The Petersburg boys basketball team returned home with some hardware. Photo courtesy Rick Brock.<\/p><\/div>\n
The Vikings were a .500 team for most of the season and were 11-10 going into their final two regular-season games. They won both to spark a seven-game winning streak that carried them to the state championship.<\/p>\n
Two wins came at the regional tournament, where they beat Metlakatla in the championship game to avenge three straight losses to the Chiefs. Three more wins came at the state tournament, including a title-game showdown against defending champion Hooper Bay.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believed, but nobody else would\u2019ve picked us to win state or regions,\u201d Brock said.<\/p>\n
The Vikings performed well off the court too, compiling a 3.67 team GPA, putting on a free clinic for middle-schoolers and hosting their annual cancer-awareness fundraiser.<\/p>\n
The cancer-awareness game has become more meaningful in recent years, Brock said. Joseph Tagaban, a junior who grew up playing basketball, was diagnosed with cancer as an 8th grader and has spent the last couple of years going back and forth to Seattle for treatment. Tagaban is back in school this year and served as the team\u2019s manager.<\/p>\n
At UAA, Tyson Gilbert missed two years of basketball to deal with his physical setbacks, which began almost as soon as he joined the team as a junior. He collapsed during his first open-gym session with his new teammates, a scary moment that led to the discovery of a heart defect.<\/p>\n
Tyson Gilbert. Photo courtesy UAA Athletic Department<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cThere were many times Tyson could have quit,\u201d said UAA sports information director Nate Sagan.<\/p>\n
Instead, the 6-foot-2 guard chose to contribute.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven while recovering, he was a positive presence on the team every day, motivating teammates and coaches through his challenges,\u201d Sagan said. \u201cOnce he recovered, he became our best player on the floor (and) our best all-around contributor off the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
During four years at UAA, Gilbert completed one undergraduate degree and started another while compiling a 3.58 cumulative GPA, and he logged nearly 500 hours of community service.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am sure Trajan would take pride in having his award represented by Tyson Gilbert,\u201d Sagan said.<\/p>\n
Pride of Alaska Award<\/h4>\n <\/p>\n
GIRLS<\/strong> \nWinner<\/strong> \nEmily Robinson, Nenana \nOther finalists<\/strong> \nEmma Beck, Kenai, volleyball \nMai Mateaki, Dimond, soccer\/flag football \nOther nominees<\/strong> \nOurea Busk, Unalakleet, track\/cross country \nNadia Chernich, Delta\/Fairbanks, softball\/baseball \nHallie Clark, Colony, basketball \nLayla Hays, Wasilla, basketball \nCaylin Jones, Chugiak, hockey \nClare Mullin, Sitka, track\/cross country \nOlivia Soderstrom, Service, skiing \nPast winners<\/strong> \n2023: Sayvia Sellers \n2022: Lydia Jacoby \n2021: Lydia Jacoby \n2020: Hailey Williams \n2019: Kendall Kramer \n2018: Alissa Pili<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
BOYS<\/strong> \nWinner<\/strong> \nPJ Foy, Juneau \nOther finalists<\/strong> \nColton Paul, Kipnuk, Native sports \nUatahouse Tu\u2019ifua, Utqiagvik, football\/wrestling \nOther nominees<\/strong> \nMurphy Kimball, West Anchorage, skiing \nLiam Lierman, Eagle River, baseball \nCoby Marvin, Palmer, mountain running \nFischer Adams, Palmer, cross country \nAaron Concepcion, South Anchorage, wrestling\/football \nJohnny Figgins, Colony, soccer\/football \nMuhammad Subally, East Anchorage, basketball \nMac Swanson, Anchorage, hockey \nAJ Szewczyk, Eagle River, track \nPast winners<\/strong> \n2023: Finnigan Donley \n2022: Obed Vargas \n2021: Tristian Merchant \n2020: Hayden Lieb; Aeyden Concepcion (co-winners) \n2019: Jersey Truesdell \n2018: Gus Schumacher<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
WOMEN<\/strong> \nWinner<\/strong> \nAlissa Pili, Anchorage, basketball \nOther finalists<\/strong> \nLydia Jacoby, Seward, swimming \nChristy Marvin, Palmer, mountain running \nOther nominees<\/strong> \nRosie Brennan, Anchorage, cross-country skiing \nJordyn Bruce, Eagle River, heptathlon \nAva Earl, Girdwood, track\/cross country \nMeg Inokuma, Palmer, mountain running \nKendall Kramer, Fairbanks, cross country\/skiing \nMikayla Lantto, Wasilla, hockey \nAllie Ostrander, Soldotna, cross country\/track \nPast winners<\/strong> \n2023: Alissa Pili \n2022: Clair DeGeorge \n2021: Rosie Brennan \n2020: Ruthy Hebard \n2019: Caroline Kurgat \n2018: Kikkan Randall; Roxie Wright (co-winners) \n2017: Morgan Hooe \n2016: UAA basketball team; Allie Ostrander (co-winners) \n2015: Allie Ostrander \n2014: Kikkan Randall \n2013: Nunaka Valley softball team \n2012: UAA basketball team<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
MEN<\/strong> \nWinner<\/strong> \nGus Schumacher, Anchorage, skiing \nOther finalists<\/strong> \nDallas Seavey, mushing \nJeremy Swayman, hockey \nOther nominees<\/strong> \nAndrew Kurka, Palmer para skiing \nIsaiah Moses, Anchorage basketball \nBrandon Pili, Anchorage football \nSantiago Prosser, Anchorage track\/cross country \nEdefuan Ulofoshio, Anchorage football \nIsaac Updike, Ketchikan track \nSpencer Woods, Shungnak wrestling \nPast winners<\/strong> \n2023: Jeremy Swayman \n2022: Scott Patterson \n2021: Dallas Seavey \n2020: Gus Schumacher \n2019: Keegan Messing \n2018: Andrew Kurka \n2017: David Norris \n2016: Dallas Seavey; Soldotna football team (co-winners) \n2015: Erik Flora \n2014: Trevor Dunbar; Eric Strabel (co-winners) \n2013: Mario Chalmers \n2012: Alaska Aces<\/p>\nTrajan Langdon Award<\/h4>\n <\/p>\n
YOUTH<\/strong> \nWinner <\/strong> \nPetersburg Vikings basketball team \nOther finalists<\/strong> \nFairbanks high school ski teams \nManusiu Muti, Utqiagvik wrestler \nPast winners<\/strong> \n2023: Geremu Daggett and Colton Merriner \n2022: Jeremy Lane \n2021: West Anchorage Legion baseball team \n2020: Houston High football team \n2019: South High boys basketball team \n2018: Brenner Furlong<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
ADULT<\/strong> \nWinner<\/strong> \nTyson Gilbert, UAA basketball \nOther nominees<\/strong> \nMatt Failor, Willow, mushing \nOliver and Wilson Hoogendorn, Nome, adventurers \nPast winners<\/strong> \n2023: Vanessa Aniteye \n2022: Hannah Halverson \n2021: Billy Strickland \n2020: Israel Hale \n2019: Andy Beardsely and Larsen Klingel \n2018: DaJonee Hale \n2017: Damen Bell-Holter \n2016: Laci Effenberger \n2015: Aliy Zirkle \n2014: Marko Cheseto \n2013: Paul Tandy \n2012: Chugiak High football team<\/p>\nJoe Floyd Award<\/h4>\n <\/p>\n
Winner <\/strong> \nDoug Keil, Challenge Alaska founder \nOther finalists<\/strong> \nJohn Lindquist, Kodiak swim coach \nDick Shellhorn, Cordova official\/broadcaster \nOther nominees<\/strong> \nRoman Dial, Anchorage, wilderness adventurer, educator \nRafael Echavarria, Anchorage track coach \nChrista Hayes, Mat-Su PE teacher \nMichelle Lackey Maynor, Alaska Raceway Park owner \nAnne Thomas, Mat-Su store owner and event organizer \nPast winners<\/strong> \n2023: Kathleen Navarre \n2022: Beth Bragg \n2021: Richard Knowles \n2020: Cristy Hickel \n2019: Brush Christiansen \n2018: Jim Mahaffey \n2017: Ma\u2019o Tosi \n2016: Dennis Sorenson \n2015: Mike Friess \n2014: Dick Mize \n2013: Don Dennis \n2012: Steve Nerland and Don Winchester<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From the Alaska Sports Report: Five athletes, one team and a man who widened horizons for Alaskans with disabilities have been selected as the 2024 recipients of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame\u2019s Directors Awards. The Hall of Fame\u2019s Board of Directors picked the winners from a pool of nearly five dozen nominees. Four of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":28337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
2024 Directors' Awards class announced, to be honored at ceremony April 30th - Alaska Sports Hall of Fame<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n