Athletes from across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and as far away as Unalakleet took over the Bethel Regional High School (BRHS) gymnasium on April 5 and 6 to compete in the Native Youth Olympics (NYO) Invitational. The tournament showed that traditional games, from the two-foot high kick to the seal hop, are alive and well in rural Alaska.
The 11 events are all directly inspired by traditional contests passed down through the generations – tools for honing the physical and mental abilities necessary for daily survival and wellness. After more than 50 years, these tools are still being preserved in Native Youth Olympics events across Alaska, including the two-day event in Bethel.
Eleventh-grader Trenton Towarak was among seven students from Unalakleet who traveled to compete in Bethel. He said that he appreciated the more relaxed atmosphere in contrast to larger NYO events like the Traditional Games simultaneously being held in Juneau.
“I've been having fun here. I like it here because they give more advice,” Towarak said. “I gotta say, my strongest event has to be the one-foot high kick.”
At their respective one-foot high kick stations on April 5, athletes calmly studied each other’s techniques and offered words of encouragement. Attendees broke into waves of clapping as the fur-lined high-kick balls were raised higher in the air with each round.
For the high school boys, Ashton White of Tuntutuliak came out on top with a kick of 101 inches, while Bethel’s own Jordan Klejka led the high school girls with a kick of 85 inches.
Due to foul weather, five students who arrived late from Goodnews Bay missed out on the one-foot high kick. But their coach, Lower Kuskokwim School District social worker Christian Espinosa, said that the Rocky Mountain School team’s spirit wasn’t dampened.
“We have to have a lot of patience there in Goodnews [Bay] for all travel. Our little 250-person village, this is a big deal for our community to represent here in Bethel,” Espinosa said. “It's some of our students’ first time traveling. So this is a big shock to some of them to be in a big crowd. I'm proud of them for being here and trying to make the most of it.”
Rachel Speranza, who teaches English at Bethel Regional High School, has been the school’s assistant NYO coach for the past three years.
“Something I love seeing: eighth-graders that were really strong last year being able to start coming into high school and challenge themselves more and compete with some really great kids,” Speranza said.
Speranza said that she has enjoyed taking part in a competition that, according to the organization’s website, bills itself as being among “the only sporting events in the world where athletes from different teams help each other to be successful in the games and in life.”
“One thing about NYO that I love is that regardless of whose team you're on, we help out the other team members to get better at the sport, because that's what it's all about,” Speranza said.
The Bethel Native Youth Olympics Invitational put that sportsmanship on full display. In the end, Chefornak dominated in terms of overall points in both the junior high and high school categories, in addition to receiving the coveted award for sportsmanship.
Depending on the results of regional tournaments, a host of teams from across Western Alaska and the state will join Bethel Regional High School for the final event of the season at the annual NYO Games meet at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage from April 25 to 27.
OVERALL RESULTS
HS Team Points (Grades 7-12)
- 1st - Chefornak - 156 pts
- 2nd - Kipnuk - 126 pts
- 3rd - Tuntutuliak - 98 pts
JH Team Points (Grades 4-8)
- 1st - Chefornak - 174 pts
- 2nd - Tuntutuliak - 166 pts
- 3rd - Bethel Regional High School - 152 pts
Outstanding HS Individuals
- Boys - Daylon Brown - Quinhagak - 46 pts
- Girls - Avis Dave - Chefornak - 38 pts
Outstanding JH Individuals
- Boys - Anakin Wassilie - Tuntutuliak - 70 pts
- Girls - Dalany Panruk - Chefornak - 44 pts
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Kneel Jump:
- 1st - HS Boys - Ashton White - Tuntutuliak - 54 inches
- 1st - HS Girls - Nikki Erik - Chefornak - 44 ¼ inches
- 1st - JH Boys - Anakin Wassilie - Tuntutuliak - 47 ⅜ inches
- 1st - JH Girls - Casey Evan - Chefornak - 33 ½ inches
Toe Kick:
- 1st - HS Boys - Andrew Paul - Kipnuk - 69 inches
- 1st - HS Girls - Shawna Paul - Kipnuk - 52 inches
- 1st - JH Boys - Billy Nicholai - BRHS - 58 inches
- 1st - JH Girls - Christine Evan - Tuntutuliak - 12 inches
Wrist Carry:
- 1st - HS Boys - Brandon Lee - Kwethluk - 42.7 seconds
- 1st - HS Girls - Natalia Slim - Kasigluk (Akiuk) - 17.44 seconds
- 1st - JH Boys -Billy Nicholai - BRHS - 25.01 seconds
- 1st - JH Girls - Bethany Samuelson - Ayaprun Elitnaurvik - 12.79 seconds
Two-foot High Kick:
- 1st - HS Boys - Ashton White - Tuntutuliak - 84 inches
- 1st - HS Girls - Jordan Klejka - BRHS - 74 inches
- 1st - JH Boys - Billy Nicholai - BRHS - 72 inches
- 1st - JH Girls - Braelynn Fairbanks - Chefornak - 54 inches
Scissor Broad Jump:
- 1st - HS Boys - Ashton White - Tuntutuliak - 35 feet
- 1st - HS Girls - Ourea Busk - Unalakleet - 27.9 feet
- 1st - JH Boys - Billy Nicholai - BRHS - 28 feet, 10 ¾ inches
- 1st - JH Girls - Delaney Panruk - Chefornak - 25 feet, 4 ¾ inches
AK High Kick:
- 1st - HS Boys - Daylon Brown - Quinhagak - 91 inches
- 1st - HS Girls - Ourea Busk - Unalakleet - 68 inches
- 1st - JH Boys - Anakin Wassilie - Tuntutuliak - 77 inches
- 1st - JH Girls - Anastasia Larson - BRHS - 59 inches
1-Arm Reach:
- 1st - HS Boys - Andrew Paul - Kipnuk - 65 inches
- 1st - HS Girls - Deann Martin - Kipnuk - 58 inches
- 1st - JH Boys - Anakin Wassilie - Tuntutuliak - 56 inches
- 1st - JH Girls - Delaney Panruk - Chefornak - 52 inches
One-foot High Kick
- 1st - HS Boys - Ashton White - Tuntutuliak - 101 inches
- 1st - HS Girls - Jordan Klejka - BRHS - 85 inches
- 1st - JH Boys - Anakin Wassilie - Tuntutuliak - 85 inches
- 1st - JH Girls - MaryKay Evon - Ayaprun Elitnaurvik - 72 inches
Eskimo Stick Pull:
- 1st - HS Boys - Keith Wassillie - BRHS
- 1st - HS Girls - Justine Erickson-Bradney - BRHS
- 1st - JH Boys - Matthew Polk - Gladys Jung Elementary
- 1st - JH Girls - Riley Boyscout - BRHS
Seal Hop:
- 1st - HS Boys - Devon Mann - Kipnuk - 125 feet, 4 ½ inches
- 1st - HS Girls - Shawna Paul - Kipnuk - 153 feet, 8 ¼ inches
- 1st - JH Boys - Anakin Wassilie - Tuntutuliak - 108 feet, 11 ¾ inches
- 1st - JH Girls - Riley Boyscout - BRHS - 107 feet, 11 ⅜ inches
Indian Stick Pull:
- 1st - HS Boys - Brandon Lee - Kwethluk
- 1st - HS Girls - Johnelle Smith - Tuntutuliak
- 1st - JH Boys - Matthew Gilila - Tuntutuliak
- 1st - JH Girls - Vanessa Carl - Gladys Jung Elementary
