respective sports this past school year and pulled off successful title defenses.

After capping off his senior season by winning back-to-back Division I state basketball championships, Sulaiman is glad to finally not have anything to stress over as it pertains to where he’ll be continuing his athletic career at the next level. He signed with Peninsula College in Washington earlier in the spring.

“I finally found a place where I’m going to find a home like I did (at East),” he said.

Sulaiman had been in contact with Peninsula College head coach Bryce Jacobson and his staff since late into the first semester in November and December.

However, ringing endorsements from his high school head coach, Chuck Martin, as well as former teammates currently on the roster along with conversations with the team’s coaching staff ultimately sold him on joining the program. Proximity to the state where he was born and raised also played a factor.

“I find (Jacobson) as a really good coach and I like the program because of where it is at, closer to home,” Sulaiman said.

He joins a Pirates roster that already included a trio of former Thunderbirds who he played and won championships with in Darael Doughty, DeShawn Rushmeyer and Victor Meza, who were all freshmen this past year.

[East boys dominate Thunder Mountain to win back-to-back 4A basketball state championships]

As sweet as signing his letter of intent was in early May, Sulaiman admitted that receiving his high school diploma and walking the stage at graduation was even more gratifying.

“I got to complete high school before I signed the letter of intent, so it was definitely the diploma for sure,” he said. “A lot of thoughts flow through your head when you’re sitting there seeing everybody walk the stage and then when you hit the stage, you’re really done. That’s it.”

While Sulaiman is heading out of state, Szewczyk Jr., fresh off successfully defending his Division I state titles in the boys 110- and 300-meter hurdles, is looking forward to going from an Eagle River Wolf to a Seawolf.

[Freshmen phenoms claim titles and several champions repeat on Day 2 of state track and field championships]

The reigning Alaska boys Gatorade Player of the Year for track and field is committed to compete for the University of Alaska Anchorage starting this fall, where he’ll be one of 20 Alaskans on the team.

“I’m really excited to start there, and I’m really excited to see what happens in the future,” Szewczyk Jr. said.

The Anchorage Daily News asked coaches, parents and student-athletes to report individual college commitments. The following list is a compilation of those responses along with reporting from ADN sports reporter Josh Reed. If you know of a local student-athlete who could be included in an updated online version of this article on college commitments, email jreed@adn.com or sports@adn.com.

South

Kaia Reeg will be competing in swimming at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Matthew Wagner will be competing in soccer at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington.

Lindsay Tatakis will be competing in swimming at Southwest Oregon Community College in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Megan McLaughlin will be competing in swimming at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado where she will be studying biology and pre-medicine.

West

Blake Hanley will be competing in cross-country running and nordic skiing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Cole Flowers will be competing in Nordic skiing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Kalima Glascott will be competing in swimming at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and will be studying biochemistry and pre-medicine.

Elle Cutting will be competing in swimming at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.

Thunder Mountain

PJ Foy will be competing in swimming at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he will majoring in computer science and engineering.

Olivia Mills will be competing in rowing at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.

James Polasky will be competing in basketball at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Samuel Lockhart will be competing in basketball at Edmonds College in Lynnwood, Washington.

Juneau-Douglas

Etta Eller will be competing in cross country and track and field at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado.

Anita Morrison will be competing in swimming at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Samantha Schwarting will be competing in swimming at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts where she will be majoring in physics.

Dimond

Javonte Walls will be competing in basketball at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington.

Mia Sperbeck will be competing in swimming at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

East

Akeem Sulaiman will be competing in basketball at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington.

Laron Roberts intends to walk on to compete in basketball at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington.

Service

Phoenix Perkins intends to walk on to compete in track and field at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Seward

Bengimin and Nickolas Ambrosiani will be competing in swimming at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Mia Nappi will be competing in swimming at the University of Cal Berkeley in Berkley, California.

Eagle River

Alan Szewczyk Jr. will be competing in track and field at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Wrangell

Jack Roberts will be competing in swimming at Southwest Oregon Community College in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Ketchikan

Trevor Dash will be competing in swimming at US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York where he will be majoring in Engineering and Marine Transport.

Soldotna

Charisma Watkins will be competing in swimming at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Homer

Carly Nelson will be competing in swimming at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Seward

Nickolas Ambrosiani will be competing in swimming at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania where he will be majoring in engineering.

Bengimin Ambrosiani will be competing in swimming at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania where he will be majoring in engineering.

West Valley

Mayumi Schaetzle will be competing in swimming at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska and will be majoring in elementary education.

North Pole

Sariah Rogers will be competing in swimming at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Sophia Schultze will be competing in swimming at Stevenson University in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Colony

Jasmine Anderson will be competing in swimming at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where she will be studying naval architecture.

Eagle River

Chris Michael will be competing in swimming at Ottawa University in Surprise, Arizona.