Welcome back 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 and professional levels, as well as some developments on the college front. The 2025 season for high school flag and tackle football opened with some explosive offense and dominant defense while other fall sports got underway. On the college scene, the University of Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team is bringing back a former Seawolf as an addition to the coaching staff. Outside the state, several Alaskans had impressive performances and career achievements worth recognizing and celebrating in their respective arenas.
Headlines and highlights
The opening week of the high school football season saw some prolific offensive outings take place outside Anchorage while defense was the common theme of the biggest games that went down in town. Closing out the first slate of games was a classic Cook Inlet Conference defensive slugfest in which West prevailed over South 13-8.
“Our defense has always been a strong point for us,” West head coach Brown Faaaliga said. “At the end of the day, they wanted this more, they wanted to fight through this and it went that way.”
Neither offense could find much consistent traction on the ground or through the air, but it didn’t take long for the first points to be scored thanks to a heads-up play from West senior outside linebacker Aleki Toleafoa. On the game’s second play from scrimmage, he picked up a loose ball off a backward pass and returned it for a touchdown.
“I saw the ball and thought the play was dead, so I celebrated, and my coaches were yelling at me to pick up the ball, so I just picked it up and started running,” he said. “The moment was surreal.”
Those were the only points scored in the first half, and the Eagles were able to extend their lead to 13-0 on a 5-yard run from quarterback, Baylor Wasson. However, the Wolverines kept clawing their way back into the game and had managed to cut the deficit to just five points. Needing a stop or turnover on South’s possession to ice the game and seal the win, Isaiah Zackery came up clutch with a strip sack in the final minute, and once again, Toleafoa was at the right place at the right time to recover the fumble.
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“I know I was playing kind of off this game and I (saw) at the end of the game that this is what we got to do to win, so I came, I got him, saw the ball come out and (knew) that was the ballgame,” Zackery said.
On the previous night across town, Bartlett became the first team to beat defending Division I state champion Dimond in nearly two calendar years with a dominant 12-0 victory. Led by star defensive tackle and Boise State University commit Deuce Alailefaleula, the Golden Bears’ defense dominated the Lynx from start to finish, allowing just one trip to the red zone.
“We pride ourselves on defense,” head coach Traves Medeiros said. “Our guys just rally around each other on defense. It’s something different, a different feel, and I don’t know how to explain it. They’re fast and super lively.”
The high school flag football season also kicked off this past week and saw reigning state champion North Pole make the trek down to Anchorage to begin its title defense. The Patriots played three games in less than 24 hours, recording a pair of shutouts and outscoring their opponents a combined 74-6.
Leading the charge for the team on both sides of the ball was junior Taimane Skipps, who scored the only touchdown in a 6-0 victory over South on Friday night and connected with her twin sister, Jade, for a pair of touchdowns in a 47-6 blowout of Chugiak on Saturday afternoon.
North Pole junior Jade Skipps, center left, hauls in a 24-yard touchdown from her quarterback and twin sister Taimane Skipps during the Patriots’ game Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, against the Chugiak Mustangs. North Pole won, 47-6. (Josh Reed / ADN)
“She always knows how I throw and I know that she’s fast, so I just got to throw it up in the air and I know she’s going to get it,” Taimane said.
The UAA men’s basketball team is welcoming former Seawolf Ashton Pomrehn back to the program to serve as the top assistant coach. Although his time with the Green and Gold only lasted one season, in 2016-17, he and longtime head coach Rusty Osborne have stayed in contact over the years and are excited for the chance to be reunited.
“I am thrilled to welcome Ashton back to UAA and Alaska,” Osborne said in a statement. “We had some good candidates for this position, including some with extensive experience as Div. I assistants and former head coaches. However, Ashton has paid his dues and worked his way up the ladder working for excellent and successful head coaches in the West Region. All his mentors raved about his work ethic, basketball IQ, and dedication to the student-athletes.”
The University of Alaska Fairbanks women’s basketball team has announced a half-dozen signings to the 2025-26 roster in the past week. Among the flurry of new recruits is a pair of former high school teammates from Palmer in Ashlyn Waggoner and Alycia Shelley, who are fresh off helping lead the Colony Knights to a 4A state title as seniors.
“We’re excited to welcome Ashlyn to the Nanook family,” head coach Michael Ricks said in a statement. “She’s a versatile forward who finishes well, runs the floor hard, attacks the offensive glass and has great range on her shot. Coming from Colony High School, she knows how to win and will be a strong addition to our program.”
Shelley was the first new player to commit to play for the program after Ricks was hired.
“She’s a tough, versatile player who will bring energy on both ends of the floor,” Ricks said. “Coming off a state championship at Colony High School, she knows what it takes to win and will be a great fit for our style of play.”
Alaska stars shining Outside
Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39) and Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Pili (95) react after a safety during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
The NFL preseason raged into its second week and a trio of Alaskans took the field over the weekend to make their case to remain or carve out larger roles on their respective teams. Anchorage’s Brandon Pili followed an impressive debut for the Seattle Seahawks in the opener with an even stronger performance Friday night in the team’s 33-16 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The third-year former undrafted defensive lineman went viral after he extended his team’s lead by shooting into the backfield and tackling a running back in the end zone for a safety.
The former Dimond High star only played 13 defensive snaps in the first half, but he made them count. Despite the limited playing time, Pili still earned an overall grade of 80 from Pro Football Focus, which was the fourth-highest mark among all Seahawks defenders.
“The Big Healthy, that’s what we call (Brandon) Pili, the Big Healthy,” Seahawks safety Julian Love said in a press conference after the game. “Dude plays with passion, plays with fire. In practice, if you’re out there, you hear him yelling, hear him getting after it. It’s exciting, because especially in that defensive line room, you’ve got some cagey vets in that room. Some guys who obviously have accomplished a lot in this league, so to see young guys stepping up and playing with a chip on their shoulder is exciting, especially for that room.”
On Saturday, Anchorage’s Tyree Wilson also had a strong performance on defense for the Las Vegas Raiders in a 22-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The third-year defensive end and highest-drafted Alaska-born player had a strong overall outing as a pass rusher and run defender. He set a strong edge against All-Pro tight end George Kittle to blow up an outside run to his side and generated third-down interior pressure in the red zone on the 49ers’ opening possession, which forced them to settle for a short field goal.
Anchorage’s Edefuan Ulofoshio took the field on Sunday night and played 46 snaps between defense and special teams for the Buffalo Bills in a 38-0 road loss to the Chicago Bears. The second-year inside linebacker played exclusively on special teams in the first two quarters and started the entire second half. He recorded his first tackle on a third-and-long to force a 40-yard field goal attempt, made tackles on three straight plays to end the third quarter and finished with five total, including a pair of solos.
For third week in a row, the Los Angeles Sparks have signed Brandon’syounger sister Alissa Pili to a seven-day contract, marking her third with the team since signing her first on Aug. 3. The former Dimond multi-sport star and first-round pick of the Minnesota Lynx has only appeared in one game with her new team, which came a day after she made her debut, and was signed to the second seven-day contract and recorded one point in three minutes of action.
The Sparks have signed forward Alissa Pili to a third 7-day contract.
Another former Anchorage Wolverines junior hockey player has found a new home to continue his playing career at the next level. Defenseman Jack Darby was announced as one of the newest signees for the Long Island University men’s program. In 64 games, he racked up 29 points with three goals and 26 assists. Anchorage hockey fans will have multiple chances to see him take the ice this season as the Sharks will be in town for a three-game road series against UAA on Jan. 23, 24 and 27.
Fast Forward
Prep
Football
Dimond at West, Saturday at 7 p.m.
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The best matchup of the week and across the state will take place at the Nest on Hillcrest, featuring a rematch of last year’s Division I championship. While the Eagles are looking to move to 2-0, the reigning champion Lynx will be hungry to earn their first win of the young season.
Bartlett at South, Saturday at 6 p.m.
Across town, the only other varsity gridiron bout in Anchorage this week will kick off an hour earlier as the Golden Bears will invade the den of the Wolverines, looking to stay unbeaten.
Flag football
Dimond at West, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Before the boys face off on Saturday night under the lights for tackle football, the girls from both school’s flag football teams will play each other for a midweek CIC clash of perennial powerhouses.
Volleyball
Chugiak Invitational, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
The 2025 high school season officially gets underway this weekend with the annual exhibition tournament hosted by the Mustangs.
Last week’s results
High school
Flag football
Thursday
Service 7, Eagle River 0 (OT)
Friday
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West Valley 13, Lathrop 12
North Pole 6, South 0
Saturday
Dimond 32, Bartlett 0
North Pole 47, Chugiak 6
West 18, South 6
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North Pole 15, Eagle River 0
• • •
Football
Friday
Soldotna 78, Palmer 41
Kenai Central 2, Kodiak 0
North Pole 36, Chugiak 23
Lathrop 34, Wasilla 21
Barrow 16, Redington 8
Service 19, Juneau-Douglas 12
Colony 42, East 20
Bartlett 12, Dimond 0
Homer 64, Houston 8
Saturday
Eagle River 22, West Valley 12
Seward 54, Nikiski 12
West 13, South 8
Monroe Catholic 50, Valdez 6
• • •
Cross country
Friday
South Quad
3,000 Meters Varsity
Boys
Team Scores
1. Dimond 25; 2. South Anchorage 55; 3. West Anchorage 57; 4. Service 94
Individual results
1. Finnegan Spillane 9:37.4, South; 2. Atlin Frederick 10:03.8, West; 3. Silas Hartlieb 10:04.9, Dimond; 4. Clayton White 10:09.3, Dimond; 5. Cameron Posey 10:12.2, Dimond; 6. Kodiak Coleman 10:19.9, Dimond; 7. Denis Prosser 10:22.4, Dimond; 8. Jack Weiss 10:33.8, Dimond; 9. Parker Johnson 10:34.4, South; 10. John Gurney 10:36.8, West
Girls
Team Scores
1. Dimond 40, 2. South 47, 3. West 52, 4. Service 87
1. Melanie Nussbaumer, Fairbanks, AK 05:08; 2. Michelle Hill, Anchorage, AK 05:51; 3. Morgan Ekemo, Eagle River, AK 05:56; 4. Sheila Natho, Dallas, TX 06:38; 5. Sila Evans-Peacock, Anchorage, AK 06:43; 6. Brynnley Nussbaumer, Fairbanks, AK 06:56; 7. Jazlynn Hernandez, Anchorage, AK 07:22; 8. Mikaylia Levitt, Rochester Hills, MI 07:27; 9. Beth Connolly, Manchester, NH 07:28; 10. Jacquelyn Buhmeyer, Greenville, SC 07:47; 11. Susan Craig, Dequincy, LA 07:50; 12. Melissa Compeaux, Cut Off, LA 07:53; 13. Deann Denter, Eagle River, AK 07:59; 14. Jenny Justinger, Jber, AK 08:10; 15. Amanda Morris-Shrum, Westmoreland, TN 08:12; 16. Charlene Nidoy, Anchorage, AK 08:12; 17. Elle Kluksdahl, Anchorage, AK 08:24; 18. Summer Padilla, Anchorage, AK 08:31; 19. June Johansen, Anchorage, AK 08:41; 20. Johnett Sharpe, Houston, TX 08:42; 21. Shirley Grimm, Las Vegas, NV 08:42; 22. Jacqueline McDonough, Homer, AK 08:55; 23. Carissa Schwinghammer, Saint Cloud, MN 09:03; 24. Tea Lafferty, Anchorage, AK 09:09; 25. Sanjana Greenhill, Anchorage, AK 09:19; 26. Gina Forestieri, Gilbert, AZ 09:20; 27. Patti Krebsbach, Kent, WA 09:20; 28. Leah Cross, Anchorage, AK 09:24; 29. Kalin Lafferty, Oceanside, CA 09:40; 30. Zoë-Anna Broomfield, Jber, AK 10:11; 31. Carol Poenisch, Northville, MI 10:17; 32. Stephanie Ayers, Newhall, CA 10:19; 33. Debra Kinn, Anchorage, AK 10:25; 34. Rose Pyle, Apex, NC 10:25; 35. Jonna Salisi, Anchorage, AK 10:27; 36. Luann Blodgett, Anchorage, AK 10:51; 37. Dora Hughes, Anchorage, AK 10:51; 38. Naya EvansPeacock, Anchorage, AK 11:09; 39. Rizelle Castillo, Anchorage, AK 11:11; 40. Myra timas, Anchorage, AK 11:27; 41. Iesha (not Lesha) Jones, Anchorage, AK 11:45; 42. Darcy Sny, San Antonio, TX 11:46; 43. Dolena Fox, Anchorage, AK 12:09; 44. Meghan Owens, Anchorage, AK 12:44; 45. Hazeline Anne Ortiz, Anchorage, AK 13:01; 46. Lesley Barrier, Oceanside, CA 13:13; 47. Channcie Alfred, Wasilla, AK 14:02; 48. Sarah Meidel, Huntersville, NC 14:18; 49. Natalie Meidel, Huntersville, NC 14:18; 50. Shauna Anderson, Chicago, IL 15:03; 51. Barbara Leiser, Manchester Center, VT 15:03; 52. Linda Kruger, Juneau, AK 16:08; 53. Barbara Gilson, North Pole, AK 16:11; 54. Alice Miner, Chico, CA 16:55; 55. Megan Christensen, Wasilla, AK 17:57; 56. Elizabeth Pantaleone, Anchorage, AK 18:18; 57. Patricia Peacock, Anchorage, AK 22:00
Men
1. Seamus McDonough, Homer, AK 04:34; 2. Cayden Wright, Jber, AK 04:41; 3. Joey Sinclair, Fort Collins, CO 04:56; 4. Jon Smith, Juneau, AK 05:31; 5. Brian Haviland, Anchorage, AK 05:46; 6. Jeff Hickman, Howell, MI 06:00; 7. Peyton Goodman, Anchorage, AK 06:13; 8. Cody Vongprachanh, Anchorage, AK 06:18; 9. Rastko Ratajac, Anchorage, AK 06:21; 10. Dylan Denter, Eagle River, AK 06:24; 11. Eric Wuttke, Anchorage, AK 06:40; 12. Johnathan Robbins, Nolanville, TX 06:45; 13. Darren Essman, Palmer, AK 06:48; 14. Lazar Jaksic, Anchorage, AK 06:54; 15. Ted Eischeid, Anchorage, AK 06:56; 16. Dean Denter, Eagle River, AK 07:12; 17. Josh Greenhill, Anchorage, AK 07:40; 18. Ethan Churchill, Seneca, SC 07:47; 19. Joel Connolly, Manchester, NH 07:56; 20. komlan dougah, killeen, TX 08:04; 21. Reginald Tilley, Katy, TX 08:09; 22. Ram Pai, Glen Allen, VA 08:12; 23. Greg MacDonald, Anchorage, AK 08:12; 24. Alec Allain, Auburn Hills, MI 08:23; 25. Michael Padilla, Newport News, VA 08:30; 26. Thomas Perri, Maple Grove, MN 08:31; 27. Ralphie Morel, Anchorage, AK 08:38; 28. Larrie Salisi, Anchorage, AK 09:08; 29. Cody Yandura, Rochester, MI 09:34; 30. Jeff Gnass, Juneau, AK 09:43; 31. Quinton Salisi, Anchorage, AK 10:28; 32. Taylor Wright, Anchorage, AK 10:50; 33. Peter Stammer, Huntersville, NC 10:58; 34. Theodore Owens, Anchorage, AK 12:44; 35. Micah Compeaux, Cut Off, LA 15:48; 36. Brian Miner, Chico, CA 16:56
Military Mile
Women
1. Shannon Weaver, Chugiak, AK 06:17; 2. Maria Urso, Jupiter, FL 06:23; 3. Kaitlyn DePlasco, Anchorage, AK 06:50; 4. Jennifer Murdock, Anchorage, AK 07:00; 5. Brianna Walston, Boulder, CO 08:03; 6. Lindsay Schiminske, Auburn, NY 08:09; 7. Lena Lafferty, Anchorage, AK 08:40; 8. Teresa Vincent, Lindale, TX 08:41; 9. Diana McKinley, Colorado Springs, CO 09:03; 10. Amie Condon, Anchorage, AK 09:28; 11. Kristen DeWitt, North Pole, AK 09:36; 12. Dakira Jacquot, Missouri City, TX 11:10; 13. Chyll Perry, Anchorage, AK 13:40; 14. Alohi Kauahi, Anchorage, AK 28:45; 15. Sheila Kauahi, Anchorage, AK 28:48; 16. Angela Carelock, Anchorage, AK 28:48; 17. Doralee Castillo, Anchorage, AK 28:49
Men
1. Cayden Wright, Jber, AK 04:40; 2. John Bergman, Eagle River, AK 05:04; 3. Joe Davis, Eagle River, AK 05:10; 4. Brendan Hill, Anchorage, AK 05:39; 5. Joseph Moore, Anchorage, AK 05:47; 6. Junior Castillo, Jber, AK 06:09; 7. Ryan Murdock, Anchorage, AK 06:14; 8. Blake Barbieri, Jber, AK 06:15; 9. Johnathan Robbins, Nolanville, TX 06:16; 10. Travis Graff, Anchorage, AK 06:35; 11. Dayton Denter, Eagle River, AK 06:53; 12. Jasen Johansen, Anchorage, AK 07:04; 13. Morgan Neal, Boise, ID 07:06; 14. komlan dougah, killeen, TX 07:10; 15. Dean Denter, Eagle River, AK 07:12; 16. Jay Vizcocho, Anchorage, AK 07:14; 17. Scott Cleaver, Carlisle, PA 07:14; 18. Dan Gilson, North Pole, AK 07:15; 19. John McKinley, Colorado Springs, CO 07:36; 20. Michael Phothiboupha, Anchorage, AK 07:47; 21. Bill Kettelberger, Riverton, NJ 07:56; 22. Greg MacDonald, Anchorage, AK 08:12; 23. Jonathan Henry, Anchorage, AK 08:30; 24. Tim Justinger, Jber, AK 08:30; 25. Edmond Borja, Summerville, SC 08:32; 26. David Taube, Las Vegas, NV 08:50; 27. Ralphie Morel, Anchorage, AK 09:06; 28. Jeffrey Lafferty, Anchorage, AK 09:19; 29. Aaron Burros, Houston, TX 12:52
United Physical Therapy 49K
Men
1: Owen Marcotte, Anchorage, AK 3:12:32; 2: Matt Dearborn, Eagle River, AK 4:02:03; 3: Dylan Denter, Eagle River, AK 4:08:06; 4: Mykola Taran, Nebyliv, 4:22:59; 5: Justin Lentz, Eagle River, AK 4:24:46; 6: Jonathon Marsh, Anchorage, AK 4:31:31; 7: Matthew Coddington, Chugiak, AK 4:33:57; 8: Zach Owens, Anchorage, AK 4:38:10; 9: Brendan Hill, Anchorage, AK 4:39:47; 10: Thomas Jason Rivera, Anchorage, AK 4:41:46; 11: Mark Iversen, Mankato, MN 4:42:02; 12: Eli Neaves, Anchorage, AK 4:44:55; 13: Nathan Edney, Anchorage, AK 4:48:16; 14: Tony Covarrubias, Talkeetna, AK 4:51:51; 15: Jakob Ferguson, APO, AP 4:52:01; 16: Dean Denter, Eagle River, AK 4:53:18; 17: Allin Oberlin, Eagle River, AK 4:54:32; 18: Scott Kline, Wasilla, AK 5:08:25; 19: Connor Olberding, Washington, DC 5:29:38; 20: Ryan Olberding, Anchorage, AK 5:29:39
Women
1: Michelle Isaev, Anchorage, AK 4:12:47; 2: Kaitlyn DePlasco, Anchorage, AK 4:52:29; 3: Courtney Smith, Richmond Hill, ON 4:54:33; 4: Rebekah Stephenson, Horseshoe Bay, TX 5:29:38; 5: April Komplin, Sun Prairie, WI 5:39:19; 6: Amy Hollon, Anchorage, AK 5:42:25; 7: Arcelita Pereyra, Anchorage, AK 6:01:24; 8: Monica Gaupp, Eagle River, AK 6:08:56; 9: Susan Craig, Dequincy, LA 6:12:57; 10: Charlene Nidoy, Anchorage, AK 6:18:55; 11: Stefanie McKinney-Holliday, Breckenridge, CO 6:21:48; 12: Tracy Holland, Fulton, MS 6:36:06; 13: Laura Selvidio, Eagle River, AK 6:41:24; 14: Denise Lutton, Anchorage, AK 6:47:16; 15: Avigail Curry, Anchorage, AK 7:18:08; 16: Melissa Chatham, Fulton, MS 7:52:29
Humpy’s Marathon
Men
1: Eric Vilce, Anchorage, AK 2:46:54; 2: Andy Peters, Anchorage, AK 2:47:12; 3: Will Mroz, Menlo Park, CA 2:57:14; 4: Gary Krugger, Los Alamos, NM 2:57:14; 5: Skyler Frisbie, Hastings, MI 2:57:49; 6: Peter Speier, Santa Barbara, CA 3:00:18; 7: Joseph Hoch, Stoughton, WI 3:00:24; 8: Alex Ganin, Boston, MA 3:05:28; 9: Chris Schulten, Anchorage, AK 3:07:58; 10: Tyler Rhodes, Nome, AK 3:10:10; 11: Gary Tashima, Houston, TX 3:12:14; 12: Jose Martinez, Haines City, FL 3:16:17; 13: Matthew Tabor, Chicago, IL 3:18:14; 14: Matthew Ciotti, Fort Polk, LA 3:20:03; 15: Jose Molina, Anchorage, AK 3:21:23; 16: Marek Wakula, Siedlce, 3:21:35; 17: Nick Schuster, Carmel, IN 3:22:49; 18: mat morales, North Pole, AK 3:22:50; 19: Krzysztof Jozwiak, Siedlce, 3:24:52; 20: Tony Crow, Anchorage, AK 3:27:46
Women
1: Morgan Lash, Anchorage, AK 3:07:54; 2: Alison Matthews, Anchorage, AK 3:12:05; 3: Jess Petersen, Somerville, MA 3:18:15; 4: Sarah Aarons, Anchorage, AK 3:22:40; 5: Lavin Douglass, Hopkins, MN 3:22:58; 6: Kaitlin Reed, Palmer, AK 3:33:55; 7: Catherine Valentine, Anchorage, AK 3:35:58; 8: Evelin Porras, Petersburg, VA 3:36:05; 9: allison lehky, Columbus, OH 3:47:01; 10: Sarah Blair, Springdale, AR 3:52:49; 11: Gabriella Alexander, Wasilla, AK 3:53:04; 12: Megan Gallagher, Gibsonia, PA 3:54:19; 13: Catherine Uschmann, Palmer, AK 3:56:21; 14: Colleen Carroll, Cheshire, CT 3:57:45; 15: Nicole Dieckow, Anniston, AL 3:58:02; 16: Maria Urso, Jupiter, FL 3:59:02; 17: Maria Rene, Boston, MA 4:01:50; 18: Julianna Brodd, Wasilla, AK 4:05:32; 19: Dayna Stierwalt, Anchorage, AK 4:09:30; 20: Beth Connolly, Manchester, NH 4:09:34
Humpy’s Marathon Relay
1. Pension & Propulsion 3:08:37; 2. I Thought We Were Going Bowling 3:48:00; 3. RSA Engineering 3:54:08; 4. Team Einstein 4:16:01; 5. Moms Who Run (Away From Kids) 4:18:31; 6. Lovers 4:32:18; 7. Finish Line Fans 4:32:24; 8.Valley Contenders 4:33:53; 9.Myrtle and The Ponies 4:43:22; 10.Good Vibes 5:04:14; 11. Team RWB 1 5:10:03; 12. Team RWB 2 5:39:11
Anchorage RunFest Half Marathon Presented by OrthoNOW Alaska
Men
1: Cayden Wright, Jber, AK 1:13:36; 2: Jean Paquet, Anchorage, AK 1:21:28; 3: Zachary Benning, Huntington, WV 1:22:10; 4: Luke Steele, Anchorage, AK 1:24:05; 5: Forrest Rosenbower, Fairbanks, AK 1:31:07; 6: Henk Moen, Pretoria, 1:31:38; 7: Brian Dennehy, Anchorage, AK 1:33:21; 8: Patrick Kenney, Jackson, WY 1:33:36; 9: Marco Cheseto, Anchorage, AK 1:34:25; 10: Rob Kinnear, Anchorage, AK 1:35:42; 11: Julius Kindfuller, Beaufort, SC 1:35:59; 12: James Taylor, Beaufort, SC 1:36:52; 13: Andrew Antonetti, Anchorage, AK 1:40:17; 14: Nicholas Feronti, Anchorage, AK 1:40:36; 15: Leif Mowery, Anchorage, AK 1:40:51; 16: Chris TeBeau, Niles, MI 1:42:04; 17: Seth Spooner, JBER, AK 1:42:45; 18: Zachary Burgess, Anchorage, AK 1:43:14; 19: Austin Delesline, Fairbanks, AK 1:43:20; 20: Jacob Bell, Anchorage, AK 1:43:24
Women
1: Hannah Souders, Anchorage, AK 1:32:18; 2: April Nelson, Anchorage, AK 1:35:08; 3: Chelsey Gloude, Warren, MN 1:37:01; 4: Michelle Hill, Anchorage, AK 1:37:24; 5: Lucy Swygman, Girdwood, AK 1:37:27; 6: Michelle Guerrero, Anchorage, AK 1:39:56; 7: Arielle Himelbloom, Anchorage, AK 1:42:05; 8: Keilah Wilkes, Honolulu, HI 1:43:58; 9: Breea Selbrede, Poway, CA 1:43:59; 10: Tori Herman, Boston, MA 1:44:13; 11: Jennifer Skoog Margolis, Portland, OR 1:45:08; 12: Brandi Reed, Montreal, WI 1:45:09; 13: Shayla Fitzgerald, Anchorage, AK 1:45:20; 14: Jessica Shaffer, Anchorage, AK 1:48:10; 15: Heather Luster, Astoria, NY 1:48:55; 16: Kelsey Coolidge, Anchorage, AK 1:49:27; 17: Anne Scott, Swansboro, NC 1:50:00; 18: Brooke Cooper, Anchorage, AK 1:50:11; 19: Nancy Gillcrist, Anchorage, AK 1:50:13; 20: Madison Dahlstrom, Anchorage, AK 1:51:15
Anchorage RunFest 5K
Men
1: Joey Sinclair, Fort Collins, CO 17:59; 2: Joseph Moore, Anchorage, AK 20:27; 3: Mark Connell, New York, NY 20:32; 4: Greg East, Liverpool, LIV 20:36; 5: Rhys Greensted, Anchorage, AK 20:46; 6: Miles King, Anchorage, AK 20:47; 7: Brian Haviland, Anchorage, AK 21:00; 8: Conner Gold, Wasilla, AK 21:21; 9: Ravi Paturi, Anchorage, AK 21:27; 10: Ryan Murdock, Anchorage, AK 21:34; 11: Greg Fahl, Anchorage, AK 22:09; 12: Travis Graff, Anchorage, AK 22:14; 13: Neil McMahon, Anchorage, AK 22:23; 14: Leonid Isaev, Anchorage, AK 22:25; 15: Ethan Kuzina, Palmer, AK 22:29; 16: Charles Slater, Eagle River, AK 23:08; 17: Erdenetsogt Enkhtaivan, Anchorage, AK 23:20; 18: Darren Essman, Palmer, AK 24:00; 19: Travis Haugen, Anchorage, AK 24:04; 20: Nathan Gold, Wasilla, AK 24:25
Women
1: Elizabeth Dahlstrom, Eagle River, AK 18:41; 2: Morgan Ekemo, Eagle River, AK 20:31; 3: Sara Miller, Anchorage, AK 22:28; 4: Shelby Wilson, Anchorage, AK 22:41; 5: Jennifer McGrath, Anchorage, AK 23:00; 6: Sheila Natho, Dallas, TX 23:25; 7: Lydia Ortiz, Palmer, AK 23:38; 8: Brittany Barclay, Anchorage, AK 24:29; 9: Ashley Mann, Eagle River, AK 24:31; 10: Courtney Schuman, Anchorage, AK 24:35; 11: Elizaveta Khramtsova, Washington, DC 24:40; 12: Marcie Stavich, Anchorage, AK 24:51; 13: Lexie Taylor, Liverpool, LIV 24:56; 14: Deborah Balsan, Anchorage, AK 25:09; 15: Megan Gillespie, Blooming Prairie, MN 25:14; 16: Suzanne Ward, Anchorage, AK 26:18; 17: Rebecca Windt Pearson, Anchorage, AK 26:30; 18: Cynthia Williams, Dallas, GA 26:42; 19: Miranda Kirker, Havelock, NC 27:00; 20: Rina Ravisundar, Seattle, WA 27:03
We’ve got Thursday night football to kick off Week 1 around the Garden State as JSZ brings you three games from the gridiron. Princeton and Allentown meet in a Mercer County thriller, Demarest looks to start strong against Bergen Tech plus Washington Township tries to reach 2-0 against Pennsauken in the WJFL. Check back as the highlights are posted throughout the night!
Down 6-0, senior Ellinton Hinds who already had an interception on the first drive of the game, made one of the best catches in all of New Jersey high school football so far this season to keep Princeton (2-0) undefeated in 2025. Hinds had two leaping catches from QB Quinton deFaria, who threw for 109 yards and a TD. The Tigers beat Allentown (0-2) for the first time since 2005 and look to keep their win streak alive with a Week 2 matchup against Ewing.
JSZ’s Tyler Mroz has the highlights + reaction from Allentown:
Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Princeton and Allentown is brought to you by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.
The Minutemen took care of business in their home opener by racing out to a 35-0 halftime lead and cruising the rest of the way. Colin Beeler scored a pair of touchdowns to lead a bruising rushing attack in the victory. Paris Pratt hauled in a touchdown and added a fumble return touchdown for Washington Township (2-0). Pennsauken (1-1) will look to bounce back next Thursday against Highland.
JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Sewell:
Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Washington Township is made possible by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
With lead running back Reed Kauderer unavailable for the majority of the game, the Norsemen needed their other playmakers to step up. They ultimately answered the bell. Quarterback Joseph Yun accounted for three total touchdowns as Demarest (1-0) begins their 2025 season with a bang. Daejuan Joseph caught a pair of touchdown passes in the win. Bergen Tech (0-1) will now turn their focus to a game against Ferris next week.
JSZ’s Sean Dugan has the highlights from Little Ferry:
Five games dotted the high school football schedule Thursday night.
In Class AA, Butte stormed past Billings Skyview 33-13 on the road while Missoula Sentinel knocked off No. 3 Great Falls CMR 6-0. A big showdown in 8-Man lived up to its billing as No. 3 Fort Benton beat No. 2 Belt 24-22.
Check out the highlights and details below:
CLASS AA
Missoula Sentinel 6, No. 3 Great Falls CMR 0
After a scoreless first half, Sentinel struck with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Rudy Hess to Kyler Haslam. That ended up being the game’s only score, as the Spartans’ defense kept Great Falls CMR off the scoreboard entirely.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Missoula Sentinel knocks off No. 3 Great Falls CMR in defensive slugfest
Sentinel held CMR to six first downs, and 0-for-9 showing on third down and 132 total offensive yards. The Spartans’ Jake Boggust recovered a fumble on a promising CMR drive in the fourth quarter that helped preserve the shutout.
Butte 33, Billings Skyview 13
Hudson Luedtke caught three touchdown passes from Brooks Vincent to lead Butte to a road victory. Peyton Johnson had a scoring run and Jaeger Hansen returned an interception for a TD as the Bulldogs built a sizable first-half lead.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
Butte picks up convincing win at Billings Skyview
The Falcons got their points on two touchdown passes from Jaxon Zagata to Jackson Carter.
At halftime, Skyview celebrated the 30th anniversary of its 1995 state title team. That year, the Falcons went 11-1 under coach Rob Lebsock and won the Class AA championship with a 27-20 victory over Bozeman.
MTN Sports
The 1995 state champion Billings Skyview Falcons are honored at Daylis Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Billings.
8-MAN
No. 3 Fort Benton 24, No. 2 Belt 22
Truman Giese’s fourth-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion gave Fort Benton the lead and two defensive takeaways in the final minutes helped maintain it as Fort Benton knocked off Belt in a ranked matchup.
WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS:
No. 3 Fort Benton knocks off No. 2 Belt in 8-Man showdown
Blake Waldner set an early tone for the Huskies with a 29-yard touchdown run, but Giese scored from 3 yards out to help tie it 8-8 in the second quarter.
Slater Lords had a long catch and run for a touchdown, putting Belt up 16-8, but a Giese-to-David Olson TD pass tied the game again. In the third, Waldner turned a Huskies interception into another touchdown run as Belt grabbed a 22-16 advantage. But it didn’t hold up.
Australian Sam Groth has the honour of having the fastest recorded tennis serve of all time.
The 6ft 4 Australian set the record during an ATP Open Challenger match in Busan, South Korea, in 2012 against Belarusian tennis player Uladzimir Ignatik.
Groths serve clocks in at a staggering 263.4kph (163.7mph).
Frenchman Albano Olivetti holds the record for the second-fastest serve ever recorded. The French tennis pro also remains the second person to break the 160mph serve speed barrier.
Olivetti’s serve came in 2012 at the challenger level during the Internazionali Trofeo Lame Perrel–Faip.
Albano Olivetti holds the second-fastest record serve on the tour.
It would be hard not to include the American giant John Isner in this list. The 6ft 10 American is known best for his monster serves, which are delivered consistently throughout.
His monstrous serve is thanks in part to his stature. Isner clocks in as the third-tallest tennis player on the ATP behind the Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic and American young gun Reilly Opelka (both 6ft 11 inches). Ivo Karlovic currently holds the record for the fourth fastest recorded tennis serve.
Isner currently holds the third fastest serve in tennis. The Americans serve, clocking in at 253 kph (157.2 mph) during a 2016 Davis Cup tie against Bernard Tomic.
John Isner also holds the record for playing the longest match in Grand Slam history against Nicolas Mahut. During Wimbledon 2010, Isner beat Mahut in 5 sets: 6–4, 3–6, 6–7, 7–6, 70–68. The match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.
Isner’s serve is the fastest recorded serve in tennis, recognised by the ATP.
Spaniard Georgina Garcia Perez holds the record for the fastest recorded tennis serve by a woman.
Perez clocked a serve of 200kph (136.7 mph) during the Hungarian Ladies Open in 2018.
Georgina Garcia Perez holds the record for the fastest serve by a female.
Why is it nearly impossible to hit a 160 mph tennis serve?
A considered calculation of stature, technique, coaching, mechanics and good old practice is said to make the perfect concoction for a fast serve.
A direct correlation has been proven between the height of a player and power during a serve. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the top servers of the game are all giants by nature.
The trajectory of a serve remains ever important. Players who are 6ft 7 or above have the ability to hit the ball with a downward trajectory, whereas those who are under that height are unable to do so.
Modern technology has also greatly aided in the incremental increase of server power over time. The changeover from wooden rackets to today’s modern racket is a huge factor in determining serve power. Advancements in string technology and racket materials also play a huge part in determining a fast serve.
Other mitigating factors include court conditions. Faster serves are much more likely to happen on a hard court and during hotter temperatures, where there is less resistance to air density, translating to faster speeds.
When you compare the fastest tennis serve with other sports, you can see how fast it is.
Fastest Football shot – 114 mph by David Hirst in 1996 Fastest Baseball pitch – 105.1 mph by Aroldis Chapman in 2010 Fastest Cricket Bowling speed – 100.2 mph by Shoaib Akhtar in 2003
What is the average tennis serve speed?
The average tennis serve speed differs between both men and women, as well as between pros and amateurs. Data shows us that for professional male tennis players, the average tennis serve speed is approximately 114 mph (on their first serve) and 93 mph (on their second serve).
For women, the average tennis serve speed clocks in at 98 mph (on their first serve) and 82 mph (on their second serve).
This data was recorded between 2002-2013, so bear in mind the average speeds have likely increased by a few miles per hour in the modern era, as racquet technology and athletes continue to evolve and adapt within the sport.
Check out Wired’s video, which covers the topic more in-depth.
It’s the second edition of Blue Federal Credit Union‘s Fort Collins-area Athlete of the Week for the 2025-26 high school sports season.
And this week’s honor is hitting the local tennis courts with a top singles player.
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Poudre boys tennis player Owen Addington took top honors in the Fort Collins area for the week of Aug. 25-30 after a couple of dominant sweeps.
Playing on the No. 1 singles line, the Impalas senior dropped just six games in four sets across two match wins over Windsor and Northglenn’s top players.
He beat Windsor’s Joseph Bisceglia (6-2, 6-3) and followed that up with a 6-0, 6-1 over Northglenn’s Emrah Mehidic.
Poudre’s Owen Addington bends down to hit a shot during a city rivalry boys tennis dual on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 at Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, Colo.
Addington, also a basketball player and tennis team captain, has helped Poudre get off to a 3-1 start this season that also included a team tournament title at the Thompson Valley Invitational.
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The senior and third-year varsity player is the first tennis player to earn Blue FCU Athlete of the Week honors in the award’s third school year. He joins Rocky Mountain’s Bode Nesbitt as the first winners in the 2025-26 prep sports season.
Poudre fans pushed Addington atop the polls, giving him the victory with 51.5% of the fan vote.
That propelled him past these other four outstanding Athlete of the Week nominees:
Brooke Pravlik, PSD flag football (runner-up at 36.7%)
Taylor Morgan, Wellington softball
Judd Nikkel, Fossil Ridge boys golf
Nora Ebel, Rocky Mountain girls cross country
The Blue Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Week series features five nominees on Mondays, with voting at Coloradoan.com until 11:59 p.m. every Wednesday.
Fans can nominate their favorite athletes (deadline: 11:59 p.m. every Sunday), and the Coloradoan Sports staff will ultimately select the nominees each week.
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If you have nominations for a future Athlete of the Week, please send them via email to ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com for consideration.
View the full results:
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
BB&N senior Sam Kelley (right) announced he will play football at Brown. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
With sincere apologies to all the games played Thursday, here at Globe Schools it feels a lot like Christmas Eve, with a full slate of high school football arriving under the tree Friday evening.
Over the last two weeks we talked to nearly 200 football coaches and wrote more than 30,000 words previewing every team in Eastern Mass. There’s still time for a cram session!
Team-by-team previews for every Eastern Mass. program
Trevor Hass wrote about Whittier football coach Kevin Bradley, who is continuing to coach the team while battling tongue cancer. Read coach Bradley’s inspirational story.
The first three football games of the season were played Thursday night, with Pentucket topping Northeast (26-22), Waltham holding off Belmont (24-12), and Brookline beating Lexington (27-10).
1. Milestones
▪ Two golf teams made history, as Canton set a new low home score at Blue Hill Country Club, scoring a 138 as a team to best Mansfield by 15 strokes thanks to 1-under-par 33s from senior Joey Ryan and freshman Chase Thomas.
▪ Rockport set a record for most points on its home course, Rockport Country Club, posting a 168-151 win over Hamilton-Wenham behind a 38-point showing from Sam Kesterson, who shot a 1-under-par 34 with three birdies.
▪ St. John Paul II field hockey coach Leah Pierce got her first win with the program, beating Bishop Stang, 3-0. Ariana Liakos got her first win helming the Pembroke girls’ volleyball, beating Falmouth, 3-1. And Acton-Boxborough girls’ soccer coach Manny Lopes notched his first victory, 4-0, over Algonquin.
▪ On the pitch, No. 18 Medfield boys’ soccer shocked No. 10 Oliver Ames, the defending Division 2 state champions, with a 2-0 win powered by goals from Max Tillmann and Sebastian Cole.
Keene State freshman Kayla DiPasquale, a Marshfield High graduate, was named Little East Conference women’s soccer Rookie of the Week after scoring her first two collegiate goals in a 4-2 win over Rivier.
4. Commitment central
BB&N senior captain Sam Kelley, a 6-foot-2-inch, 228-pound two-way athlete from Natick, announced he will play football at Brown.
