24 of our top Alaska sports stories in 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, the ADN sports department took a moment to look back on some of the top stories from the past 12 months.

It was a fantastic year for Alaska teams and athletes, filled with gold medals, state titles and rare records. There were also stories of redemption, teamwork and triumph. Here are 12 of the biggest stories in Alaska sports from the past year and 12 more of our favorites.

12 of the biggest stories of 2024

Dallas Seavey breaks Iditarod wins record

It was a tumultuous and historic 2024 Iditarod for Dallas Seavey. Early in the race, Seavey shot and killed a moose that attacked his dog team and was later penalized two hours for insufficiently gutting the animal as prescribed by Iditarod rules. But in the end, Seavey stood victorious for a record sixth time under the burled arch in Nome.

Kristen Faulkner and Alev Kelter shine at Olympics

Alaskans excelled at the Paris Summer Olympics. The U.S. rugby sevens team brought home a bronze medal with Eagle River’s Alev Kelter playing a key role. Then Homer’s Kristen Faulkner took the spotlight, winning a pair of cycling gold medals in stunning fashion. Faulkner surprised in winning the cycling road race and days later earned a second gold as part of the U.S. team pursuit squad.

Alissa Pili debuts in WNBA

Dimond High graduate Alissa Pili finished off a stellar college basketball career at the University of Utah last spring and a couple months later was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. She debuted in front of fans and family in Seattle, and the Lynx went on to finish runner-up in the WNBA playoffs.

Anchorage Wolverines open at Sullivan Arena

It was a momentous 2024 for the Anchorage Wolverines. The NAHL franchise reached the Robertson Cup semis in the spring, and over the summer announced they would be playing 2024-25 home games at Sullivan Arena. The Wolverines opened the season to a crowd of nearly 4,000 people in a win over Kenai River.

David Norris breaks Mount Marathon record

Fairbanks-born athlete David Norris has been a champion on skis and trails across the country. And while he had already set the record for the fastest finish at Mount Marathon in 2016, Norris continued to impress in 2024. His time of 40 minutes, 37 seconds set a new mark and earned him his fifth Mount Marathon title.

Gus Schumacher wins World Cup race

It had been four decades since an American man won a distance race at a World Cup event. That was until Anchorage’s Gus Schumacher won the 10K freestyle race at the World Cup stop in Minneapolis in February. Schumacher finished in a time of 20 minutes, 52.7 seconds to earn the historic victory.

Alaskans go pro

Alissa Pili wasn’t the only Alaskan to be drafted professionally in 2024. Anchorage’s Edefuan Ulofoshio, who played at the University of Washington, was drafted by the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in the fifth round. After a fabulous two-year stint in the USHL, Anchorage’s Mac Swanson landed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the seventh round of the NHL Draft. And Service High baseball phenom Coen Niclai was chosen by the Miami Marlins in the 15th round of the MLB Draft.

UAA volleyball breaks attendance mark

For the second time in three years, the UAA volleyball team broke the record for single-game attendance at the Division II level. On Nov. 18, around 3,888 supporters turned out to see the Seawolves face off with UAF on Alaska Volleyball Day that included high school championship matches earlier in the afternoon.

Fall firsts

There were a number of firsts this fall during the high school season. That included the Dimond football team’s first state title since 2001 and East runner Katahdin Staples, who was the first boys champion for the Thunderbirds since Don Clary in 1974. On the court, Service’s Ulysses Escobar won a state singles title in his third trip to the finals in four years. In the pool, the Eagle River girls swimming team and Colony boys team won their first ever state team titles.

Winter wonders

A number of champions were crowned last winter in the early part of 2024. In 4A basketball, the Wasilla girls and East boys completed dominant runs. In 3A, Nome-Beltz upset previously unbeaten Mt. Edgecumbe while the Grace Christian girls repeated. On the ice, West boys hockey prevailed in the state finals while Houston returned to the top of Division II after a one-year hiatus. Quebec musher Anny Malo became just the second woman to win the Open World Championship Sled Dog Race.

Spring stars

After a record snowfall prompted a delay in the start of several prep sports seasons this past spring, it didn’t stop a handful of programs from snapping title droughts. Service baseball capped off an undefeated season by claiming its first championship since 2001 and East softball dethroned reigning champ Chugiak. The track and field season saw dominant individual and team performances from newcomers and repeat champions. At the collegiate level, University of Alaska Anchorage freshman track and field phenom Joshua Caleb sprinted his way into program and conference record books.

Summer sensations

Over the summer, several Alaskans achieved impressive feats, made history and accomplished career milestones. Former Colony wrestler Levi Hopkins turned an unexpected opportunity into a gold medal-winning performance at the 2024 U23 Pan-American games in Rionegro, Colombia. Palmer gymnast Cole Miller produced a second-place finish at nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. After setting out to become just second Alaskan to complete the grueling open-water swimming triple crown, Anchorage’s Jordan Iverson finally accomplished her goal in June by swimming the English Channel.

12 of our favorite stories of 2024

Anchorage’s Clair DeGeorge moves to Montreal in 2nd PWHL season

After helping the Minnesota franchise win the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League championship in June, the multi-time champion who has hoisted a trophy at every level of the sport reflected on her experience and what went into her decision on where she’d continue her career.

West Anchorage football coach Tim Davis steps down to focus on family

After 16 years on the job, during which he built a perennial title contender, won four state championships and molded the minds and character of generations of young men, the winningest coach in Cook Inlet Conference history decided to put a pause on his passion to focus on what matters most.

Once dismissed as ‘powderpuff’ sport, Alaska girls flag football gets boost with first-ever sanctioned state championship

The interest and expansion of one of the fastest-growing sports among girls prompted ASAA to sanction the first state championship tournament. A non-powerhouse program claimed the title when unsuspecting North Pole blew out Service.

After Olympic Trials letdown, Alaska swimmer Lydia Jacoby looks ahead with new perspective

Three years after becoming a global star for winning an Olympic gold medal in swimming, the pride of Seward came up short of qualifying for a chance to represent her state country at this past summer’s Games. Instead of letting the disappointment overwhelm her, Jacoby moved forward with a different outlook on herself and life in general.

Leaning on experience from his rookie NFL season, Anchorage’s Brandon Pili aims to maximize opportunities in second year with Dolphins

Despite earning his way onto an NFL roster as an undrafted rookie in 2023, the former Dimond standout wasn’t guaranteed a spot heading into his second season — but he defied the odds once again by applying the lessons he learned from his rookie year to extend his career.

Twin brothers with polar opposite personalities lead South soccer back to the mountain top

While they share the same genetic code, twin brothers Matthew and Michael Wagner couldn’t be more different when it comes to their interest off the soccer field. However, their love for each other and commitment to their teammates helped propel the South boys program to a second state championship in the last three years.

Chants of ‘wood yard’ and ‘moose meat’ drive Minto boys basketball

Even though the Minto boys basketball team didn’t make it to the finals of the 1A state championship tournament, the Lakers represented their program and their small community northwest of Fairbanks well, drawing strength from a phrase that they use in their everyday lives, following a subsistence lifestyle.

How an extended stay in Valdez brought a community and 3 Fairbanks-area ski teams together

Although they represent different programs in another part of the state, the high school ski teams of West Valley, Lathrop and North Pole banded together to help each other and the community of Valdez after a snowstorm prevented them from going home following a weekend relay race competition.

Anchorage’s Zach Lujan continues to ascend through college football’s coaching ranks

After helping lead his college alma mater, South Dakota State, to back-to-back national football titles and emerging as a dominant power at the FCS level as an offensive coordinator, the former South star quarterback moved up to the big leagues of college football. He was hired to serve in the same role at Northwestern University in the Big Ten.

As more athletes test their limits in extreme conditions, Iditarod Trail Invitational grows in popularity

Interest in the grueling Iditarod Trail Invitational continued to swell this past year with as many people attempting the 1,000-mile trail as there were sled dog teams on the trail for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

On a world-record attempt, Anchorage cyclist Lael Wilcox makes a hometown pit stop before the final stretch

With the Guinness World Record mark for fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe in her sights, the renowned Alaska endurance cyclist began the last leg of her journey where she grew up.

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