Sports

Jeff Lund photo 
The author practices in case he had the chance to be Jimmy from the 1986 movie Hoosiers. He never got the chance on the basketball floor, but had moments in life in which he needed to be clutch.

Opinion: Everyone wants to be Jimmy

Sports, and the movie “Hoosiers,” can teach you lessons in life

 

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Juneau, Ketchikan lose at 1st day of Legion State

Juneau Post 25 and Ketchikan Post 3 both lost on the first day of the 73rd Alaska Legion Baseball State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in… Continue reading

 

Two-foot-high kick, Traditional Games, 2023. (Photo by Stacy Unzicker, courtesy of Sealaska Heritage Institute)

Eighth annual Traditional Games kicks off this weekend, expanding Indigenous representation

Native Youth Olympics carry on Indigenous values with athletes reaching for their personal bests.

 

Juneau’s Auke Bay Post 25 third baseman Madden Mendoza tags out Palmer Post 15 base runner Reed Craner (2) during Juneau’s 7-6 win over Palmer in American Legion Baseball action Sunday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Juneau’s Legion baseball team sweeps Palmer

Ludeman hits walk-off, Auke Bay Post 25 defeats Palmer Post 15

Juneau’s Auke Bay Post 25 third baseman Madden Mendoza tags out Palmer Post 15 base runner Reed Craner (2) during Juneau’s 7-6 win over Palmer in American Legion Baseball action Sunday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Swimmers race in Saturday’s Open Water Swim Series on Auke Lake. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Open Water Swim gives swimmers strokes

Theme of no lines, no lanes, no limits inspires

Swimmers race in Saturday’s Open Water Swim Series on Auke Lake. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
The U.S., Alaska state flag, and Canada flag wave in the wind in Skagway on Monday, June 16, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
The U.S., Alaska state flag, and Canada flag wave in the wind in Skagway on Monday, June 16, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
A ferry worker ties up the Hubbard on Sunday, April 21, 2024, as it docks in Haines, Alaska. (Rashah McChesney / Chilkat Valley News)

Weekend ferry cancellation complicates travel for bike relay, solstice

A ferry cancellation will affect travel plans for some participants of the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay. The annual bike relay sees hundreds of people… Continue reading

A ferry worker ties up the Hubbard on Sunday, April 21, 2024, as it docks in Haines, Alaska. (Rashah McChesney / Chilkat Valley News)
Chrish Newell, right, and partner Jess Contreras, far left, compete in the Farmers Carry during the HYROX 2025 Atlanta Doubles in late April. They qualified for the World Championships scheduled Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Chicago. (Photo courtesy Chris Newell)

Chrish Newell finds strength in new sport

2012 JDHS grad in HYDROX world championships.

Chrish Newell, right, and partner Jess Contreras, far left, compete in the Farmers Carry during the HYROX 2025 Atlanta Doubles in late April. They qualified for the World Championships scheduled Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Chicago. (Photo courtesy Chris Newell)
Seniors from the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls soccer team pose for a photo this week. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Pure Sole: Circle of life for seniors

This is not your grandparent’s newspaper. But much like many of the newspapers that have paved the way for this little printing, hopefully those grandparents… Continue reading

Seniors from the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears girls soccer team pose for a photo this week. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Glacier Swim Club senior Lucia Chapell (Colorado College signee), coach Lisa Jones, senior Pacific Ricke (Bates College signee), Coach of the Year Scott Griffith, Female Athlete of the Year Emma Fellman (University of Minnesota signee) and coach Seth Cayce are shown Friday at the 2025 Alaska State Swimming Championships in Anchorage. (Photo courtesy GSC)

Emma Fellman named Alaska Female Athlete of the Year

Glacier Swim Club captain and JDHS senior honored.

Glacier Swim Club senior Lucia Chapell (Colorado College signee), coach Lisa Jones, senior Pacific Ricke (Bates College signee), Coach of the Year Scott Griffith, Female Athlete of the Year Emma Fellman (University of Minnesota signee) and coach Seth Cayce are shown Friday at the 2025 Alaska State Swimming Championships in Anchorage. (Photo courtesy GSC)
University of Alaska Anchorage freshman Edgar Vera-Alvarado (143) runs in the 2024 GNAC XC Championships on Oct. 26, 2024 at the Sudden Valley Golf Course in Bellingham, Washington. Freshman teammate Anthony Porter (138) from Colorado Springs, Colorado, runs behind. (Photo courtesy UAA)

Edgar Jesus Vera Alvarado finding running groove at UAA

Crimson Bears’ “Juneau Juggernaut” now part of talented Seawolves team.

University of Alaska Anchorage freshman Edgar Vera-Alvarado (143) runs in the 2024 GNAC XC Championships on Oct. 26, 2024 at the Sudden Valley Golf Course in Bellingham, Washington. Freshman teammate Anthony Porter (138) from Colorado Springs, Colorado, runs behind. (Photo courtesy UAA)
Quentin O’Domin attempts a 100-inch two-foot high kick during the Traditional Games on Sunday at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Mindsets and methods matter more than muscles for some medalists at Traditional Games

More than 250 competitors young and old test ancient Iñupiaq skills at three-day Juneau event.

Quentin O’Domin attempts a 100-inch two-foot high kick during the Traditional Games on Sunday at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Basketball official Fred Angerman Jr speaks in a Region V Tournament pregame captains meeting in 2008. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Pure Sole: Fast Freddy

There are two sounds I can never seem to forget. One is the winter snow shovel scraping along the concrete basketball court I trudged to… Continue reading

Basketball official Fred Angerman Jr speaks in a Region V Tournament pregame captains meeting in 2008. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Hoonah’s Melissa Fisher and Taryn White (24) challenge a shot by Angoon’s Tasha McCoy during their elimination game in the 2015 Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Gold Medal returns with hearty schedules

New division is expected to draw some new fans

Hoonah’s Melissa Fisher and Taryn White (24) challenge a shot by Angoon’s Tasha McCoy during their elimination game in the 2015 Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Viewed from a certain angle, a lake on Heintzleman ridge appears to be in a Valentine’s Day mood. (Klas Stolpe)

Pure Sole: A first love

An old, old, old, old, old (key word is old here), old flame of mine from my freshman year of high school recently sent me… Continue reading

Viewed from a certain angle, a lake on Heintzleman ridge appears to be in a Valentine’s Day mood. (Klas Stolpe)
Snow is also a four letter word with more than one proper use. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Pure Sole: WTF with the F word

The F word. F… U… and no need for that third and fourth letter, the point is made without. Writing the third and fourth letter… Continue reading

Snow is also a four letter word with more than one proper use. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Wasilla’s Layla Hays blocks a Colony shot in the Warriors win over the Knights in last season’s state title game. Hays, a senior, and her number-one ranked Warriors play JDHS inside the George Houston Gymnasium on Friday and Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

Sports on tap for this week feature current and future state champs

Sports fans living in Juneau, or visiting, will be treated to a possible preview of this season’s girls state basketball championship game as Alaska’s number-one… Continue reading

Wasilla’s Layla Hays blocks a Colony shot in the Warriors win over the Knights in last season’s state title game. Hays, a senior, and her number-one ranked Warriors play JDHS inside the George Houston Gymnasium on Friday and Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)
Thunder Mountain Middle School eighth grader Carter Day of the Blue Barracuda Bombers attempts to pin classmate John Croasman of War Hawks White during the inaugural Thunder Mountain Mayhem Team Duels wrestling tournament Saturday at TMMS. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Inaugural Thunder Mountain Mayhem Tournament makes most of weather misfortune

More than 50 Falcons wrestlers compete amongst themselves after trip to Sitka tourney nixed.

Thunder Mountain Middle School eighth grader Carter Day of the Blue Barracuda Bombers attempts to pin classmate John Croasman of War Hawks White during the inaugural Thunder Mountain Mayhem Team Duels wrestling tournament Saturday at TMMS. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
A view of Denali as seen from near the end of the Denali National Park and Preserve park road. (Klas Stolpe)

Pure Sole: Denali has always answered

Call it what you will, Denali or Mount McKinley, it still rises majestically toward the heavens. I have been among the hundreds of thousands of… Continue reading

A view of Denali as seen from near the end of the Denali National Park and Preserve park road. (Klas Stolpe)
Destination angling often creates an unhealthy feeling of incompleteness and desperation. Fishing goals I knew what it was going to be, but I clicked anyway. “What are your fishing goals for 2025” was an advertisement for a lodge in an area I have longed to fish but I’m priced out, have priced myself out or however you write “it’s expensive and probably won’t happen.” (Photo by Jeff Lund)

I Went to the Woods: Angling for goals to appreciate in 2025

This is somewhat devastating because saying you might not do something at 23-years old is just youth speaking. Saying it at 43-year old means not… Continue reading

Destination angling often creates an unhealthy feeling of incompleteness and desperation. Fishing goals I knew what it was going to be, but I clicked anyway. “What are your fishing goals for 2025” was an advertisement for a lodge in an area I have longed to fish but I’m priced out, have priced myself out or however you write “it’s expensive and probably won’t happen.” (Photo by Jeff Lund)