Peninsula athletes compete, win at Arctic Winter Games

The 2024 Arctic Winter Games, held earlier this month in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, drew around 1,700 athletes from across the northern reaches of the globe to compete in hockey, volleyball, cross-country skiing, wrestling, Dene Games and Arctic Sports.

Among those athletes were 23 from the Kenai Peninsula, representing Kenai, Soldotna, Nikiski, Sterling and Homer. Together, they brought home 31 Ulus, awarded in place of medals to the top three finishers in each event and age group.

As part of the wider Team Alaska, local athletes contributed to a total of 222 ulus claimed to top the standings at the event — 70 gold, 84 silver and 68 bronze. Team Alaska was most closely followed by Team Yukon, who had 161.

Local athletes brought home 14 golds, 12 silvers and four bronze.

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Soldotna’s Andrew Arthur, Kenai’s Logan Mese and Homer’s Makary Reutov were all part of a gold-winning team for ice hockey, 2006 or later male.

Infinity-Ann Asiata-Higa, of Sterling, won in wrestling’s Individual Competition Up to 78 kg female and claimed another gold with her team for Team Competition Mix.

Soldotna’s Tania Boonstra brought home three golds in 2006-2007 female cross-country skiing, for the interval start classic, the freestyle sprint and the mass start freestyle.

Kenai’s Greg Fallon, in 2005 or later male snowshoeing, claimed golds in the 5-kilometer cross-country, the 10-kilometer cross-country and in a relay with Team Alaska.

Antonio Perez, of Kenai, won gold in wrestling’s Individual Competition Up to 65 kg male and with his team in Team Competition Mix. Breaker Schmit, of Nikiski, was also on that winning team.

In the Dene Games, Soldotna’s Kya Ahlers and Homer’s Leah Evans were part of a silver-winning team for the Hand Games.

Asiata-Higa claimed a silver in Inuit Wrestling.

Regan Baker, of Homer, and Emma Beck, of Kenai, both won silver on the 2005 or later Female volleyball team.

Boonstra took silver in a classic relay with Team Alaska.

Fallon brought a silver in short distance snowshoe.

Eli Gordon, of Homer, won silver in the snow snake, part of the Dene Games.

In archery, Sterling’s Daisy Samples won silvers in individual compound and with the AK Arrow Slingers in team compound.

Schmit, in wrestling, took home slivers for individual competition and for Inuit wrestling.

Soldotna’s Abby Semaken landed silver in the Arctic Sports for the Arm Pull.

Kenai’s Judah Eason landed bronze in Dene Games for the finger pull and with Team Alaska in the pole push. Gordon was also on that bronze-winning pole push team.

David Michael Kamea I’O Makamae Kala-De La Cruz took bronze in ice hockey with Team Alaska for 2009 or later male.

The next games will be held in 2026, in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

Arctic Winter Games

Peninsula Results

Kya Ahlers, Soldotna — Dene Games, Silver with Team Alaska in Hand Games Open Female, Seventh in Snow Snake Open Female, competed in Finger Pull Open Female, Stick Pull Open Female and Pole Push Open Female

Andrew Arthur, Soldotna — Ice Hockey, Gold in 2006 or later Male

Infinity-Ann Asiata-Higa, Sterling — Wrestling, Gold in Individual Competition Up to 78 kg Female, Gold with Team Alaska in Team Competition Mix, Silver in Inuit Wrestling Up to 78 kg Female

Regan Baker, Homer — Volleyball, Silver with Team Alaska in 2005 or later Female

Emma Beck, Kenai — Volleyball, Silver with Team Alaska in 2005 or later Female

Tania Boonstra, Soldotna — Cross Country Ski, Gold in 5 km Interval Start Classic 2006-2007 Female, Gold in 700 m – 1,000 m Sprint Free Technique 2006-2007 Female, Gold in 10 km Mass Start Free Technique 2006-2007 Female, Silver with Team Alaska in 3 x 3 km Relay Classic 2006-2007 Female

Tristyn Bridges, Homer — Dene Games, Sixth in Snow Snake 2006 or later male, competed in Finger Pull 2006 or later Male, Stick Pull 2006 or later Male and with Team Alaska in Hand Games 2006 or later Male and Pole Push 2006 or later Male

Judah Eason, Kenai — Dene Games, Bronze in Finger Pull Open Male, Bronze with Team Alaska in Pole Push Open Male, Competed in Snow Snake Open Male, Stick Pull Open Male and with Team Alaska in Hand Games Open Male

Leah Evans, Homer — Dene Games, Silver with Team Alaska in Hand Games Open Female, Seventh in Stick Pull Open Female, Competed in Finger Pull Open Female, Snow Snake Open Female and with Team Alaska in Pole Push Open Female

Greg Fallon, Kenai — Snowshoeing, Gold in 5.0 km Cross Country 2005 or later Male, Gold in 10.0 km Cross Country 2005 or later Male, Gold with Team Alaska in 4 x 400 m Relay 2005 or later Mix, Silver in Short Distance Combined 2005 or later Male

Jody Goodrich, Homer — Cross Country Ski, Fourth in 5 km Interval Start Classic 2006-2007 Male, Fourth in 10 km Mass Start Free Technique 2006-2007 Male, Sixth in 700-1000 m Sprint Free Technique 2006-2007 Male

Charity Gordon, Homer — Arctic Sports, Fourth in Sledge Jump 2007 or later Female, Competed in One Foot High Kick 2007 or later Female, Two Foot High Kick 2007 or later Female, Alaskan High Kick 2007 or later Female, Kneel Jump 2007 or later Female, Triple Jump 2007 or later Female and Arm Pull 2007 or later Female

Eli Gordon, Homer — Dene Games, Silver in Snow Snake Open Male, Bronze with Team Alaska in Pole Push Open Male, Fifth in Stick Pull Open Male, Seventh in Finger Pull Open Male and Competed with Team Alaska in Hand Games Open Male

Joe Gordon, Homer — Dene Games, Fifth in Stick Pull 2006 or later Male, Ninth in Snow Snake 2006 or later Male, Competed in Finger Pull 2006 or later Male, with Team Alaska in Hand Games 2006 or later Male and with Team Alaska in Pole Push 2006 or later Male

David Michael Kamea I’O Makamae Kala-De La Cruz, Soldotna — Ice Hockey, Bronze with Team Alaska in 2009 or later Male

Logan Meese, Kenai — Ice Hockey, Gold with Team Alaska in 2006 or later Male

Antonio Perez, Kenai — Wrestling, Gold in Individual Competiton Up to 65 kg Male, Gold with Team Alaska in Team Competition Mix

Makary Reutov, Homer — Ice Hockey, Gold with Team Alaska in 2006 or later Male

Daisy Samples, Sterling — Archery, Silver in Individual Compound 2006 or later Female, Silver with Team AK Arrow Slingers #1 in Team Compound Mix

Breaker Schmit, Nikiski — Wrestling, Gold with Team Alaska in Team Competition Mix, Silver in Individual Competiton Up to 96 kg Male, Silver in Inuit Wrestling Up to 96 kg Male

Abby Semaken, Soldotna — Arctic Sports, Silver in Arm Pull 2007 or later Female, Fourth in Alaskan High Kick 2007 or later Female, Competed in One Foot High Kick 2007 or later Female, Two Foot High Kick 2007 or later Female, Kneel Jump 2007 or later Female, Sledge Jump 2007 or later Female and Triple Jump 2007 or later Female

Wolf Trejo, Homer — Futsal, Fourth with Team Alaska in 2008 or later Male

Staxx Van Kirk, Nikiski — Arctic Sports, Competed in One Foot High Kick 2007 or later Male, Two Foot High Kick 2007 or later Male, Alaskan High Kick 2007 or later Male, Kneel Jump 2007 or later Male, Sledge Jump 2007 or later Male, Triple Jump 2007 or later Male and Arm Pull 2007 or later Male

Team Alaska’s Logan Mese, of Kenai, beats a defenseman during a win over Northwest Territories in the Arctic Winter Games U18 boys hockey gold medal game. (Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman)

Tania Boonstra, center, stands at the top of the podium for the 5 km Interval Start Classic 2006-2007 Female at the Arctic Winter Games. (Photo provided by Todd Boonstra)