Records fall and reigning champions repeat at Region IV track and field championship
Dimond’s Nevaeh Watkins clears 5′ 8″ in the high jump during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. Watkins set a new CIC record of 5′ 7.25″, and then went on to beat that with a height of 5′ 8″. (Loren Holmes / ADN) The 2025 […]
Dimond’s Nevaeh Watkins clears 5′ 8″ in the high jump during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. Watkins set a new CIC record of 5′ 7.25″, and then went on to beat that with a height of 5′ 8″. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
The 2025 Region IV track and field championship took place over the weekend at Dimond High School, starting on Friday and wrapping up Saturday.
Among the top athletes from the Cook Inlet Conference who squared off with bids to compete in next week’s state meet were a pair of Lynx teammates who were right at home.
Senior Sarah Dittman and sophomore Nevaeh Watkins were able to successfully defend their region titles by jumping to new heights and distances.
On Friday, Watkins won the girls high jump for the second year in a row with a meet record and personal-best mark of 5 feet, 8 inches.
“I’ve been practicing a lot for high jump recently,” she said. “Every Monday, I practice with my coach and I think it’s really paid off so far.”
After failing to clear the record-breaking height on her first two attempts, she made an adjustment and made sure that the third time was the charm.
“My coach told me what I had to do to fix everything and I did it,” Watkins said.
Dimond High’s Sarah Dittman clears the last hurdle before winning her heat with a time of 15.68 seconds during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
On Saturday, Dittman was the first of two long jumpers to achieve the same feat as she broke her own meet record set last year — not once but twice between the prelims and finals — culminating with a first-place mark of 18-04.
“I was a little worried because I hadn’t (recorded a personal best) since the IceBreakers before the season started, but I came in today with great weather, my coaches were really excited and I was really excited,” she said.
Dittman felt the pressure of being the defending region champ but didn’t let it weigh her down as she soared to new heights.
“I broke it by three-quarters of an inch and I was like, ‘Oh that’s not enough,’ ” she said. “I just focused on my fundamentals.”
State track will also take place on her school’s home turf, and she feels like that gives her an advantage.
“I run here every day, and now that I’ve learned how to jump from the further board, that’s a big confidence booster because that was my issue last year,” Dittman said.
Dimond High’s Nevaeh Watkins clears the last hurdle before winning her heat with a time of 15.83 seconds during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
The two friends and teammates also competed against each other in the girls 100-meter hurdles in a tight race that went down to the wire. Watkins (15.56) pulled just ahead at the very end after Dittman (15.61) had led for most of the race.
“It was really a mental battle, honestly,” Watkins said. “I could see that she was ahead of me, so I kept pushing myself and pushing myself to go a little faster.”
Securing back-to-back titles has filled her with not only confidence moving forward but also a “lot of hope of what is to come” at both the state meet next week and nationals later this year.
West High’s Ariel Sanchez soars over the high jump during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. Sanchez jumped 5′ 10″ during the meet. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Other top takeaways and highlights from regions
Dittman wasn’t the only long jumper who made history on Saturday. In the boys division, Ariel Sanchez of West bested the region meet record with his first-place mark of 23-3/4. That’s longer than the current state meet record, which he could break with a repeat performance next weekend.
He pulled his hamstring during his second jump at last year’s regions and qualified for state with a second-place finish but couldn’t compete due to the injury.
“It feels good because last year before I pulled (the hamstring), A’Lante (Owens-Player) jumped 22-10 and that pushed me to jump farther than him and that’s when I pulled my hamstring,” Sanchez said. “Coming to this meet this year knowing I had the ability to beat him and I did today, it just feels good.”
In the offseason, the two-sport star who also stood out on the gridiron for the Eagles spent more time in the weight room building up his body.
“I’m going to try to break the record I just jumped today next week,” Sanchez said.
Boys compete in the 3200 meters during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Another first-time region champion who outshined his competition was Chugiak sophomore Benjamin Hiestand, whose first-place mark of 164-8 in the boys discus was nearly 20 feet farther than the runner-up.
“It feels good to have a good mark out there and have a good first season here in Alaska,” Hiestand said. “I was calm, pretty confident and expected to win. I wanted to have a good mark out there and make a statement for states.”
Hiestand moved up here from Mountain Home, Idaho, because his mother is in the Air Force. He was one of the top throwers in his previous state, finishing fifth as a freshman at state where the winning mark was about 200 feet. While he hasn’t come close to that impressive mark yet, he is working toward it as his current personal best is 169-11.
Girls compete in the 3200 meters during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. Hannah Shaha, at right, won the race with a time of 11:29.79. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
For the second year in a row, the 3200 and 1600 meter races were swept by the same person. On the girls side, Chugiak’s Hannah Shaha won Friday’s 3200 in a time of 11:29.79 and Saturday’s 1600 in 5:16.57.
“This was my goal and I just feel so happy to accomplish it,” she said.
Bettye Davis East’s Rosie Conway was hot on Shaha’s heels for most of the race but couldn’t quite close the distance as she finished second with a mark of 5:17.32.
“I never know where she is, so I kind of was looking at my coach just to kind of gauge how far she was, but I definitely just had the foot on the gas the whole time because I did not want her to come get me right at the end,” Shaha said.
Chugiak’s Kyra Walter has her hair done by teammate Hannah Shaha before both girls competed in the 3200 meter race during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. Shaha won the race with a time of 11:29.79. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Shaha’s confidence heading into state is soaring and she looks forward to competing against the other elite endurance runners next week.
Meanwhile, in the boys division, South’s Vebjorn Flagstad cruised to victory in both distance events with first-place times of 9:39.08 in the 3200 and 4:26.81 in the 1600.
“This season has been a little up and down compared to last year,” he said. “Last year, I felt was like a breakout year for me. I kind of surprised myself and I was kind of the underdog a little bit, so this year I had more pressure coming into it. I’m just glad I was able to keep it going.”
South High’s Vebjorn Flagstad celebrates after winning the 3200 meters during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. Flagstad won the race with a time of 9:39.08. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Flagstad has been working on maintaining his top pace in recent workouts, and it paid off on Saturday as he was able to widen the gap between himself and the other runners on the final two laps.
“I didn’t want it to slow down (on the) second lap so I just tried to keep it going smooth,” he said. “The third lap is where you always die, so I really tried to push that one and then the last lap you’re just sprinting.”
South High’s Vebjorn Flagstad, left, and East High’s Katahdin Staples recover after the 3200 meters during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. Flagstad won the race with a time of 9:39.08, and Staples was second in 9:46.43. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Pulling off a successful title defense “definitely boosts” his confidence heading into the state meet next week.
“I hadn’t really been racing that good in The Dome and inside, so putting down some good times is going to help my confidence,” Flagstad said.
The reigning region champions in the 100-meter races pulled off successful title defenses as well. Chugiak’s Jihsana Williams repeated as the girls champion with a first-place time of 12.42. West’s Beckett Stolp did the same for the boys by narrowly crossing the finish line ahead of the field with a mark of 11.19.
Officials measure the high jump bar during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Region IV Track and Field Championships
Girls
Team Scores
1. Chugiak 172.5; 2. Dimond 155; 3. South 73; 4. West 61; 5. East 56.5; 6. Service 44; 7. Bartlett 9; 8. Eagle River 7.
3200 Meters Finals
1. Hannah Shaha 11:29.79, Chugiak
2. Rosie Conway 11:37.33, East
3. Madeleine Lojewski 11:43.02, East
4. Ellie Stull 11:44.76, Dimond
5. Fiona Selvik 11:49.99, Service
Shot Put Unified Finals
1. Emi Hamazaki 18′07.00, East
2. Amira Smith 12′04.25, Dimond
3. Paisley Price 12′02.50, Chugiak
4. Anna Stewart 11′11.00, Chugiak
5. Gianna Fraize 9′09.00, Chugiak
East High’s Matthew Jackson clears the last hurdle before winning his heat with a time of 15.83 seconds during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Shot Put 4kg Partners Finals
1. Aniyah Smalley25′00.75, East
2. Emmalee Griffin 24′01.00, Chugiak
3. Schumacher Heidi 22′07.25, Service
4. Dylenn Donovan 22′00.75, Chugiak
5. Azalea Daugherty 20′11.00, Chugiak
Discus 1kg Finals
1. Alessa Scott 116′02.00, Dimond
2. Mona Koko 109′09.00, West
3. Ailafo Fautanu 101′04.00, Dimond
4. Adelaide Masimer 91′09.00, Eagle River
5. Avery Wilson 91′06.00, Chugiak
High Jump Finals
1. Nevaeh Watkins 5′8.00, Dimond
2. Autumn Larson 5′1.00, Chugiak
3. Elliette Svencer 4′10.00, Chugiak
4. Lola Poitevin 4′8.00, East
4. Kaitlyn Farr 4′8.00, Chugiak
Long Jump Unified Finals
1. Emi Hamazaki 8′07.50, East
2. Anna Stewart 7′00.25, Chugiak
3. Paisley Price 5′05.25, Chugiak
4. Amira Smith 5′00.75, Dimond
5. Katie Tracy 3′04.75, Chugiak
Long Jump Partners Finals
1. Anna Burrup 13′02.75, Chugiak
2. Azalea Daugherty 12′08.75, Chugiak
3. Cadence Johns 12′01.00, Chugiak
4. Dylenn Donovan 11′07.25, Chugiak
5. Emmalee Griffin 11′05.00, Chugiak
Triple Jump Finals
1. Avrey Campbell 34′03.25, Dimond
2. Izabela Sullivan 34′02.50, West
3. Sofia Zaccanti 33′02.00, East
4. Maya Tirpack 33′01.50, South
5. Darby D’Amico 32′08.25, South
East High’s Karl Hoeft launches the shot put during the Cook Inlet Conference Region Championships on Friday, May 23, 2025 at Dimond High in Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Boys
Team Scores
1. Chugiak 115; 2. South 106; 3. Bartlett 73.5; 4. Dimond 62.5; 5. East 57; 6. West 56; 7. Eagle River 54; 7. Service 54.
Quentin Nauman wins second national track and field title
The past few months have been incredible for Western Dubuque High School sensation Quentin Nauman. Along with capturing four state championships earlier this year, Nauman won the HOKA Festival of Miles in St. Louis. But over the weekend, Nauman won perhaps his biggest race of the year. Running on his future track at Hayward Field […]
The past few months have been incredible for Western Dubuque High School sensation Quentin Nauman.
Along with capturing four state championships earlier this year, Nauman won the HOKA Festival of Miles in St. Louis. But over the weekend, Nauman won perhaps his biggest race of the year.
Running on his future track at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, Nauman won the mile at the Nike Outdoor Nationals/USA Track and Field U20 Championships.
The senior-to-be clocked a time of 4:00.52 to win by just .01 second over Evan Noonan running for the Nike Elite Club. Nauman, a 17-year-old, was also ninth in the 800 at the meet, which features the best athletes in the country.
Nauman won gold at the Iowa high school state track and field championships in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, along with running on the winning distance medley relay. He swept the four races as a sophomore and is also a multi-time Drake Relays champion.
Nauman has already committed to run at Oregon when he exhausts his high school eligibility.
Parkway Central freshman takes fifth at state tennis tournament | Sports
Parkway Central Colts freshman Arhan Meka finished fifth in his first state boys tennis tournament. Parkway Central Colts freshman Arhan Meka with Colts coach Lee Hays. (Photo provided) Provided Coach Lee Hayes was happy to have Meka join his program. “I had heard of him through the kids on the team and some teaching pros,” […]
Parkway Central Colts freshman Arhan Meka finished fifth in his first state boys tennis tournament.
Parkway Central Colts freshman Arhan Meka with Colts coach Lee Hays. (Photo provided)
Provided
Coach Lee Hayes was happy to have Meka join his program.
“I had heard of him through the kids on the team and some teaching pros,” Hays said. “He was young and impressive as a player.”
Meka went 17-2 in the regular season and in districts. His only two losses were to Eureka senior and Class 3 state singles runner-up and Webster Groves’ Paul Castleman, the Class 2 singles runner-up.
In the Class quarterfinals, Meka lost 6-2, 6-2 to Castleman.
“Castleman really wanted the match,” Hays said. “He raised his level and played exceptionally well against Arhan.”
Meka then rebounded with three wins to finish fifth. Meka defeated Noah Blum, of Warrensburg, 6-1, 7-5 to finish in fifth place.
His strong effort at state impressed Hays.
“He is not a quitter,” Hays said. “Though disappointed, he finished strong. To be 14 and be this solid of a player, he will be fun to watch. If he stays with it and is healthy, he will be a player we will all enjoy watching.”
Meet the High Divers of the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025
Up next in the Women’s competition is Maya Kelly. Maya achieved a 6th place finish at the World Aquatics High Diving World Cup 2024 in Bahrain, Manama and is excited to compete in Singapore 2025. We put Maya into the question-and-answer hot seat. Here’s what we got from her: Image Source: Maya Kelly competes at […]
Up next in the Women’s competition is Maya Kelly. Maya achieved a 6th place finish at the World Aquatics High Diving World Cup 2024 in Bahrain, Manama and is excited to compete in Singapore 2025.
We put Maya into the question-and-answer hot seat. Here’s what we got from her:
Image Source: Maya Kelly competes at the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2023- Polignano a Mare, Italy (Romina Amato/Red Bull via Getty Images)
Maya finds beauty in architecture, and one landmark stands out to her is Copenhagen Opera House“I do find the Opera House really cool in Copenhagen, so I think I would like that,” she shared. A dive with the iconic building as a backdrop would be a spectacular sight!
Though her competition experience is just beginning, Maya has a favorite. “Probably Bahrain,” she said, referring to her current World Cup event in Bahrain. Her only other major competition was in Montreal during her junior years, but “that was indoors,” so this outdoor adventure takes the top spot.
Maya finds her competitive focus with the help of music—and she’s a proud Swiftie! “Probably anything by Taylor Swift,” she revealed about her go-to playlist. “I have a specific meet playlist I listen to before every competition.” Swift’s empowering lyrics and catchy tunes help set the mood.
Image Source: Maya Kelly competes at the Junior High Diving Championship at JK Bridge 2024- Brasilia, Brazil (Wagner Meier/Getty Images)
Among her repertoire, one dive stands out as her favorite. “Probably my backflip pike,” Maya said. While she didn’t compete with it at Bahrain 2024 World Cup, it remains her personal signature move, showcasing her grace and precision in the air.
Attend water polo tournament on the waters of Oswego Lake this weekend
Attend water polo tournament on the waters of Oswego Lake this weekend Published 4:20 pm Monday, June 23, 2025 The tournament was held for the first time in 2024. (Courtesy photo: Lake Oswego Open Water Polo Invitational) Those strolling near Millennium Plaza Park and Lakewood Bay this weekend may notice splashing and excitement emanating from […]
Attend water polo tournament on the waters of Oswego Lake this weekend
Published 4:20 pm Monday, June 23, 2025
The tournament was held for the first time in 2024.
(Courtesy photo: Lake Oswego Open Water Polo Invitational)
Those strolling near Millennium Plaza Park and Lakewood Bay this weekend may notice splashing and excitement emanating from the Oswego Lake waters near the Lakeshore Inn.
The Lake Corporation and the Lake Oswego Water Polo Organization are organizing the second annual Lake Oswego Open Water Polo Invitational from Friday, June 27 to Sunday, June 29 at a sectioned-off course on Lakewood Bay near the Lakeshore Inn.
The event will feature teams from the local water polo club (which includes athletes from Lake Oswego High School and Lakeridge High School) as well as squads from areas such as San Diego, Seattle, Portland and Beaverton.
Organizer Katy Brown said the idea was hatched due in part to the success of the local water polo teams and wanting to provide a community event while highlighting a sport that is often overlooked in the Pacific Northwest. The area of play had never been used as a water polo course before, but Brown said it worked well.
“It far exceeded our expectations,” Brown said of last year’s event. “We got great feedback from the water polo club and the community.”
The Lake Oswego Water Polo Organization consists of more than 100 kids ranging in age from 8 through 18. It includes competitive teams with a range of ages that compete year-round, club director Daniel Ramirez said. A number of teams recently qualified for the Junior Olympics.
“We have the best depth (in the Pacific Northwest) and it’s a real testament to the kids, the coaching staff and the community we have built,” Ramirez said. “Our kids like being a part of our club. They are proud to be local athletes. They like our coaching staff, enjoy competing for us and the community we bring.”
Competitive water polo players have to be very strong swimmers who are able to stay in the water for minutes on end while being grabbed by opponents, and Ramirez said the sport promotes swimming skills and confidence.
“The intense exercise allowed me to perform much better academically. It taught me discipline, and the twelve years of practice taught me time management to also keep up with my school work,” Lakeridge High school graduate Adrienne Medak said in a press release.
Ramirez said an event like this gives exposure to the sport while providing an opportunity for the kids to get more recognition.
For more information on the event, visit https://lowpoopenwaterinvitational2025-n53399.mystrikingly.com/#home.
Will Taylor's minor league baseball journey brought him back to Greenville for the weekend
Former Dutch Fork and Clemson standout Will Taylor is now a member of the Greenville Grasshoppers, part of the Pirates organization. GREENVILLE, S.C. — Will Taylor was back in familiar territory this past weekend. The Dutch Fork graduate is in his first full season of professional baseball. A fifth round draft pick by the Pirates […]
Former Dutch Fork and Clemson standout Will Taylor is now a member of the Greenville Grasshoppers, part of the Pirates organization.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Will Taylor was back in familiar territory this past weekend.
The Dutch Fork graduate is in his first full season of professional baseball. A fifth round draft pick by the Pirates in the 2024 MLB Draft, Taylor started his career at the Single A affiliate in Bradenton, Florida before being called him to Greensboro, the High A affiliate of the Pirates.
That promotion brought him to the Upstate as Greensboro faced the Greenville Drive at Fluor Field where Taylor has played before during his days at Clemson.
In his first two seasons at Clemson, Taylor played football and baseball. Taylor came to the Tiger program as a quarterback with the plant for him to move to wide receiver. As a freshman in 2021, he was the team’s primary punt returner before suffering a season ending knee injury which set him back at bit in the spring for baseball.
In 2024, Taylor had made the decision to concentrate on baseball and last April, he injured his wrist while diving for a foul ball and that broken bone in his wrist kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the season.
But in spite of those setbacks, Taylor looks back on his time at Clemson with great fondness as he was one of the occassional athletes who played two sports in college at a high level.
Women's sports surges, presenting an opportunity for advertisers
The news: Women’s sports had a strong presence at Cannes Lions 2025 as advertiser interest grows. One Axios event featured X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Disney global ad chief Rita Ferro, and Olympian Ilona Maher, who all spoke on the value of women’s sports for brands. Ferro emphasized “triple digit” viewer growth in the last year, […]
The news: Women’s sports had a strong presence at Cannes Lions 2025 as advertiser interest grows. One Axios event featured X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Disney global ad chief Rita Ferro, and Olympian Ilona Maher, who all spoke on the value of women’s sports for brands. Ferro emphasized “triple digit” viewer growth in the last year, while Yaccarino said sports is a way to access highly engaged consumers and fandoms. Maher attributed viewership gains in part to prominent athletes like Caitlin Clark.
By the numbers:Women’s sports has surged in recent months, reaching new milestones in 2024, per research from the charity Women’s Sport Trust.
Leagues like the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) grew significantly across social media in the 2024 season, reaching a single-season record of nearly 2 billion video views across WNBA social media platforms—more than quadruple the previous season. Monthly active users grew 252% YoY on the WNBA app, while TikTok views grew 250% to reach 361 million.
The report cited SportsPro findings that female athletes accounted for 61% of all TikTok views among the 50 most-marketable athletes.
Women led in content volume across platforms, representing 51% of total content posted by athletes on Instagram and 80% on TikTok. Engagement was different—male athletes represented 90% of engagement/views on Instagram, though women maintained a lead on TikTok, accounting for 61% of engagement/views.
Women’s sports content is particularly effective at reaching female audiences. Across the board, the female proportion of YouTube audiences for women’s sports channels was higher than male equivalents, regardless of sport.
Zooming out:Women’s sports has consistently maintained momentum and proven to be a key opportunity for advertisers.
Ads during women’s sports events have a 40% greater impact on consumer engagement than the average primetime TV ad airing, marking a 56% YoY jump, per an EDO report. The report also found that investment in women’s sports rose 139% YoY in 2024, reaching $244 million.
