Sports

Ketchikan High School’s Bella Westfall-Zink attempts to block Thunder Mountain High School’s Ashlyn Gates during Friday’s match in Ketchikan, which Thunder Mountain won 3-0. TMHS also swept Ketchikan 3-0 on Saturday night. (Christopher Mullen / Ketchikan Daily News)

TMHS volleyball sweeps Ketchikan during two-night road trip, remains undefeated

Last year’s conference champs haven’t lost a set this season, boost record to 4-0

Ketchikan High School’s Bella Westfall-Zink attempts to block Thunder Mountain High School’s Ashlyn Gates during Friday’s match in Ketchikan, which Thunder Mountain won 3-0. TMHS also swept Ketchikan 3-0 on Saturday night. (Christopher Mullen / Ketchikan Daily News)
A Service High School player returns a punt deep into Juneau territory during the first quarter of Saturday’s game on the Anchorages school’s home field. Service scored its second touchdown a short time later to take a 15-0 lead before going on to win 54-14. (Courtesy of Juneau Huskies Football)

Punting miscues pivotal as Huskies lose to Service 54-14

Bad snap, kicks and coverage result in TDs for Anchorage team as Juneau drops to 0-4.

A Service High School player returns a punt deep into Juneau territory during the first quarter of Saturday’s game on the Anchorages school’s home field. Service scored its second touchdown a short time later to take a 15-0 lead before going on to win 54-14. (Courtesy of Juneau Huskies Football)
Sun is better than rain, but the author and his wife know both can make hunting difficult. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

I Went to the Woods: The heat of the moment

The tent was unzipped only enough for my feet to be outside. I was exhausted and needed a respite from the mosquitos that were able… Continue reading

Sun is better than rain, but the author and his wife know both can make hunting difficult. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
Evelyn Richards (12) spikes the ball to score a point Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé near the end of the team’s second game against Thunder Mountain High School on Saturday at JDHS. THMS won the game by a score of 25-10. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

JDHS volleyball team hopeful about future potential despite losses against TMHS

THMS completes sweep of two nights of matchups between local teams on each other’s courts.

Evelyn Richards (12) spikes the ball to score a point Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé near the end of the team’s second game against Thunder Mountain High School on Saturday at JDHS. THMS won the game by a score of 25-10. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Manu Satele (9) scores on a long touchdown to give Bartlett High School a 42-7 lead near the end of the second quarter during its home game against the Juneau Huskies on Saturday. (Courtesy of Juneau Huskies Football)

Huskies whipped in first away game, losing to Bartlett 56-21

Juneau falls behind 35-7 midway through second quarter to Anchorage team, drops to 0-3.

Manu Satele (9) scores on a long touchdown to give Bartlett High School a 42-7 lead near the end of the second quarter during its home game against the Juneau Huskies on Saturday. (Courtesy of Juneau Huskies Football)
Shawn Miller hands his racing jersey tag to a volunteer after winning the Goldbelt Tram-Mount Roberts Run on Saturday with a time of 35 minutes, 52 seconds. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Goldbelt Tram-Mount Roberts Run delivers a 22-caliber challenge

Smaller-than-usual field competes after race delayed seven weeks, but victors still get peak thrill.

Shawn Miller hands his racing jersey tag to a volunteer after winning the Goldbelt Tram-Mount Roberts Run on Saturday with a time of 35 minutes, 52 seconds. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Chloe Casperson (right) of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé tries to get a shot by Adella Dinle of Thunder Mountain High School during a game on Friday night at TMHS. TMHS swept all three games during the evening, with the teams set for a rematch Saturday at JDHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

THMS volleyball team takes advantage of seniority at home against JDHS

The two schools plan to apply lessons learned during rematch Saturday at JDHS.

Chloe Casperson (right) of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé tries to get a shot by Adella Dinle of Thunder Mountain High School during a game on Friday night at TMHS. TMHS swept all three games during the evening, with the teams set for a rematch Saturday at JDHS. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Runners compete in a men’s 5,000-meters heat during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Disappointing World Championships track finish for Ketchikan’s Isaac Updike

Last-place finish in first global competition will serve as experience entering Olympic year.

Runners compete in a men’s 5,000-meters heat during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Mount Mageik, a 7,103-foot volcano, stands in the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. (Photo by Taryn Lopez)

Alaska Science Forum: Scientists spend nights on top of volcano

Note: This story turns 10 years old this year. I am revisiting it because it shows the uncertainties of doing science outdoors in Alaska. And… Continue reading

Mount Mageik, a 7,103-foot volcano, stands in the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. (Photo by Taryn Lopez)
Anthony Garcia (22) celebrates with Juneau Huskies teammates after intercepting a pass with less than two minutes left in the third quarter against the Dimond High School Lynx on Saturday at Adair-Kennedy Field. The interception sparked a rapid 19-point rally by the Huskies, who were trailing 32-14 at the time, as they took a 33-32 lead with about 10 minutes in the fourth quarter before going on to lose by a final score of 40-33. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Big plays and a big rally for Huskies, but Dimond gets final score to win

Juneau scores TDs of 91, 73, 71 and 51 yards, turns 24-7 deficit into 33-32 lead before losing 40-33

Anthony Garcia (22) celebrates with Juneau Huskies teammates after intercepting a pass with less than two minutes left in the third quarter against the Dimond High School Lynx on Saturday at Adair-Kennedy Field. The interception sparked a rapid 19-point rally by the Huskies, who were trailing 32-14 at the time, as they took a 33-32 lead with about 10 minutes in the fourth quarter before going on to lose by a final score of 40-33. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Sarah Clark pushes a stroller with her 16-month-old daughter Faye across the finish line of the 5K course during the 32nd Annual Beat the Odds: A Race Against Cancer that started and ended at Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen Elementary School on Saturday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

A course in pushing together toward a common cause

More than 300 people run and walk in the 32nd Annual Beat the Odds: A Race Against Cancer

Sarah Clark pushes a stroller with her 16-month-old daughter Faye across the finish line of the 5K course during the 32nd Annual Beat the Odds: A Race Against Cancer that started and ended at Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen Elementary School on Saturday morning. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The Thunder Mountain High School cross-country team begin their workout during practice outside of the high school Thursday evening. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

The TMHS cross-country team is back — bigger and better than ever before

Practice is underway as runners prepare for an upcoming joint race with JDHS.

The Thunder Mountain High School cross-country team begin their workout during practice outside of the high school Thursday evening. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
A wildfire creeps toward a glacial river in Alaska on this window-seat view from a Boeing 737 flying from Fairbanks to Seattle on Aug. 6. (Photo by Ned Rozell)

Alaska Science Forum: Alaska’s weird fire season ain’t over yet

Waking to the smell of a wet ashtray (which, as a Child of the Seventies, I can still remember), I knew the wind had shifted.… Continue reading

A wildfire creeps toward a glacial river in Alaska on this window-seat view from a Boeing 737 flying from Fairbanks to Seattle on Aug. 6. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
The author, his wife Abby and his friend Danny wait out the weather under a rock and a tarp on opening day of deer season. (Photo by Jeff Lund)

I Went to the Woods: The price of comfort

After a week of rain, I relished the few minutes of sunshine from my glassing spot on top of a ridge. Just behind me was… Continue reading

The author, his wife Abby and his friend Danny wait out the weather under a rock and a tarp on opening day of deer season. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
Senior captains Edgar Vera and Etta Eller lead the Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé High School cross-country team in a warmup jog during a rainy day practice near the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center on Monday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

JDHS runners return to Juneau’s roads and trails with big ambitions

Cross-country coaches and captains share early season goals ahead of joint race with TMHS.

Senior captains Edgar Vera and Etta Eller lead the Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé High School cross-country team in a warmup jog during a rainy day practice near the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center on Monday. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Photos by Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Robin Welling, a Juneau resident, sprints to the finish line to win the Nifty Fifty 50K race Saturday afternoon with a time of four hours, 56 minutes and 55 seconds.

Runners dominate slippery trails for annual Nifty Fifty races amid rain storm

The 50K, 25K and 10K races were a success despite weather, race director says.

Photos by Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire Robin Welling, a Juneau resident, sprints to the finish line to win the Nifty Fifty 50K race Saturday afternoon with a time of four hours, 56 minutes and 55 seconds.
Exposed by a low tide, a clone of plumose anemones shows varied sizes and no extended tentacles. (Photo by MaryAnne Slemmons)

On the Trails: An intertidal excursion

A very low tide in early August enticed me and a couple of friends out to see what we could see in the intertidal zone.… Continue reading

Exposed by a low tide, a clone of plumose anemones shows varied sizes and no extended tentacles. (Photo by MaryAnne Slemmons)
A team photo of the 2023 Juneau Huskies, who kick off their season with a home game against East Anchorage at 3 p.m. Saturday. (Courtesy of Juneau Huskies Football)

Juneau Huskies start another title prowl

After losing state title game last year, there’s only one way to go up as season starts Saturday

A team photo of the 2023 Juneau Huskies, who kick off their season with a home game against East Anchorage at 3 p.m. Saturday. (Courtesy of Juneau Huskies Football)
An adult peregrine falcon in flight over Alaska. (Photo by Ted Swem)

Alaska Science Forum: Population of Yukon River peregrines nosedives

Numbers of adult peregrine falcons on the upper Yukon River in Alaska have decreased by more than a third in the last three years, according… Continue reading

An adult peregrine falcon in flight over Alaska. (Photo by Ted Swem)
A black bear yearling carries a chum salmon up the bank, but discards it later. (Photo by Stacey Thomas)

On the Trails: High summer in Juneau

As July came to an end, fireweed was in bloom everywhere, the early flowers, low on the stem, already putting up big seed pods. Many… Continue reading

A black bear yearling carries a chum salmon up the bank, but discards it later. (Photo by Stacey Thomas)