Sports

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Central peninsula gets its 2nd home game

Nikiski, Seward, Homer won’t play Week 4 due to cancellations

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A Student Conservation Association team builds traditions around a game of Catan in a tent by Funny River. (Photo by US Fish and Wildlife Service)

Refuge Notebook: Settlers of Catan in the backcountry

By SANJA ZELEN Kenai National Wildlife Refuge It was 10 miles out in the backcountry, just off the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s Hansen Horse Trail,… Continue reading

A Student Conservation Association team builds traditions around a game of Catan in a tent by Funny River. (Photo by US Fish and Wildlife Service)
Soldotna's Jordan Strausbaugh tries to find a way around Kenai Central's Jayna Boonstra on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, at the Kenai-Soldotna dual meet at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. Boonstra was able to hang on for first place in the race. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai runners sweep dual meet from Soldotna

The Kenai Central cross-country team swept a dual meet from Soldotna on Wednesday at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna. The two teams were originally… Continue reading

Soldotna's Jordan Strausbaugh tries to find a way around Kenai Central's Jayna Boonstra on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, at the Kenai-Soldotna dual meet at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. Boonstra was able to hang on for first place in the race. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Results posted for Nikiski Tri

Staff report The fourth annual Nikiski Tri was held Saturday in Nikiski, featuring a 500-yard swim, 10.6-mile bike ride and 5-kilometer bike ride. Jon Iannaccone… Continue reading

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Birch Ridge pro Rich Lundahl tees off on the 18th hole Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, during the final round of the Kenai Peninsula Open at Birch Ridge Golf Course in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Lundahl takes 1st Kenai Peninsula Open title

Like many, Birch Ridge golf pro Rich Lundahl reset his priorities during the coronavirus pandemic. That resulted in Lundahl playing more golf in the last… Continue reading

Birch Ridge pro Rich Lundahl tees off on the 18th hole Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, during the final round of the Kenai Peninsula Open at Birch Ridge Golf Course in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
The Lost Lake Trail just outside of Seward, Alaska, on Sept. 12, 2018. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Inokuma, Fletcher win Lost Lake Run

Palmer’s Meg Inokuma and Anchorage’s Aaron Fletcher picked up victories at the Lost Lake Run on Saturday outside of Seward. The run uses the Lost… Continue reading

The Lost Lake Trail just outside of Seward, Alaska, on Sept. 12, 2018. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central's Cali Holmes attacks Soldotna in the final of the Shayna Pritchard Memorial Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai defends Pritchard crown

By JEFF HELMINIAK Peninsula Clarion The Kenai Central volleyball team felt tired after four straight days of early season play. But the Kardinals didn’t play… Continue reading

Kenai Central's Cali Holmes attacks Soldotna in the final of the Shayna Pritchard Memorial Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna’s Jordan Strausbaugh makes her way down the course during the Colony Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, at Colony High School. Strausbaugh finished fourth. (Photo by Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman)

Grace cross-country sweeps Colony Invite

The Grace Christian girls and boys cross-country teams swept the Colony Invitational on Saturday in the Matanuska-Susitna valleys. The Grace girls won with 40 points,… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Jordan Strausbaugh makes her way down the course during the Colony Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, at Colony High School. Strausbaugh finished fourth. (Photo by Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman)
Homer’s Carter Tennison runs in for a touchdown Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, against Kodiak at Homer High School in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Football roundup: SoHi, Homer secure wins

Staff report The Soldotna football team got a big boost from freshmen and sophomores in notching a 35-0 Northern Lights Conference victory at Chugiak on… Continue reading

Homer’s Carter Tennison runs in for a touchdown Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, against Kodiak at Homer High School in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Cycle Series concludes with pursuit race

The Soldotna Cycle Series concluded Thursday at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna with the pursuit race. Using times from the other seven races in… Continue reading

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Houston running back Cody Wyrick tries to get past Nikiski's Truit McCaughey and Christian Caddock on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Houston football shuts out Nikiski

Houston football coach Glenn Nelson said his squad has been a running team since the coach arrived in 2013. Not Friday night in a 58-0… Continue reading

Houston running back Cody Wyrick tries to get past Nikiski's Truit McCaughey and Christian Caddock on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Week 3: Seward, Valdez to play 9-man football

There will be nine-man football in Seward on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Seahawks play a nonconference game against Valdez. “There’s been a push… Continue reading

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Kenai, Homer volleyball notch wins

The host Kenai Central volleyball team moved to 2-0 in nontournament play with a nonconference sweep of Bethel on Thursday. The Kardinals notched 25-21, 25-11… Continue reading

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A waterfall flows at McCullough Gulch in Colorado on Aug. 5, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak)

Out of the Office: Best-laid plans

The plan was for the family to meet in Colorado to try and summit one of the state’s famous 14ers, or mountains that rise higher… Continue reading

A waterfall flows at McCullough Gulch in Colorado on Aug. 5, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak)
Fireweed blooms along the Skyline Trail on Aug. 13, 2021, on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Refuge Notebook: Alaska ‘Super Bloom’: The beauty of regrowth

By SANJA ZELEN Kenai National Wildlife Refuge It was March 16 of 2019 when I first heard of the ecological phenomenon known as a “super… Continue reading

Fireweed blooms along the Skyline Trail on Aug. 13, 2021, on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central's Valerie Villegas digs up a ball against Sitka on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai volleyball sweeps Sitka

The Kenai Central volleyball team lost just one set in a 2020 season truncated by the pandemic before losing five seniors, including three starters. The… Continue reading

Kenai Central's Valerie Villegas digs up a ball against Sitka on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Results posted for Soldotna Cycle Series

Staff report The seventh race of the Soldotna Cycle Series was held Thursday at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna. David Seramur won the 12-kilometer… Continue reading

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A row of footballs iat the Homer-Seward game at Homer, Alaska, on Aug. 29, 2020. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

SoHi, Homer, Kenai football drop games

Host Lathrop snapped Soldotna’s 22-game winning streak with a 27-21 nonconference victory Friday night in a matchup of Division II powerhouses. The Malemutes improved to… Continue reading

A row of footballs iat the Homer-Seward game at Homer, Alaska, on Aug. 29, 2020. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Soldotna's Jordan Strausbaugh races to 17th place in the girls varsity race at the Ted McKenney XC Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. "We run for Ted" is written on Strausbaugh's thigh in honor of former Soldotna coach Ted McKenney. Strausbaugh runs with South's Elizabeth Page and Eagle River's Ava Trembath. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Ted McKenney Invite returns

Big running race had 2 years off

Soldotna's Jordan Strausbaugh races to 17th place in the girls varsity race at the Ted McKenney XC Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. "We run for Ted" is written on Strausbaugh's thigh in honor of former Soldotna coach Ted McKenney. Strausbaugh runs with South's Elizabeth Page and Eagle River's Ava Trembath. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Week 2: SoHi, Kenai ready to open season

After losing Week 1 due to games canceled by positive COVID-19 tests, Soldotna and Kenai Central will play their first games of the 2021 season… Continue reading

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