Sports

Anchorage’s Lars Arneson, a 2009 graduate of Cook Inlet Academy, passes Seward’s Erik Johnson to take seventh place at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2018, in Seward. Johnson finished eighth.(Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Mount Marathon Race adjusts registration schedule

The Mount Marathon Race in Seward has made several adjustments to its registration schedule. The confirmation period for the 2021 roster to commit to the… Continue reading

Anchorage’s Lars Arneson, a 2009 graduate of Cook Inlet Academy, passes Seward’s Erik Johnson to take seventh place at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2018, in Seward. Johnson finished eighth.(Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski’s Lillian Carstens drives to the basket while Soldotna’s Rhys Cannava defends Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Southcentral Conference announces hoops awards

Staff report The Southcentral Conference released its end-of-the-season awards Monday. The awards follow: 2021 Girls Southcentral Conference Awards Coach of the year — Curtis Berry,… Continue reading

Nikiski’s Lillian Carstens drives to the basket while Soldotna’s Rhys Cannava defends Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears forward Brandon Lajoie (arm raised) celebrates his first-period goal Friday, Jan. 17, 2020, against the Maine Nordiques at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears to return home April 16

Nothing is for certain in the coronavirus pandemic, but the Kenai River Brown Bears are closer than ever to returning to the Soldotna Regional Sports… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Brandon Lajoie (arm raised) celebrates his first-period goal Friday, Jan. 17, 2020, against the Maine Nordiques at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Ice Dogs top Brown Bears

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated the Kenai River Brown Bears 4-2 in North American Hockey League play Saturday at Red Baron Arena in Minnesota. The… Continue reading

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Houston's Hunter Jefferson and Homer's Clayton Beachy battle for the rebound Saturday, March 13, 2021, in the third-place game of the Southcentral Conference boys tournament at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Homer girls rally for 3rd place

The Homer girls basketball team remained eligible for the Class 3A state basketball tournament by defeating Redington 38-23 on Saturday in the third-place game of… Continue reading

Houston's Hunter Jefferson and Homer's Clayton Beachy battle for the rebound Saturday, March 13, 2021, in the third-place game of the Southcentral Conference boys tournament at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Head coach Jeff Swick and the Kenai Central girls basketball team celebrate earning a berth in the Class 3A state tounament after defeating Homer in the semifinals of the Southcentral Conference girls tournament Friday, March 12, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai girls top Homer for state berth

Mariners boys lose to ACS in semis

Head coach Jeff Swick and the Kenai Central girls basketball team celebrate earning a berth in the Class 3A state tounament after defeating Homer in the semifinals of the Southcentral Conference girls tournament Friday, March 12, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central's Bridger Beck and Anchorage Christian Schools' Matt Sanders battle for the rebound at the Southcentral Conference tournament Thursday, March 11, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Homer, Kenai girls to square off for state berth

Homer boys win on 1st day of conference tourney

Kenai Central's Bridger Beck and Anchorage Christian Schools' Matt Sanders battle for the rebound at the Southcentral Conference tournament Thursday, March 11, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
The author gets warm with a mask at Alaska’s Matanuska Glacier on Sunday, March 7, 20201. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the Office: Warming up to masks

A March 3 lead paragraph in a news story in The New York Times asked, “When can I throw away my mask?” For me, the… Continue reading

The author gets warm with a mask at Alaska’s Matanuska Glacier on Sunday, March 7, 20201. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge staff groom Marsh Lake Trail for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. (Photo provided by USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: When life gives you lemons, make a trail

The cross-country ski trails adjacent to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters and Visitor Center at the top of Ski Hill Road in Soldotna are… Continue reading

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge staff groom Marsh Lake Trail for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. (Photo provided by USFWS)
Homer head coach Chad Felice prepares his team March 4, 2021, against Kenai Central at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Area squads ready for Southcentral tourney

A lot has happened in the world, to say the least, between 2020 and 2021 Southcentral Conference matchups between the girls teams from Anchorage Christian… Continue reading

Homer head coach Chad Felice prepares his team March 4, 2021, against Kenai Central at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Peter Morgan of the Kenai River Brown Bears celebrates his goal with teammates Ryan Reid, Porter Schachle, Cody Moline and Dylan Hadfield on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, against the Springfield (Illinois) Jr. Blues at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears hold off Ice Dogs

The Kenai River Brown Bears defeated the Fairbanks Ice Dogs 6-4 on Tuesday at the Breezy Point Hockey Center in Minnesota. The Brown Bears and… Continue reading

Peter Morgan of the Kenai River Brown Bears celebrates his goal with teammates Ryan Reid, Porter Schachle, Cody Moline and Dylan Hadfield on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, against the Springfield (Illinois) Jr. Blues at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Hoops roundup: Homer boys topple Seward

The visiting Homer boys basketball team used a strong second half to topple the Seahawks on Saturday in the regular season finale for both teams.… Continue reading

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Brown Bears’ Pavicich commits to UMass

Kenai River Brown Bears goalie Luke Pavicich, 18, committed to Division I University of Massachusetts-Amherst in Hockey East on Thursday. Pavicich is in his first… Continue reading

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Homer’s Sophie Ellison drives to the basket against Kenai Central’s Logan Satathite on Thursday, March 4, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Hoops roundup: Kenai boys topple Homer

The host Kenai Central boys wrapped up their regular season with a 61-47 victory over Homer on Thursday. The Kardinals ended up 2-2 against Homer.… Continue reading

Homer’s Sophie Ellison drives to the basket against Kenai Central’s Logan Satathite on Thursday, March 4, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Patrick Lewis and Kenzie Barnwell ski the trails in Anchorage, Alaska, on Feb. 7, 2021. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)

Tangled Up in Blue: Ski season

Nordic skiing has been a great equalizer for me this winter. I often spend my days doing laps around Bear Lake in Seward or training… Continue reading

Patrick Lewis and Kenzie Barnwell ski the trails in Anchorage, Alaska, on Feb. 7, 2021. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)
Blood stars (top left) and leather stars (top right) were less impacted by the disease and are more likely to be seen today. Sunflower sea stars (bottom left), mottled sea stars (lower center, this one showing symptoms of disease) and ochre sea stars (lower right) used to be common, but were most affected by the disease and have become more rare. (Photos courtesy of Mandy Lindeberg, NOAA, and Brenda Konar, University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Refuge Notebook: The fall of sea stars

Sea stars are a keystone species. As a top predator, they can restructure intertidal communities. For example, by feeding on mussels, they open up limited… Continue reading

Blood stars (top left) and leather stars (top right) were less impacted by the disease and are more likely to be seen today. Sunflower sea stars (bottom left), mottled sea stars (lower center, this one showing symptoms of disease) and ochre sea stars (lower right) used to be common, but were most affected by the disease and have become more rare. (Photos courtesy of Mandy Lindeberg, NOAA, and Brenda Konar, University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Ninilchik boys top Nikolaevsk, improve to 12-1

The host Ninilchik boys defeated Nikolaevsk coed 98-55 on Wednesday. The Wolverines are now 12-1, having won 12 games in a row after losing the… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Zac Buckbee defends against Homer’s Parker Lowney during a Tuesday, March 2, 2021 basketball game in the Alice Witte Gymnasium in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

Hoops roundup: Soldotna girls finish undefeated on peninsula

The visiting Soldotna girls completed an undefeated season on the Kenai Peninsula with a 39-22 victory over Homer on Tuesday night. The Stars, who defeated… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Zac Buckbee defends against Homer’s Parker Lowney during a Tuesday, March 2, 2021 basketball game in the Alice Witte Gymnasium in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
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Ninilchik girls use late comeback to top Kenai C team

The Ninilchik girls basketball team used a late comeback to defeat host Kenai Central’s C team 32-29 on Monday. The Wolverines improved to 4-6 by… Continue reading

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Kenai River Brown Bears forward Theo Thrun brings the puck up the ice on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, against the Minnesota Magicians at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Jets top Brown Bears again

The visiting Janesville (Wisconsin) Jets defeated the Kenai River Brown Bears 4-2 on Sunday at the Breezy Point Hockey Center in Minnesota. The Bears also… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Theo Thrun brings the puck up the ice on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, against the Minnesota Magicians at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)