by Greg Lincoln
Kipnuk School, home of the Falcons, was host to the 2024 Lower Kuskokwim School District Native Youth Olympics (NYO) championships this past weekend. The tournament featured 11 NYO events: Kneel Jump, Wrist Carry, 2-Foot High Kick, Scissor Broad Jump, Alaskan High Kick, 1-Arm Reach, 1-Foot High Kick, Eskimo Stick Pull, Seal Hop, Indian Stick Pull, and the Toe Kick.
Fourteen teams featuring high school and junior high athletes from LKSD attended the event joining the host team of Kipnuk which were: Akula, Chefornak, Eek, Kongiganak, Kwethluk, Kwigillingok, Mekoryuk, Newtok, Nightmute, Oscarville, Quinhagak, Tuntutuliak, and Tununak.
The LKSD All-Star Team was also chosen at the conclusion of the tournament. The All-Stars will be representing LKSD at the State NYO Senior Games Tournament in Anchorage, April 25-27, 2024 at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Some notable results on the girls side include from the Kipnuk tournament are:
Chloe Wassillie of Akiuk hit 60” in the elegant 1-Arm Reach. That has never been done before in LKSD NYO history in the girls division. The state record for girls is 62” set by Sophie O’Connell of Dillingham in 2003. Wassillie is poised for her first state title this year.
Kipnuk’s Shawna Paul seal hop may break the record this year in this grueling event. The ladies seal hop record is 160’ 9 1/2” set by Dajan Treder of Anchorage A in 2012. Paul seal hopped 154’ ½” this past weekend and the record is within striking distance.
On the boys’ side James Brink of Kwigillingok jumped 63” in the Kneel Jump, just 4 inches from the state record of 67” set by Dylan Magnusen of Unalaska in 2013. Brink will be one to watch at the state meet.
One Arm Reacher Andrew Paul of Kipnuk hit 66”. He is on track to win a medal at the state meet. The record is 69” owned by Bernard Clark of Mat-Su A and set in 2011.
Ashton White of Tunt is set for a podium finish with his stunning 104” kick in the One-Foot event, it’s sure to be a thriller.
Kipnuk’s Devon Mann seal hopped 150’ 2”. He is the reigning state Seal Hop champion and will be defending his state title. His uncle Sigfurd Dock is the NYO record holder for this event with his incredible hop of 188’ in 2015.
The Kipnuk Falcons won the team first place award. In second place was the Chefornak Shamans. Winning the Sportsmanship Award were the Kwigillingok Eagles.
Congratulations to all our student athletes, good job!
2024 LKSD NYO District Results
April 12-13, 2024
Girls
Kneel Jump
1 Nikki Erik CYF 41 7/8
2 Sarah Nicholas Akula 39 1/2
3 Anya Tinker KKH 38 5/8
4 Katya Carl KWK 37 1/2
5 Jordan Klejka BRHS 36 1/4
Wrist Carry
1 Destiny Panruk CYF 27.48
2 Jasmine Andrew KWK 20.95
3 Anya Tinker KKH 16.22
4 McKenna Anaver KPN 12.35
5 Shawna Paul KPN 10.11
2-Foot High Kick
1 Jordan Klejka BRHS 72
2 Avis Davis CYF 67
3 Katya Carl KWK 65
4 Nikki Erik CYF 62 1 miss
5 Bessie David KWK 62 2 misses
Scissor Broad Jump
1 Avis Davis CYF 25 2 3/4
2 Anya Tinker KKH 24 10 1/4
3 Nikki Erik CYF 24 4 1/4
4 Destiny Panruk CYF 23 10 3/8
5 Bessie David KWK 23 10
AK High Kick
1 Katya Carl KWK 69
2 Nikki Erik CYF 66
3 Avis Davis CYF 64 1 miss
4 Anya Tinker KKH 64 2 misses
5 Mary Anaver KWK 58
1-Arm Reach
1 Chloe Wassillie Akiuk 60
2 Deann Martin KPN 58
3 Destiny Panruk CYF 57
4 Teena Pavila Akiuk 54
5 Jasmine Andrew KWK 52
1-Foot High Kick
1 Jordan Klejka BRHS 85
2 Avis Davis CYF 79
3 Anya Tinker KKH 78
4 Chloe Wassillie Akiuk 76
5 Katya Carl KWK 74
Eskimo Stick Pull
1 Charly Peter KPN
2 Chloe Wassillie Akiuk
3 Rosa David MYU
4 Katya Carl KWK
5 Sarah Nicholas Akula
Seal Hop
1 Shawna Paul KPN 154 1/2
2 Avis Davis CYF 113’ 3
3 McKenna Anaver KPN 103’ 1
4 Natalia Slim Akiuk 92’ 5
5 Bessie David KWK 85’ 5
Indian Stick Pull
1 Johnelle Smith WTL
2 Cadence Mesak KPN
3 Chandra Stone WTL
4 Charly Peter KPN
5 Chloe Wassillie Akiuk
Toe Kick
1 Jordan Klejka BRHS 59
2 Shawna Paul KPN 55
3 Bessie David KWK 53
4 Daisy Carl WWT 34 1 miss
5 Anya Tinker KKH 34 2 misses
Boys
Kneel Jump
1 James Brink KWK 63
2 Ashton White WTL 60 3/4
3 Adolph Enoch WTL 53 1/16
4 Dovan Nicholas Akula 51 1/8
5 Shane White WTL 49 4/8
Wrist Carry
1 Paul J. Paul KPN 45.34
2 Robert Jimmy CYF 41.65
3 Brandon Lee KWT 40.54
4 Kenny David KKH 38.64
5 Jordan Jimmy CYF 36.38
2-Foot High Kick
1 Ashton White WTL 84 0 misses
2 Evon Phillip KWK 84 3 misses
3 Ashton Mathew CYF 79
4 Frank Paul KPN 78
5 Caiden Nichols KWK 78 1 miss
Scissor Broad Jump
1 Ashton White WTL 34’ 7.4’’
2 Ashton Mathew CYF 32’ 10’’
3 Daylon Brown KWN 32’ 7.3’’
4 Carson John KWK 30’8.5’’
5 Sam Lewis KKH 30’ 3.9
AK High Kick
1 Daylon Brown KWN 87
2 Caiden Nichols KWK 84
3 Frank Paul KPN 83 0 misses
4 Christopher Lewis KWK 78 1 misses
5 Devon Mann KPN 79- tie breaker
1-Arm Reach
1 Andrew Paul KPN 66
2 Daylon Brown KWN 63
3 Sam Lewis KKH 62
4 Ashton Mathew CYF 60
5 Caiden Nichols KWK 56
1-Foot High Kick
1 Ashton White WTL 104
2 Daylon Brown KWN 98
3 James Brink KWK 96 2 misses
4 Sam Lewis KKH 96 3 misses
5 Carson John KWK 95 5 misses
Eskimo Stick Pull
1 Keith Wassilie BRHS
2 Montel Waska Akula
3 Carson John KWK
4 Cutler Matthew KWN
5 Jordan Jimmy CYF
Seal Hop
1 Devon Mann KPN 150’ 2
2 Jarius Ayaprun KPN 125
3 Sam Lewis KKH 105 11 1/2
4 James Brink KWK 100’ 2 1/2
5 Ashton Mathew CYF 99’ 6 1/2
Indian Stick Pull
1 Brandon Lee KWT
2 Austin Amos BRHS
3 Zachary Chase BRHS
4 Sam Lewis KKH
5 Robert Jimmy CYF
Toe Kick
1 Adolph Enoch WTL 61
2 Andrew Paul KPN 61
3 James Brink KWK 58
4 Nolan Paul KPN 54
5 Frank Paul KPN 48
Most Valuable Players
Junior High
Girls: Delaney Panruk, CYF 38 pts
Boys: Anakin Wassillie WTL 72 pts
High School
Girls: Avis Davis, CYF 40 pts
Boys: Ashton White, WTL 38 pts
Team Awards
High School
1st Kipnuk Falcons 124 pts.
2nd Chefornak Shamans 122 pts.
3rd Tuntutuliak Bluejays 116 pts.
4th Kwigillingok Eagles 112 pts.
Junior High
Kwigillingok 132 pts.
Chefornak 132 pts.
Sportsmanship Award
Kwigillingok Eagles
LKSD NYO All Stars to Represent LKSD at the State Meet
Kneel jump
Nikki Erik, Chefornak
Alt: Sarah Nicholas, Akula
James Brink, Kwigillingok
Alt: Ashton White, Tunt
One Foot High Kick
Avis Davis, Chefornak
Alt: Anya Tinker, Kongiganak
Ashton White, Tuntutuliak
Alt: Daylon Brown, Quinhagak
Seal Hop
Shawna Paul, Kipnuk
Alt: Avis Davis, Chefornak
Devon Mann, Kipnuk
Alt: Sam Lewis, Kongiganak
Scissor Broad Jump
Avis Davis, Chefornak
Alt: Nikki Erik
Ashton White, Tunt
Alt: Ashton Matthew
One Arm Reach
Chloe Wassillie, Akiuk
Alt: Deann Martin
Andrew Paul, Kipnuk
Alt: Daylon Brown, Quinhagak
AK High Kick
Katya Carl, Kwigillingok
Alt: Nikki Erik
Daylon Brown, Quinhagak
Alt: Caiden Nichols
Indian Stick Pull
Johnelle Smith, Tuntutuliak
Alt: Cadence Mesak, Kipnuk
Brandon Lee, Kwethluk
Alt: Daylon Brown, Quinhagak
Eskimo Stick Pull
Charlie Peter, Kipnuk
Alt: Rosa David, Mekoryuk
Carson John, Kwigillingok
Alt: Montel Waska, Akula
Toe Kick
Shawna Paul, Kipnuk
Alt: Bessie David, Mekoyuk
Adolph Enoch, Tuntutuliak
Alt: Andrew Paul, Kipnuk
Wrist Carry
Destiny Panruk, Chefornak
Alt: Jasmine Andrew, Kwigillingok
Robert Jimmie, Chefornak
Alt: Brandon Lee, Kwethluk
2-Foot High Kick
Avis Davis, Chefornak
Alt: Katya Carl, Kwigillingok
Evon Phillip, Kwigillingok
Alt: Ashton White
LKSD NYO All-Star Coaches: Paul J. Paul of Kipnuk, Jimmie Andrew of Tuntutuliak, and Sheila Phillip of Kongiganak
