Sports

Members of Kenai Central High School Esports gather around coach Shane Lopez before their League of Legends match Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Video gaming enters the arena

Kenai Central debuts esports team

Members of Kenai Central High School Esports gather around coach Shane Lopez before their League of Legends match Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Lance Mackey sits with his lead dogs Larry, right, and Maple after crossing the finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 18, 2009, in Nome, Alaska, to win his third Iditarod in a row. Mackey, a four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race winner and one of mushing’s most colorful and accomplished champions who also suffered from health and drug issues, died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, his father and kennel announced on Facebook. He was 52. (AP Photo/Al Grillo, File)

Cancer claims 4-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey

Officials with the world’s most famous sled dog race said Iditarod Nation was in mourning

Lance Mackey sits with his lead dogs Larry, right, and Maple after crossing the finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 18, 2009, in Nome, Alaska, to win his third Iditarod in a row. Mackey, a four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race winner and one of mushing’s most colorful and accomplished champions who also suffered from health and drug issues, died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, his father and kennel announced on Facebook. He was 52. (AP Photo/Al Grillo, File)
Chugiak High School’s Cameron Peterson (right) leads the girls varsity pack at the 2022 Ted McKenney XC Running Invitational at Tsalteshi Trails at Skyview Middle School on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

McKenney Invite welcomes over 25 schools

Kenai’s Boonstra, Homer’s McDonough lead area runners

Chugiak High School’s Cameron Peterson (right) leads the girls varsity pack at the 2022 Ted McKenney XC Running Invitational at Tsalteshi Trails at Skyview Middle School on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Sam Eason, left, and Josh Delie celebrate their medals at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida. The pair won gold for unified bocce at the competition. (Photo courtesy of Sam Eason) Sam Eason, left, and Josh Delie celebrate their medals at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida. The pair won gold for unified bocce at the competition. (Photo courtesy of Sam Eason)

Local athletes shine at Special Olympics

Darryl Magen and Josh Delie brought home gold and silver medals

Sam Eason, left, and Josh Delie celebrate their medals at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida. The pair won gold for unified bocce at the competition. (Photo courtesy of Sam Eason) Sam Eason, left, and Josh Delie celebrate their medals at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida. The pair won gold for unified bocce at the competition. (Photo courtesy of Sam Eason)
A fisherman catches a salmon in the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon before the tide washed in on June 25, 2021, in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)

Reeling ‘Em In: River closures means best fishing is by the sea

It’s time now to take and look at the fishing report for the week of June 14, 2022

A fisherman catches a salmon in the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon before the tide washed in on June 25, 2021, in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Sarah Knapp/Homer News)
Darryl Magen, center, and Josh Delie, far right, start their journey from the Kenai Municipal Airport on Friday, June 3, 2022 to this year’s Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Olympic send-off

Darryl Magen and Josh Delie were met with cheers and words of encouragement from family, friends and city officials

Darryl Magen, center, and Josh Delie, far right, start their journey from the Kenai Municipal Airport on Friday, June 3, 2022 to this year’s Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Racers take off from the start line at the Kasilof River Special Use Area for Cook Inletkeeper’s annual Mouth to Mouth Wild Run & Ride on Monday, May 30, 2022. To celebrate National Bike Month, the conservation organization hosted a 10-mile run, 10-mile fat bike ride, and 3-mile run, with all proceeds going toward Cook Inletkeeper’s mission — to ensure healthy salmon in the Cook Inlet watershed. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Watershed moment

Cook Inletkeeper held its annual Mouth to Mouth Wild Run and Ride on Monday on the shores of Cook Inlet

Racers take off from the start line at the Kasilof River Special Use Area for Cook Inletkeeper’s annual Mouth to Mouth Wild Run & Ride on Monday, May 30, 2022. To celebrate National Bike Month, the conservation organization hosted a 10-mile run, 10-mile fat bike ride, and 3-mile run, with all proceeds going toward Cook Inletkeeper’s mission — to ensure healthy salmon in the Cook Inlet watershed. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Heather Renner and Tasha Reynolds run and fat bike to the finish line on the Kenai Beach during the 2019 Mouth to Mouth Wild Run & Ride. (Photo courtesy Kaitlin Vadla)

Mouth to Mouth bike race and run returns Monday

The race starts at the mouth of the Kasilof River and ends at the mouth of Kenai River

Heather Renner and Tasha Reynolds run and fat bike to the finish line on the Kenai Beach during the 2019 Mouth to Mouth Wild Run & Ride. (Photo courtesy Kaitlin Vadla)
Clarion file

Tsalteshi to pilot Backyard Ultra race

Competitors must consecutively run a loop of 4.167 miles in less than one hour

Clarion file
Iditarod winner Brent Sass poses for photos with lead dogs Morello, left, and Slater in the finish chute of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Nome, Alaska, Tuesday March 15, 2022. (Anne Raup/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

Brent Sass wins his 1st Iditarod

Sass mushed down Front Street and across the finish line just before 6 a.m.

Iditarod winner Brent Sass poses for photos with lead dogs Morello, left, and Slater in the finish chute of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Nome, Alaska, Tuesday March 15, 2022. (Anne Raup/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
Veteran musher Aaron Burmeister rides on a mostly bare-ice stretch of trail during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, as he reaches Unalakleet, Alaska on Sunday, March 13, 2022. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

Mushers close in on finish

Brent Sass keeps up Iditarod lead but is wary about Seavey

  • Mar 14, 2022
  • By MARK THIESSEN Associated Press
  • NewsSports
Veteran musher Aaron Burmeister rides on a mostly bare-ice stretch of trail during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, as he reaches Unalakleet, Alaska on Sunday, March 13, 2022. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
Four-time winner Jeff King takes his sled dog team through a snowstorm in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday, March 4, 2022, during the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

Teams prep for Iditarod after Saturday’s ceremonial start

Mushers took a leisurely jaunt through Alaska’s largest city, waving at fans that lined downtown streets.

Four-time winner Jeff King takes his sled dog team through a snowstorm in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday, March 4, 2022, during the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
The Kenai River Brown Bears salute seats mostly empty due to coronavirus mitigation measures after a victory over the Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel on Friday, April 23, 2021, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Soldotna OKs 2-year contract with Brown Bears

The hockey team has used the sports complex as their home facility since 2007.

The Kenai River Brown Bears salute seats mostly empty due to coronavirus mitigation measures after a victory over the Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel on Friday, April 23, 2021, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Results posted for Soldotna Cycle Series

The fourth race of the Soldotna Cycle Series was held Thursday at Tsalteshi Trails

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The United States’ women’s 4x100-meter medley relay team, Regan Smith, Lydia Jacoby, Torri Huske and Abbey Weitzeil, celebrates at the podium after winning the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Jacoby earns silver in women’s medley relay

Jacoby also took home a gold medal for Team USA in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Games on Monday.

The United States’ women’s 4x100-meter medley relay team, Regan Smith, Lydia Jacoby, Torri Huske and Abbey Weitzeil, celebrates at the podium after winning the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gus Reimer crosses the finish line in front of Adam Reimer and Julie Laker during the first race of the Salmon Run Series at Skyview Middle School on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)

On your mark, get set, Salmon Run

The Kenai Watershed Forum’s five-week Salmon Run Series kicked off Wednesday

Gus Reimer crosses the finish line in front of Adam Reimer and Julie Laker during the first race of the Salmon Run Series at Skyview Middle School on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna’s Megan Youngren competes in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Atlanta. (Photo courtesy of Alexandra Sizemore)

Soldotna’s Youngren wins Mayor’s Marathon

Soldotna’s Megan Youngren won the Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon on Saturday on her 30th birthday. Youngren finished in 3 hours, 7 minutes and 43 seconds to… Continue reading

Soldotna’s Megan Youngren competes in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, in Atlanta. (Photo courtesy of Alexandra Sizemore)
Associated Press Lydia Jacoby participates in the Women’s 100 Breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials on Monday in Omaha, Nebraska.

Jacoby misses mark in the 200, still waiting for spot on Team USA in the 100

Jacoby will have a better idea by Friday or Saturday about whether she made Team USA in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Associated Press Lydia Jacoby participates in the Women’s 100 Breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials on Monday in Omaha, Nebraska.
(Peninsula Clarion file)

Chinooks overpower Oilers

Kenai and Chugiak played evenly throughout the first two thirds of the game.

(Peninsula Clarion file)
Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion The women’s field takes to the course in 2017 at the Mount Marathon Race in Seward.

800 expected for Mount Marathon Race

The race, traditionally held on the Fourth of July in Seward, will be held on July 7 this year.

Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion The women’s field takes to the course in 2017 at the Mount Marathon Race in Seward.