The Rewind: Edefuan Ulofoshio gets drafted into NFL, UAA sprinter breaks another record and Wolverines win first-round playoff series

Welcome 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, collegiate and professional levels. The latest slate of games from 2024 baseball and soccer regular seasons saw a trio of teams remain undefeated in their respective sports. On the college scene, the University of Alaska Anchorage track and field team had another program record broken by a rising star. Outside the state, several Alaskans had impressive performances and career achievements worth recognizing and celebrating.

Headlines and highlights

There are only three weeks left in the 2024 high school soccer season, and both the boys and girls varsity teams from South Anchorage remain undefeated. The defending Division I champion Wolverines girls squad outscored Bartlett and West Valley by a combined 12-0 between the two games they played and haven’t given up a goal in their last five contests. Meanwhile, in another rematch of the 2023 Division I state finals, the Wolverines boys squad got the better of reigning champion Colony 2-1 in the most competitive of their three wins last week.

The Service baseball team ran the table at the Buddy Dale Invitational out in the Mat-Su last week to remain undefeated and improve to 7-0 through the first two weeks of the season. The Cougars notched four victories over the course of the three-day event with each coming by five or more runs.

On the college scene, UAA track and field freshman phenom Joshua Caleb continued the historic start to his collegiate career by taking down another program and Great Northwest Athletic Conference record this past week at the Ralph Vernacchia Invite on Saturday. The native Nigerian won the 400-meter race in a time of 46.73, which surpassed the previous record holder and former Seawolf Ethan Hewitt’s mark of 47.51 set in 2011. Caleb also came in first in the 200 with a time of 21.60. His record-breaking time is the seventh-fastest mark in Division II this spring and his overall performance combined netted him his third career GNAC Player of the Week honors on Monday.

[This UAA freshman is tearing through the track and field record book]

Other Seawolves who had notable performances include another freshman, Liv Heite, who finished first in the women’s 100 hurdles with a mark of 14.65 and placed second in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:04.17. Senior distance runner Michael Zapherson had the best time of the Seawolves who finished in the top 10 of the 5,000 with a second-place time of 14:27.70.

On the recruiting trail, the UAA women’s volleyball team announced one of the two final additions to its 2024-25 roster will be Kenai Central’s Emma Beck. After leading the Kardinals to back-to-back 3A state championships and being named the 2023-24 Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year for volleyball, Beck will be one of five Alaskans on next year’s squad, joining Reilly McCue of Ketchikan and Anchorage’s Avery Northcutt, Larssen Anderson and Kadyn Osborne.

“Emma is a phenomenal athlete, and we are thrilled to add her to our roster,” UAA head coach Stacie Meisner said in a statement. “We’ve been fortunate enough to see her develop year after year here in Alaska, and she still has a high ceiling. Coupled with her competitiveness and work ethic, we expect her to be a big contributor to our program during her collegiate career.”

The Anchorage Wolverines punched their ticket to the NAHL Midwest Division Finals over the weekend following a two-game series split with the Minnesota Wilderness in which they dropped the first game 4-1 on Friday but bounced back and clinched the best-of-5 series with a 6-2 win on Saturday night.

[Anchorage Wolverines win 6-2 to take first-round series with Minnesota]

Alaska stars shining Outside

Anchorage’s Edefuan Ulofoshio became the latest Alaskan to enter the NFL after being taken with the 160th selection in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. The former South Anchorage Wolverine left the state after his freshman season and went to play for prep powerhouse Bishop Gorman. He walked on at the University of Washington, where he worked his way up the depth chart and had a sensational senior season helping lead the Huskies to a national championship appearance.

“Oh my gosh, it was nuts ... It was probably something I’ll never forget,” Ulofoshio said in his introductory press conference about the moment he got the call from the Bills and heard his name called. “Buffalo had like four picks or two picks earlier in the round and I was like ‘Is it going to be them?’ and then they picked some else so I started to get a little antsy.”

The son of Nigerian immigrants was born and raised in the Last Frontier and will now get a chance to live out and pursue his dream at the highest level of the sport.

“I feel like I am very adaptable to the game of football,” Ulofoshio said. “If you want to play knuck-and-buck, I can turn to ice and blow things up as good as anyone else. If you want to spread out and play the air raid and all that, I can be very fluid in routes and I won’t be just like a standing pole in coverage.”

[Anchorage’s Edefuan Ulofoshio lands with the Buffalo Bills in 5th round of the 2024 NFL Draft]

Anchorage’s Jeremy Swayman continued his domination of the Toronto Maple Leafs as the starting goalie of the Boston Bruins this past week as he earned the fifth and sixth playoff victories of his career. The Bruins lead the playoff series 3-1. With Swayman in front of the net, they are a perfect 3-0. He also improved to 6-0 against the Leafs this season. Last Wednesday in Game 3 of the series, the 25-year-old stopped 28-of-30 shots in a 4-2 win and came back two days later and gave up just one goal on 25 shots in a 3-1 triumph on Friday in Game 4 to give his team a two-game lead heading into Game 5 on Tuesday for a chance to clinch the series.

“(I’ve) always wanted more for myself,” Swayman said. “It’s really fun to take a step back and have that gratitude for the situation and the moment and (I’m) just really grateful for this experience and still wanting more.”

Kenai’s Allie Ostrander earned an opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Olympics by reaching the qualifying standard for the trials in the steeplechase Friday at the Payton Jordan Invitational in California at Stanford University. Even though it was her main event in college where she earned three national titles, it marked her first time competing in it in three years but she still managed to come in fourth. The 27-year-old’s time of 9 minutes, 37.65 seconds, came in below the qualifying time of 9:41. The trials take place from June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon where Ostrander will be looking to improve upon her personal best of 9:26:96 she set at the 2021 Olympic Trials when she came in eighth place.

The U.S. Biathlon Association announced its national teams for the 2024-25 season last Tuesday and among the selections for the junior team a trio of 17-year-old Alaskans -- Hailey Finch, John Lohuis and Elias Soule. Both Lohuis and Soule competed in the 2024 Youth World Championships in Otepaa, Estonia, as well as the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Korea. Finch competed in the 2024 Junior IBU Cup races in Jakuszyce, Poland, last winter. Despite racing up an age class, Finch was “the best performing American biathlete on the junior team” per a press release from the Alaska Biathlon Association club. Soule and Finch train together with the Alaska Winter Stars while Lohuis trains with APU and Biathlon-Alaska. Soule also trains with the Anchorage Biathlon Club.

[From bouldering to biathlon: How Anchorage’s Haley Finch became a junior champion in just 4 years]

Fast Forward

Prep

Baseball

South vs. Service, Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium

The Cougars will put their undefeated record on the line this week in a handful of games with their biggest being another rematch of last year’s Division I state final against the three-time defending champion Wolverines, who will be looking to hand them their first loss of the season while avenging their only loss of the season.

Soccer

Dimond at South, Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. (girls)

The two longtime rivals and perennial powerhouse programs will face off for the second time this season. The Wolverines will be looking to remain unbeaten while the Lynx will be aiming to avenge their lone loss of the season.

NAHL

Anchorage Wolverines vs. Wisconsin Windigo, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. at Ben Boeke Ice Arena

The Midwest Division champions will be back in action on their home ice this weekend to take on the second-seeded Windigo for the sixth time this season in the Midwest finals. Two home games are scheduled, but it could be stretched to three if the Wolverines drop one of the first two contests in the best-of-5 series. The two teams haven’t met since February before the Wolverines went on their franchise record-setting stretch but the Windigo hold a 3-2 advantage in the season series.

Last week’s results

Prep

Softball

Tuesday

Wasilla 14, Palmer 10

Wednesday

Homer 24, Redington 2

Dimond 5, Service 2

Thursday

Delta 8, Palmer 0

Soldotna 19, Hutchison 0

Soldotna 15, West Valley 4

Soldotna 8, Lathrop 2

Wasilla 7, Homer 7

West Valley 8, Homer 3

Palmer 12, North Pole 2

Delta 13, Houston 0

West Valley 21, Houston 2

Colony 8, Kenai Central 3

Colony 15, Redington 0

Friday

Delta 11, Homer 2

Homer 13, North Pole 4

West Valley 6, Kenai Central 2

Homer 10, Redington 9

Ketchikan 6, Palmer 2

Colony 7, Soldotna 4

West Valley 4, Wasilla 4

Colony 14, North Pole 2

Palmer 9, Lathrop 9

Delta 6, Wasilla 3

Colony 7, Thunder Mountain 3

Saturday

Homer 12, Lathrop 2

West Valley 7, Palmer 3

Soldotna 12, North Pole 9

Colony 13, Hutchison 1

Colony 5, Homer 0

Boys Soccer

Monday

Eagle River 1, Bartlett 1

Palmer 6, Houston 0

Tuesday

Homer 8, Nikiski 0

Houston 4, Redington 2

Soldotna 2, Kenai Central 0

Colony 3, Palmer 2

Thursday

Houston 3, Nikiski 2

Kenai Central 4, Thunder Mountain 0

Dimond 2, Service 2

South Anchorage 5, West Valley 1

West Anchorage 4, East 2

Soldotna 8, Grace Christian 0

Friday

Kenai Central 1, Kodiak 0

West Valley 4, Eagle River 0

Juneau-Douglas 1, Palmer 1

South 2, Colony 1

Homer 5, Houston 3

Wasilla 1, East 0

Chugiak 1, Lathrop 0

Soldotna 9, North Pole 2

Saturday

Lathrop 4, Eagle River 0

North Pole 7, Grace Christian 1

Thunder Mountain 9, Nikiski 1

Chugiak 2, West Valley 1

Kodiak 2, Houston 1

South v. Bartlett (Late)

Girls Soccer

Monday

Houston 1, Palmer 1

Tuesday

Homer 4, Nikiski 0

Redington 3, Houston 2

Soldotna 2, Kenai Central 1

Thursday

Houston 4, Redington 2

Homer 7, Nikiski 0

Kenai Central 5, Palmer 0

Dimond 4, Service 0

South 5, West Valley 0

West Anchorage 3, East 0

Soldotna 4, Grace Christian 0

Friday

Palmer 2, Redington 0

Kenai Central 8, Houston 0

Nikiski 4, Kodiak 2

Juneau-Douglas 9, Grace Christian 0

West Valley 2, Eagle River 0

Chugiak 4, Lathrop 2

Soldotna 3, North Pole 2

Saturday

Grace Christian 3, North Pole 2

Juneau-Douglas 2, Soldotna 2

Palmer 3, Nikiski 2

Lathrop 2, Eagle River 0

West Valley 2, Chugiak 1

South 7, Bartlett 0

Baseball

Monday

Kodiak 12, Houston 11

Colony 6, Wasilla 1

Chugiak 11, West Anchorage 4

Tuesday

Houston 18, Kodiak 6

Palmer 16, Redington 0

Wednesday

Colony 9, Sitka 8

Homer 4, Kenai Central 3

Thursday

Wasilla 5, Palmer 4

Service 11, Sitka 3

Service 6, Colony 1

Chugiak 5, Dimond 4

Houston 12, Redington 11

Eagle River 14, Wasilla 3

Soldotna 10, East 0

Friday

Eagle River 7, Colony 6

Eagle River 8, Palmer 6

Soldotna 5, West 0

Redington 14, Homer 8

Kenai Central 18, Kodiak 3

Soldotna 11, Bartlett 4

Service 15, Wasilla 8

East 12, Hutchison 2

North Pole 9, Houston 9

Saturday

South 7, Soldotna 2

North Pole 22, Homer 5

Service 9, Eagle River 0

NAHL

Friday

Minnesota 4, Anchorage Wolverines 1

Saturday

Anchorage Wolverines 2, Minnesota 1 (SO)

2024 Native Youth Olympics

Toe Kick

Girls

1. Jordan Klejka, Bethel, 54″

2. Shawna Paul, LKSD, 50″ 2m

3. Nevaeh George, MEHS, 50″

4. Abigail Semaken, Salamatof, 46″

5. MyricaGale Meierotto, Interior A, 42″

Boys

1. Sean Moonin, Nanwalek, 80″

2. Billy Nicholai, Bethel, 78″

3. Franz Femoyle, MEHS, 72″ 2m

4. Richard Strick, Knik Tribal, 72″ 7m

5. Jose V., Anchorage B, 68″ 4m/60″

Wrist Carry

Girls

1. Eulalia Roman, Mat-Su B, 370′ 6 ½”

Carriers: Myles Campbell, Mat-Su B; Bruce Sommerville, Mat-Su A

2. Kamryn Petito, Mat-Su A, 361′ 9″

Carriers: Myles Campbell, Mat-Su B; Bruce Sommerville, Mat-Su A

3. Grace Higgins, Eyak, 280′ 6″

Carriers: Colby Carter, Eyak; Tegan Hesse, Eyak

4. Jaida Downey, Curyung, 193′1″

Carriers: Tristan Tilden, Curyung; Graelin Chaney, Curyung

5. Laura Butler, Nikiski, 177′ 10 ½”

Carriers: Elmo Henry Anchorage A; Leif Richards, Juneau

Boys

1. Luois Amora, Unalaska, 472′

Carriers: Kaidon Parker, Unalaska; Nicholas Kitsyuk, Unalaska

2. Bryson Andrew, SWRSD, 412′ 4″

Carriers: Graelin Chaney, Curyung; Tristan Tilden, Curyung

3. Ethan Ederango, NWABSD, 405′ 8″

Carriers: Tyler Kramer, NWABSD; Enoch Swan, NWABSD

4. Aidan Crow, Bethel, 376′2″

Carriers: Nicholas Twito, Bethel; Keith Wassilie, Bethel

5. Robert Jimmy II, LKSD, 356′ 4¾”

Carriers: Ashton White, LKSD; Carson John, LKSD

Alaskan High Kick

Girls

1. Caelyn Carter, Mat-Su A, 74″

2. Ourea Busk, BSSD A 70″ 0m

3. Katya Carl, LKSD, 70″ 1m

4. Tahira Akaran, MEHS, 70″ 3m

5. Anastasha Wilde, Anchorage B, 68″ 0m

Boys

1. Matthew Chagluak, Anchorage A, 92″

2. Daylon Brown, LKSD, 88″

3. Daniel Rodgers, Chickaloon, 84″

4. Ashton Meganack, Port Graham, 79″

5. Samuel Mecham, Anchorage B, 78″

Scissor Broad Jump

Girls

1. Caelynn Carter, Mat-Su A, 29′ 8″

2. Ourea Busk, BSSDA, 28′4″

3. Tessa Anderson, MEHS, 28′2″

4. Molly Evans, Homer, 28′ 1 ½”

5. Anastasha Wilde, Anchorage A, 26′ 3 1/2″

Boys

1. Devin Cooper-Jackson, Interior A, 34′ 11″

2. Kaidon Parker, Unalaska, 34′ 7 ¼”

3. Myles Campbell, Mat-Su B, 34′ 6″

4. Ashton White, LKSD. 34′ 4″

5. Bruce Sommerville, Mat-Su A, 34′ 4″

Eskimo Stick Pull

Girls

1. Salvation Simi, Anchorage A

2. Bay Rose Kauffman, Mat-Su A

3. Arianna O’domin, BBBSD

4. Zadah Unutoa, Utqiagvik

5. Taylor Tiedeman, Eyak

Boys

1. Donovan Stephan-Standifer, MEHS

2. Jubal Parry, Chenega

3. Muhammad Watson, Anchorage A

4. Wyatt Ahmasuk, Nome

5. Atticus Prince, Anchorage B

One-hand Reach

Girls

1. Kylirose Paniptchuk, BSSD A, 60″2m

2. Chloe Wassillie, LKSD, 60″ 3m

3. Autumn Nanouk, BSSD B, 58″

4. Ava Howard, Yupiit, 56″

5. Kierra Egrass, McGrath, 56″ 2m

Boys

1. Anatoly Fomin, Unalaska, 66″

2. Andrew Paul, LKSD, 65″

3. Graelin Chaney, Curyung, 64″

4. Matthew Chugluak, Anchorage A, 64″ 1m

5. Davin Malzahn, Interior A, 64″ 3m

Two-foot High Kick

Girls

1. Jordan Klejka, Bethel, 74″

2. Tessa Anderson, MEHS, 72″ 1m

3. Daisy VanBlarcom, Mat-Su A, 72″ 2m

4. Caelynn Carter, Mat-Su B, 70″

5. Charity Gordon, Homer, 66″ 1m/62″

Boys

1. Myles Campbell, Mat-Su A, 88″ 1m

2. Matthew Chugluak, Anchorage A, 88″ 4m

3. Victor Ongtowasruk, BSSD B, 86″

4. Cody Aningayou, BSSD B, 83″ 2m TIE: Evon Phillip, LKSD

5. Elmo Henry, Anchorage B, 83″ 3m

Kneel Jump

Girls

1. Caelynn Carter, Mat-Su A, 45 ¼”

2. Anastasha Wilde, Anchorage A, 43″

3. Maya Boger, Chickaloon, 42″

4. Nikki Erik, LKSD, 42″

5. Tahira Akaran, MEHS, 40 1/2″

Boys

1. Damien Nukusuk, Anchorage A, 60 ¼”

2. Nick Luois Amora, Unalaska, 59 ¾”

3. Shane Moonin, Port Graham, 59 ¼”

4. James Brink, LKSD, 58″

5. Davin Malzahn, Interior A, 57 ¾”

Indian Stick Pull

Girls

1. Johnelle Smith, LKSD

2. Clara Tukrook-Lampe, Anchorage A

3. Trinity Vlasoff, Tatitlek

4. Charity Gordon, Homer

5. Samantha Sample, Mat-Su A

Boys

1. Brandon Lee, LKSD

2. Aaron San Luis, Unalaska

3. Sean Moonin, Nanwalek

4. Lewis Singley, BBBSD

5. Josiah Gordon, Homer

One-foot High Kick

Girls

1. Tessa Anderson, MEHS, 88m 1m

2. Isis Ivie, Interior A, 88″ 2m

3. Mya Campbell, Mat-Su B, 88″ 3m

4. Daisy VanBlarcom, Mat-Su A, 86″

5. Jordan Klejka, Bethel, 82″

Boys

1. Elmo Henry, Anchorage A, 106″

2. Ashton White, LKSD, 106″ 2m

3. Devin Cooper-Jackson, Interior A, 106″ 4m

4. Donald Heflin, Anchorage B, 104″ 1m

5. Leif Richards, Juneau, 104″ 2m

Seal Hop

Girls

1. Tessa Anderson, MEHS, 142′ 11 ¼”

2. Eulalia Roman, Mat-Su B, 105′ 6 ¾”

3. Riley Boyscout, Bethel, 96′ 9″; TIE Hazell Vanderpool, Valdez, 96′ 9″

4. Caelyn Carter, Mat-Su A, 94″; TIE Alora Wassily, Curyung 94″

Boys

1. Devon Mann, LKSD, 145′ ½”

2. Nick Luois Amora, Unalaska, 101′ 11 ½”

3. Myles Campbell, Mat-Su A, 94″; TIE Nazeliel Bunyan, LYSD, 94″

4. Ryan G., Anchorage B, 84′ 10 ¼”

Overall Teams

1. Lower Kuskokwim School District

2. Mat-Su A

3. Anchorage A

4. Mt. Edgecombe High School

5. Unalaska