Sports

Melting ice patch in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. (Photo provided by National Park Service)

Refuge Notebook: Ice patch archaeology

Alaska’s mountains and glaciers are beautiful to observe, and many of us enjoy summertime hikes and backpacking among the peaks. Some hardy individuals even undertake… Continue reading

Melting ice patch in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. (Photo provided by National Park Service)
Homer's Nestor Kalugin tries to control Nikiski's Simon Grenier at 171 pounds Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. Grenier won by 10-4 decision. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Nikiski wrestlers sweep tri meet

Staff report Wrestlers competed in a pair of tri meets Tuesday on the Kenai Peninsula. At Nikiski High School, the Bulldogs defeated Grace Christian 18-16… Continue reading

Homer's Nestor Kalugin tries to control Nikiski's Simon Grenier at 171 pounds Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. Grenier won by 10-4 decision. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Homer's Sophie Ellison triggers a shot against Hutchison on Friday, March 26, 2021, at the Class 3A state basketball tournament at Colony High School in Alaska. (Photo by Tim Rockey/Frontiersman)

Kenai, Homer girls basketball finish with wins at state

By JEFF HELMINIAK Peninsula Clarion The Kenai Central and Homer girls basketball teams finished their seasons with consolation wins in the Class 3A state tournament… Continue reading

Homer's Sophie Ellison triggers a shot against Hutchison on Friday, March 26, 2021, at the Class 3A state basketball tournament at Colony High School in Alaska. (Photo by Tim Rockey/Frontiersman)
Homer High School. (Homer News file photo)

Sports in brief

Upcoming events Practice continues for girls and boys soccer, baseball, softball and track and field. Wrestling The high school wrestling season resumed after a suspension… Continue reading

Homer High School. (Homer News file photo)
Longtime Homer boys soccer coach Warren Waldorf (top right) celebrates a third place win at the soccer state championship in 2014. (Photo by Kim Greer/courtesy Warren Waldorf)

Longtime boys soccer coach steps down

Former assistant coach Adam Diaz set to take over

Longtime Homer boys soccer coach Warren Waldorf (top right) celebrates a third place win at the soccer state championship in 2014. (Photo by Kim Greer/courtesy Warren Waldorf)
Homer's Tonda Smude scores against Kenai Central on Friday, March 12, 2021, at the Southcentral Conference tournament at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Homer girls get berth to 3A state basketball

The Homer girls basketball team is going to the Class 3A state tournament, starting Thursday in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The Mariners were eligible for the… Continue reading

Homer's Tonda Smude scores against Kenai Central on Friday, March 12, 2021, at the Southcentral Conference tournament at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Lumen Christi's Brenden Gregory is mobbed by teammates after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in the Peninsula Conference championship game against Ninilchik on Friday, March 19, 2021, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Lumen Christi sweeps Peninsula Conference titles

Ninilchik boys, CIA girls nab 2nd place

Lumen Christi's Brenden Gregory is mobbed by teammates after hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in the Peninsula Conference championship game against Ninilchik on Friday, March 19, 2021, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
The author works at her former desk at the Peninsula Clarion in 2017 in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Ben Boettger)

Out of the Office: For good, for now

“Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes.” If that figure immediately transports you to the famous number from the musical “Rent,” you’ve caught my drift.… Continue reading

The author works at her former desk at the Peninsula Clarion in 2017 in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Ben Boettger)
A snowmachine at rest in front of the Snag Lake public use cabin. (Photo provided by USFWS)

Preparedness is key to staying safe in the backcountry

If you spend any time in the backcountry it’s bound to happen: an ankle sprain halfway into a day hike, the afternoon blowup that unexpectedly… Continue reading

A snowmachine at rest in front of the Snag Lake public use cabin. (Photo provided by USFWS)
Homer’s Brenna McCarron (right) prepares to send the ball up the field under pressure from Soldotna’s Ryann Cannava during the girls championship game of the Peninsula Conference Soccer Tournament on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Homer High School in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

Spring sports seasons take shape

Wrestling will also take place this spring after being postponed

Homer’s Brenna McCarron (right) prepares to send the ball up the field under pressure from Soldotna’s Ryann Cannava during the girls championship game of the Peninsula Conference Soccer Tournament on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Homer High School in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Dallas Seavey poses with his dogs after winning the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race race near Willow, Alaska, early Monday, March 15, 2021. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

Dallas Seavey wins Iditarod, matches most wins by a musher

ANCHORAGE — Ever since Dallas Seavey became the youngest musher to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 2012, he’s been bombarded by questions… Continue reading

Dallas Seavey poses with his dogs after winning the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race race near Willow, Alaska, early Monday, March 15, 2021. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
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)
Homer High School. (Homer News file photo)

Sports in brief

General announcements Girls on the Run is an eight-week after school empowerment program for third-fifth grade girls promoting confidence and self respect. The program combines… Continue reading

Homer High School. (Homer News file photo)
(Peninsula Clarion file photo)

Homer hoops players named to all-conference teams

After competing in the Southcentral Conference basketball tournament this past weekend, members of Homer’s boys and girls varsity teams landed a few spots on the… Continue reading

(Peninsula Clarion file photo)
Photo provided by USFWS Kenai National Wildlife Refuge staff groom Marsh Lake Trail for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

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

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

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

Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion The author gets warm with a mask at Alaska’s Matanuska Glacier on Sunday, March 7, 20201.
Homer's Sophie Ellison goes up for a shot against Kenai Central's Emma Beck on Thursday, March 4, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Sports in brief

General announcements Pre-season practice for the girls and boys soccer, wrestling and track and field seasons has begun and continues through Spring Break. Girls on… Continue reading

Homer's Sophie Ellison goes up for a shot against Kenai Central's Emma Beck on Thursday, March 4, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Photos courtesy of Mandy Lindeberg, NOAA, and Brenda Konar, University of Alaska Fairbanks 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.

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

Photos courtesy of Mandy Lindeberg, NOAA, and Brenda Konar, University of Alaska Fairbanks 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.
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)

Sports in brief

General announcements All spectators for Homer High School sports must be on the player guest list. Two spectators per participant are allowed per game. 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)
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Out of the Office: Glacial musings

After living in Alaska for a certain amount of time, one can start to feel like a regular, like one has the measure of the… Continue reading

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