Nolin Ainsworth

Weekend preview: Little League and Rainball softball in action

Two softball tournaments are coming to Juneau this week. The Alaska District 2 Major Softball Championships and 43rd annual Jamie Parsons Rainball Softball Tournament both… Continue reading

Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament orientation with all 104 teams. (Courtesy Photo | Jeremy Ludeman)

Midnight Suns bring A Game to Cooperstown

The Midnight Suns 12U baseball team didn’t back down to anyone at the Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament. After winning four of their first seven games… Continue reading

Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament orientation with all 104 teams. (Courtesy Photo | Jeremy Ludeman)
Aaron Hull, 9, races in the Soapbox Challenge down St. Ann’s Avenue on Wednesday. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)

Soapbox Challenge thrill for youth

For 9-year-old Aaron Hull, racing in the Soapbox Challenge is by-and-large a good time. “It’s a little bit scary,” Hull said of starting down a… Continue reading

Aaron Hull, 9, races in the Soapbox Challenge down St. Ann’s Avenue on Wednesday. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)
Zach Bursell sprints to the finish line of the Glenn Frick Memorial Mile, which took place just before the start of the Juneau Fourth of July Parade on Wednesday morning. Bursell placed first overall and set a new course record in the mile. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)

Records fall at the Frick Mile

Zach Bursell and Beth Gollin finished their Fourth of July $100 richer. The duo set new race records in the Glenn Frick Memorial Mile, which… Continue reading

Zach Bursell sprints to the finish line of the Glenn Frick Memorial Mile, which took place just before the start of the Juneau Fourth of July Parade on Wednesday morning. Bursell placed first overall and set a new course record in the mile. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)

Walk-offs plague junior all-stars

After two walk-off losses, the Gastineau Channel Little League all-stars find themselves on the brink of elimination in the Alaska District 2 Junior Softball Tournament.… Continue reading

Kayakers begin the Chilkat Challenge Triathlon on Sunday in Mosquito Lake. (Courtesy Photo | Derek Poinsette)

Juneau duo, solo competitor victorious in Chilkat Challenge

Juneau was well-represented in the Chilkat Challenge Triathlon on Sunday in Haines. Juneau fielded five teams (two and three-person) and four solo competitors for the… Continue reading

Kayakers begin the Chilkat Challenge Triathlon on Sunday in Mosquito Lake. (Courtesy Photo | Derek Poinsette)

Trap shooters bag 14 medals at nationals

Team Alaska returned from the National Junior Clay Target Championships with 14 medals. The team was made up of four shooters from the Juneau Trap… Continue reading

Ciera Kelly, a Juneau-Douglas High School graduate, talks Friday about her swimming career at Washington State University where she will return as a senior in the fall. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Checking in with Ciera Kelly

Ciera Kelly, a pre-dentistry student and swimmer at Washington State University, has thrived in her three years in Pullman, Washington. The 2015 Juneau-Douglas High School… Continue reading

Ciera Kelly, a Juneau-Douglas High School graduate, talks Friday about her swimming career at Washington State University where she will return as a senior in the fall. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Spangler, Miller duel in Eaglecrest run

Spangler, Miller duel in Eaglecrest run

Allan Spangler won his third race of the season in Saturday’s Eaglecrest Road &Mountain Run 9.5-mile course. Like in the Perseverance Trail Run two weeks… Continue reading

Spangler, Miller duel in Eaglecrest run
Mark Neidhold, left, starts his 12-mile ride as Jamie Bursell, right, and others make the transition from swimming to bicycling during their triathlon camp at the University of Alaska Southeast in July 2016. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Aukeman camp gearing up

It’s not too late to get in shape for August’s Aukeman Triathlon. High Cadence Triathlon Training, headed up by Jamie Bursell, is putting on the… Continue reading

Mark Neidhold, left, starts his 12-mile ride as Jamie Bursell, right, and others make the transition from swimming to bicycling during their triathlon camp at the University of Alaska Southeast in July 2016. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Legion baseball: Juneau takes down South

Legion baseball: Juneau takes down South

With one game still to play, Juneau Post 25 is a perfect 5-0 on its road trip to Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. Akin to… Continue reading

Legion baseball: Juneau takes down South

Legion baseball: Juneau sweeps doubleheader against Wasilla

The Juneau Post 25 baseball team’s win total reached double digits Tuesday. A trio of road wins over Bartlett Post 29 and Wasilla Post 35… Continue reading

The Juneau Midnight Suns 12U team (pictured here last month) travels to the Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament starting on Sunday in Cooperstown, New York. (Courtesy Photo | Larry Blatnick)

Midnight Suns jet to Cooperstown

Everyone who visits Cooperstown, New York, gets the opportunity to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. However, not everyone gets to play… Continue reading

The Juneau Midnight Suns 12U team (pictured here last month) travels to the Cooperstown Dreams Park tournament starting on Sunday in Cooperstown, New York. (Courtesy Photo | Larry Blatnick)
The Juneau Golf Club hosted the 2018 Scramble Tournament on Saturday at the Mendenhall Golf Course. A total of 15 teams of three competed in four different divisions (flights). The King division, which featured teams with the lowest handicapped players — a golf term for a player’s average score in relation to par — went to Two Birdies and a Shark (Bob Storer, Greg Winegar, Dan Bruce). The Pink division, which featured all women players, went to Pitch and a Putt (Fabienne Peter-Contesse, Aimee Olejasz, Stacie Kraly). Bullwinkles (Mitch Falk, Ed Birchell, Tim Whiting) won the Coho division and McGivney’s (Stan Deland, Pat Eggers, Shawn Eggers) won the Sockeye division.

Top finishers at the Scramble

The Juneau Golf Club hosted the 2018 Scramble Tournament on Saturday at the Mendenhall Golf Course. A total of 15 teams of three competed in… Continue reading

The Juneau Golf Club hosted the 2018 Scramble Tournament on Saturday at the Mendenhall Golf Course. A total of 15 teams of three competed in four different divisions (flights). The King division, which featured teams with the lowest handicapped players — a golf term for a player’s average score in relation to par — went to Two Birdies and a Shark (Bob Storer, Greg Winegar, Dan Bruce). The Pink division, which featured all women players, went to Pitch and a Putt (Fabienne Peter-Contesse, Aimee Olejasz, Stacie Kraly). Bullwinkles (Mitch Falk, Ed Birchell, Tim Whiting) won the Coho division and McGivney’s (Stan Deland, Pat Eggers, Shawn Eggers) won the Sockeye division.

East Glacier Trail Tangle results

The Juneau Trail and Road Runners hosted the East Glacier Trail Tangle on Thursday night. Well over 60 runners participated in the 6.7 and 1-mile… Continue reading

Brice Norton, right, waits his turn as Coach Mark Kappler watches Mackenzie Lam practice trap shooting at the Juneau Gun Club on Thursday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Youth to test marksmanship at trap nationals

For the second year in a row, the Juneau Trap Shooting Team is sending four shooters to compete in the National Junior Clay Target Championships.… Continue reading

Brice Norton, right, waits his turn as Coach Mark Kappler watches Mackenzie Lam practice trap shooting at the Juneau Gun Club on Thursday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Cubs pitcher Thomas Baxter pitches in the first inning of the Gastineau Channel Little League Major Division Championship game on Saturday. The Cubs won 4-3. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)

Cubs cap wild postseason with walkoff win

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the Cubs as the Shaw Dental Cubs. They are the Les Schwab Tire Center Cubs.… Continue reading

Cubs pitcher Thomas Baxter pitches in the first inning of the Gastineau Channel Little League Major Division Championship game on Saturday. The Cubs won 4-3. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)
Pirates’ Josh Carte steals second base as Red Sox’s Caden Mesdag fields the throw from home in the third inning at the Gastineau Channel Little League Junior Division Championship game at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park on Friday. The Pirates won 8-6. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Little League: Pirates force if-game with Red Sox

Every time the Red Sox chipped away at their lead, the Pirates answered. Kai Schmidt’s two-RBI single in the first inning spotted the Pirates an… Continue reading

Pirates’ Josh Carte steals second base as Red Sox’s Caden Mesdag fields the throw from home in the third inning at the Gastineau Channel Little League Junior Division Championship game at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park on Friday. The Pirates won 8-6. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Annie Bartholomew emcees the costume contest before the 2016 Only Fools Run at Midnight Fun Run at Centennial Hall. The race will be housed at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center this year. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Revamped Fools Run set for Saturday

Several changes are coming to the 34th annual Only Fools Run at Midnight on Saturday night. Most notably, the race won’t start at midnight like… Continue reading

Annie Bartholomew emcees the costume contest before the 2016 Only Fools Run at Midnight Fun Run at Centennial Hall. The race will be housed at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center this year. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)
Nolan Harvey trains at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Tuesday. Harvey is just one of two swimmers on Team Alaska competing in the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle next week. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Juneau swimmer headed to Seattle to compete in US Special Olympics

One of Nolan Harvey’s favorite parts of the Special Olympics doesn’t actually take place at the Special Olympics itself. It’s what comes afterward, when he… Continue reading

Nolan Harvey trains at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Tuesday. Harvey is just one of two swimmers on Team Alaska competing in the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle next week. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)