Joey Klecka

Nikiski junior Isaac Averill races to a victory in the boys 100-meter sprint alongside Teddy Croft of Homer (left) and Josh Jackman of Kenai Central (right) Saturday at the Homer Invite at Homer High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Stars sweep team titles at unique Homer Invite

Editor's note: This story corrects the original story, which did not reflect field events added into the team scores after the event concluded. The Soldotna track… Continue reading

Nikiski junior Isaac Averill races to a victory in the boys 100-meter sprint alongside Teddy Croft of Homer (left) and Josh Jackman of Kenai Central (right) Saturday at the Homer Invite at Homer High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central’s Alyssa Stanton watches a high pitch fly over her head against Palmer, Friday at Steve Shearer Memorial Ball Park in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Friday: Palmer beats Kenai in sloppy game

The Kenai Central softball team can look back on Friday’s nonconference loss against Palmer and pick out several stickler plays that could’ve helped them to… Continue reading

Kenai Central’s Alyssa Stanton watches a high pitch fly over her head against Palmer, Friday at Steve Shearer Memorial Ball Park in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Tuesday soccer: SoHi sweeps Nikiski

Tuesday soccer: SoHi sweeps Nikiski

The Soldotna boys won a Northern Lights Conference clash with Nikiski 9-0 Tuesday evening at Justin Maile Field, and if it was presented, they would… Continue reading

Tuesday soccer: SoHi sweeps Nikiski

Northern Lights Conference teams welcome new region tournament

2016 was a great year for Soldotna softball coach Kelli Knoebel, both professionally and personally. In the spring, the fourth-year head coach of the Stars… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Sam McElroy (22) gets his head on a corner kick against Kodiak Friday at Justin Maile Field in Soldotna (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna soccer sweeps Kodiak

The Soldotna girls soccer program broke out of their slump Friday afternoon in a big way, and did so by breaking out the hats. After… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Sam McElroy (22) gets his head on a corner kick against Kodiak Friday at Justin Maile Field in Soldotna (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Cook Inlet Academy’s Noah Leaf (left) races Soldotna’s Brenner Furlong in Saturday’s boys 200-meter sprint at the Kenai Invitational at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Track & field teams converge for Kenai Invite

Girl power prevailed among peninsula teams at Friday and Saturday’s annual Kenai Invitational track meet at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. The Kardinals girls track… Continue reading

Cook Inlet Academy’s Noah Leaf (left) races Soldotna’s Brenner Furlong in Saturday’s boys 200-meter sprint at the Kenai Invitational at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna pitcher Matthew Daugherty delivers a strike to a Kenai Central batter May 2016 at the Kenai Little League Fields.

2017 prep baseball preview: Loss of senior stars likely to shake up Southcentral Conference

The top of the food chain in the Southcentral Conference baseball field will be getting a curveball this spring. As the 2017 high school baseball… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna pitcher Matthew Daugherty delivers a strike to a Kenai Central batter May 2016 at the Kenai Little League Fields.
Kenai Central’s Luke Beiser (24) heads a ball towards the Soldotna net early in Tuesday’s conference game at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Tuesday: Kenai soccer sweeps Soldotna

What was supposed to be a tight rivalry game Tuesday afternoon turned into a lopsided win for the Kenai Central girls soccer team over Soldotna… Continue reading

Kenai Central’s Luke Beiser (24) heads a ball towards the Soldotna net early in Tuesday’s conference game at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna junior Eli Sheridan (31) fights for the ball in the Palmer goalie box against Palmer’s Isaiah Montoya, Friday afternoon at Justin Maile Field in Soldotna. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

SoHi soccer teams sweep Palmer, lose to Colony

Soldotna’s fusion of youth and experience blended together Friday afternoon at a sun-splashed Justin Maile Field to produce a 4-2 girls victory over the Palmer… Continue reading

Soldotna junior Eli Sheridan (31) fights for the ball in the Palmer goalie box against Palmer’s Isaiah Montoya, Friday afternoon at Justin Maile Field in Soldotna. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central’s Luke Beiser (24) prepares for a shot against Palmer goalie Caden Brown and defender Alex Coyne in Saturday’s contest at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai boys sweep weekend, Kardinal girls split

The Kenai Central boys soccer team has received its fair share of challenges this spring. The Kardinals opened their season with a 3-0 loss to… Continue reading

Kenai Central’s Luke Beiser (24) prepares for a shot against Palmer goalie Caden Brown and defender Alex Coyne in Saturday’s contest at Ed Hollier Field in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central’s Julieanne Wilson competes in the 4A girls long jump event in May 2016 at the state track and field championships at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Track and field season opens without Big C Relays

As the spring track and field season shifts to the center of attention, there is a noticeable absence on the calendar, and it is leaving… Continue reading

Kenai Central’s Julieanne Wilson competes in the 4A girls long jump event in May 2016 at the state track and field championships at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna’s Abi Tuttle (29) shields Wasilla’s Hayley Brandon from the ball May 7, 2016, at Justin Maile Field in Soldotna. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Northern Lights girls soccer preview: Peninsula teams look for supremacy

The battle between the north and the south is reaching a fever pitch in the Northern Lights Conference girls soccer scene. After running the show… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Abi Tuttle (29) shields Wasilla’s Hayley Brandon from the ball May 7, 2016, at Justin Maile Field in Soldotna. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Forward Brad Duwe controls the puck in a game against Bowling Green on Oct. 31, 2015. (Photo provided by UAA Athletics)

Soldotna native Duwe wraps up college hockey career

Hot off a three-year run with his hometown Kenai River Brown Bears, Soldotna skater Brad Duwe took his talents to the University of Alaska Anchorage… Continue reading

Forward Brad Duwe controls the puck in a game against Bowling Green on Oct. 31, 2015. (Photo provided by UAA Athletics)
A crowd of onlookers watch as Soldotna freshman Ateliano Faletoi-Eli attempts a squat lift Wednesday evening at the 11th biannual CrossFit Competition at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

CrossFit pumps life into prep sports

A staple of high school physical education since 2012, the biannual CrossFit competition has quickly popularized fitness in local high schools. Formerly known as Strength… Continue reading

A crowd of onlookers watch as Soldotna freshman Ateliano Faletoi-Eli attempts a squat lift Wednesday evening at the 11th biannual CrossFit Competition at Soldotna High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski falls to Barrow, finishes 5th at state

With both teams ranked in the top five of the Winning Percentage Index standings for most of the season, the matchup between Alaska’s northernmost team… Continue reading

Kenai River’s Evan Butcher hoists up a salmon in a victory salute after the Brown Bears scored the opening goal Saturday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.

Bears fans hold out hope

This will either be remembered as the weekend that saved the Kenai River Brown Bears or one heck of a way to go out. Steve… Continue reading

Kenai River’s Evan Butcher hoists up a salmon in a victory salute after the Brown Bears scored the opening goal Saturday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
Nikiski’s Emma Wik (right) tries to force a turnover on Sitka’s Marlis Boord in Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Friday state hoops: Nikiski girls drop semifinal to Sitka

A sluggish start doomed the Nikiski girls from the opening tip in Friday’s Class 3A state tournament semifinal against Sitka, and the Bulldogs never recovered.… Continue reading

Nikiski’s Emma Wik (right) tries to force a turnover on Sitka’s Marlis Boord in Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski’s Brianna Vollertsen (left) looks for a shot against Grace Christian’s Makenna Shamburger in the Class 3A state quarterfinal contest Thursday, March 23, 2017, at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

State hoops: Nikiski girls stave off Grace on 1st day

Under the bright lights at the spacious Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, the Nikiski girls drowned out the nightmares of the Southcentral Conference tournament with… Continue reading

Nikiski’s Brianna Vollertsen (left) looks for a shot against Grace Christian’s Makenna Shamburger in the Class 3A state quarterfinal contest Thursday, March 23, 2017, at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski’s Rylee Jackson dribbles down the court Friday against Grace Christian at the Southcentral Conference basketball tournament at Nikiski High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski girls prepare for state tourney without Carstens

As the opening minutes rolled out from tipoff of the Southcentral Conference tournament semifinal game, the home team Nikiski girls looked to be on their… Continue reading

Nikiski’s Rylee Jackson dribbles down the court Friday against Grace Christian at the Southcentral Conference basketball tournament at Nikiski High School. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikolaevsk’s Anfim Kalugin (54) looks on as Warriors teammate Kalenik Molodih guards Hydaburg’s Roger Trout, Friday, March 17, 2017, at the Class 1A state tournament held at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Ninilchik boys return to 1A state hoops final

The Ninilchik boys announced their return to the Class 1A state prep basketball championship final with a commanding 72-49 semifinal victory Friday night over Buckland… Continue reading

Nikolaevsk’s Anfim Kalugin (54) looks on as Warriors teammate Kalenik Molodih guards Hydaburg’s Roger Trout, Friday, March 17, 2017, at the Class 1A state tournament held at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)