The Rewind: Husband and wife win Crow Pass Crossing; Eagle River Legion baseball team breaks state tournament record

Welcome to The Rewind, a weekly digest that puts a spotlight on the biggest stories and best performances from Alaska’s world of sports.

In summer baseball action, the 2023 Alaska American Legion postseason got underway and the Alaska Baseball League regular season is getting closer to its close. On the national and international scene, several Alaskans shined domestically and abroad over the past few weeks including a pair of track stars, a Native Olympian, two aspiring professional basketball players, and a married couple who are also elite trail runners.

Headlines and highlights

The 38th annual Crow Pass Crossing from Girdwood to the Eagle River Nature Center took place this past Saturday and even though Christy and Ben Marvin didn’t start or finish together, the married trail running couple from Palmer still managed to come in first for their respective races.

“It was a great day,” Christy said. “It’s the first time (we’ve won together) in one of the Alaska trail races. We had done it quite a few times in road races back in Minnesota where (Ben) did his residency.”

This marked Ben’s first time winning the men’s race after coming in second several times over the years and his wife was happy to see him finally earn the well-deserved accomplishment with a time of 3:22:23.

“I was really excited for him,” Christy said. “He works really hard, deserves the win as much as anybody and for one reason or another it always seemed like it never quite came together for him. It was really fun to see him on Saturday put it all together and take the win.”

Christy Marvin won the women’s race for the eighth time in a row in a time of 3:40:15, tying Scott Patterson for the second most all-time right behind Nancy Pease who won it nine times during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It marked Marvin’s second victory in a major race of the summer after she also won the 2023 Mount Marathon on July 4.

“Crow Pass Crossing and Mount Marathon are two of my favorite summer races and ones that I typically focus on and work hard toward so I was very happy (to win both),” she said. “Mount Marathon was more unexpected for me than Crow Pass because I typically have even more competition and it’s not quite as well-suited to me.”

The 2023 Alaska American Legion baseball postseason got underway late last week and saw two-time reigning state champion Eagle River set and extend a record for most consecutive state tournament wins over the weekend. The top-seeded Wolves tied the record with a 2-1 win over South on Thursday, officially broke it with a 3-1 victory over Palmer on Saturday, and will have a chance to extend it even further on Tuesday night after defeating fifth-seeded Dimond 3-1 in the semifinals on Monday night. Dating back to the 2021 Legion state tournament, the Wolves have now won 11 straight playoff games.

In ABL action, the Anchorage Bucs rattled off consecutive victories to close out this past week as they look to get back into the top spot in the Alaska Baseball League standings. They played a total of seven games in six days after a couple of rain-outs resulted in them having to play a doubleheader with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots last Wednesday.

The 2023 Mayor’s Cup series was claimed by the Pilots, who won two of three in the series. However, the Bucs were able to close out this past weekend with their third straight victory to improve their overall record to 20-16 heading into the last week of the regular season.

In college news, the University of Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team added another junior college standout to their 2023-24 recruiting class Wednesday. Former College of the Canyons guard Dillon Barrientos signed a scholarship agreement to play for the Seawolves for the 2023-24 season after recording 778 points and logging 177 assists in 53 career games.

“We are excited to add a player of Dillon’s ability,” UAA head coach Rusty Osborne said in a statement. “We needed to add another experienced point guard, and he has the skills that fit in well with our system. He has a good IQ, good size, can really shoot the ball, and he is effective using ball screens. Along with Trey Evans and Caleb Larsen, we should have a nice point guard rotation. Our staff is excited about the roster we have constructed and look forward to next month when they all come together for the first time.”

The UAA track and field program had both of its men’s and women’s teams and three individuals get recognized for their academic excellence by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association this past week.

The men’s and women’s teams received all-academic team honors after the men posted a team cumulative grade point average of 3.18 and the women posted an even higher mark with a 3.44 grade point average. All three of the individuals honored were from the men’s team and included distance runner Cole Nash, sprinter/hurdler Joshua Wagner, and distance runner Michael Zapherson.

Alaska stars shining Outside

Eagle River’s Vanessa Aniteye returned to her home country earlier this month to compete in the German Championships and placed fifth in the 800 meters. The former Chugiak high track and field standout topped her personal best by more than two seconds with a mark of 2:04.59. Aniteye capped off her collegiate career with NCAA Division II national title back in March.

Utqiagvik’s Kamaka Hepa and Anchorage’s Kok Yat both saw action in their final few games in the 2023 NBA Summer League that wrapped up last week. Hepa saved his best for last as he knocked down a pair of field goals and two free throws in 14 minutes of action for the New Orleans Pelicans in a 117-114 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last Sunday and he also came down with five rebounds. Yat registered a pair of field goal attempts and two rebounds in his last two games combined in seven total minutes.

Palmer’s Alice Johnston made an incredible return to competition at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics after a decade-long hiatus by not only winning the Two Foot Hick Kick with a mark of 78 inches and the One Foot Hick Kick with a mark of 91 inches but she nearly set a world record in both events. Johnston also came in second in the Alaskan High Kick, Scissor Broad Jump, and One Hand Reach while coming in third in the Kneel Jump and Bench Reach.

Anchorage’s Nolan Walker signed with the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL for the 2023-24 season last Thursday. The 24-year-old forward spent his rookie year in the league with the Newfoundland Growlers while under contract with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He appeared in 65 games and recorded 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points.

“Nolan is coming off a great season under contract with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and assisting Newfoundland to the conference finals,” Mavericks general manager and Head Coach, Tad O’Had said in a statement. “Nolan is an elite-level skater and his speed is a major asset. He had a great collegiate career at St. Cloud State and his work ethic, compete level and ability to pass the puck is next level. Walker has so much potential to be a top ECHL talent. We are so excited to have him joining the Mavericks.”

Last week’s results

American Legion

Tuesday

Stripes 5, Stars 2 (Legion All-Star game)

Thursday

Kenai 2, Palmer 1

Eagle River 2, South 1

Dimond 6, Chugiak 2

Service 8, West 2

Wasilla 7, Bartlett 1

Juneau 9, East 2

Friday

Dimond 4, West 2

Service 7, Chugiak 2

East 19, Ketchikan 8

Bartlett 6, AK Wild 3

Saturday

Kenai 7, South 0

Eagle River 3, Palmer 1

Service 9, Dimond 7

Sunday

Chugiak 5, West 4

Eagle River 8, Kenai 4

South 4, Palmer 3

Monday

Service 1, Kenai 0

Eagle River 3, Dimond 1

Alaska Baseball League

Monday

Oilers 0, Miners 0

Chinooks 7, Bucs 3

Miners 3, Oilers 0

Tuesday

Chinooks 11, Bucs 10

Wednesday

Glacier Pilots 3, Miners 0

Bucs 1, Glacier Pilots 0

Glacier Pilots 8, Bucs 1

Thursday

Bucs 9, Chinooks 1

Friday

Oilers 6, Glacier Pilots 3

Bucs 9, Miners 5

Saturday

Miners 8, Chinooks 2

Glacier Pilots 14, Oilers 5

Miners 10, Chinooks 5

Sunday

Glacier Pilots 4, Oilers 2

Bucs 13, Chinooks 2

2023 Skinny Raven Half Marathon & 10K Results

Half Marathon Women

1. Anna Dalton, Anchorage, 1:21:35, 2. Samantha Longacre, Anchorage, 1:29:16, 3. Yvonne Jeschke, Anchorage, 1:34:34, 4. Lindy Henrick, Anchorage, 1:37:47, 5. Addison Capozzi, Eagle River, 1:38:42, 6. Callie Causey, Eagle River, 1:40:12, 7. Lucy Swygman, Girdwood, 1:41:19, 8. Terina Noteboom, Anchorage, 1:43:16, 9. Rebecca Shaw, Anchorage, 1:44:48, 10. Heather Higgins, Fort Collins, CO 1:45:04

Half Marathon Men

1. Anthony Tomsich, Tubingen, BW 1:13:15, 2. Owen Marcotte, Anchorage, 1:17:33, 3. Sebastian Reed, Anchorage, 1:21:25, 4. Chad Trammell, Anchorage, 1:21:35, 5. Pete Pounds, Anchorage, 1:21:49, 6. Eduardo Orozco, Anchorage, 1:23:09, 7. Mackie Derrick, Anchorage, 1:24:22, 8. Alex Kimura, Vancouver, WA 1:26:12, 9. Eric Thompson, Anchorage, 1:26:19, 10. Andrew Pounds, Anchorage, 1:26:48

Half Marathon Wheelchair

1. Corwyn Wilkey, Anchorage, 2:56:44

10K Women

1. Michelle Quinlan, Morris Plains, NJ 43:49, 2. Amanda Sbriscia, Granby, MA 44:13, 3. Allison Macy, Chugiak, 44:31, 4. Gabrielle Jordan, Anchorage, 44:38, 5. Madddie Carlsen, Seattle, WA 45:05, 6. Sara Miller, Anchorage, 45:35, 7. Emily Schmieg, Anchorage, 46:00, 8. Brooke Cooper, Anchorage, 47:34, 9. Rebecca Paradis, Wasilla, 48:04, 10. Anya Simard, Fairbanks, 48:07

10K Men

1. Noah Laughlin-Hall, Anchorage, 33:11, 2. Zachary Christensen, Anchorage, 35:30, 3. Ethan Hodgin, Anchorage, 36:10, 4. Jeremy Fairbanks, Anchorage, 37:03, 5. Katahdin Staples, Anchorage, 37:28, 6. Jorge Cortes, JBER, 40:38, 7. David Shaw, Eagle River, 44:50, 8. Mark Carlsen, Anchorage, 46:29, 9. Victor Melendez, Anchorage, 46:33, 10. Patrick Enslow, Anchorage, 47:46

2023 Crow Pass Crossing

Women

1. Christy Marvin Palmer, 3:40:15; 2. Denali Strabel Palmer, 3:51:13; 3. Jenna Difolco Anchorage, 3:59:42; 4. Shauna Severson Eagle River, 4:08:16; 5. Brittany Mumma, Jackson, WY 4:14:10; 6. Lucy Young Anchorage, 4:14:56; 7. Amie Spieth Juneau, 4:15:03; 8. Sarah Hanchett Anchorage, 4:24:33; 9. April McAnly Eagle River, 4:25:10; 10. Mamie Clare Anchorage, 4:27:52

Men

1. Ben Marvin Palmer, 3:22:23; 2. Galen Hecht Anchorage, 3:30:07; 3. David Ryland Anchorage, 3:36:47; 4. Michael Rabe Anchorage, 3:37:45; 5. Brian Kirchner Anchorage, 3:39:54; 6. Blaise Boyer Anchorage, 3:56:17; 7. Eric Vilce Anchorage, 3:57:21; 8. Kurtis Brumbaugh, Anchorage, 4:00:13; 9. Ian Beals, Anchorage, 4:07:52; 10. Ethan Copp, Palmer, 4:10:15

Fast Forward

American Legion

State championship

Service vs. Eagle River at Mulcahy Stadium, Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

The 2023 season will officially come to a close on Tuesday night when the Wolves and the Cougars face off for the last time this season. Reigning champion Eagle River will be looking to complete a second successful state title defense after winning the past two while formidable Service has hopes of playing spoiler.

Alaska Baseball League

Anchorage Bucs vs. Anchorage Glacier Pilots, Sunday at 2 p.m.

The 2023 regular season ends for all but two teams this weekend and this upcoming Sunday may be the last time that fans of the Bucs and Glacier Pilots face off this summer depending on how the playoffs shake out.