Girdwood’s Ava Earl was selected as the Alaska Sports Report’s Alaska Athlete of the Week after crushing her her outdoor season-opener in the 5,000 at the Raleigh Relays, clocking 15 minutes, 46.51 seconds — a sizzling 5:04 per mile — to finish eighth overall.
The Northwestern junior sliced a staggering 32.83 seconds from her previous best and reset the program record by 4.27 seconds, set by former teammate Rachel McCardell last spring.
Earl, a standout runner at South Anchorage High School, moves up to No. 2 on the Alaska all-time list among known performers, joining Allie Ostrander as just the second Alaskan to eclipse the 16-minute barrier.
Ostrander holds the state’s top time of 15:16.38 from 2018. Earl’s time currently ranks 13th among NCAA Division I runners this season.
Also receiving votes:
- Dave Carle – The University of Denver bench boss David Carle of Anchorage has guided the Pioneers into the Frozen Four for the third time in his six seasons as the leader of one of NCAA men’s hockey’s most dynamic programs.
- Johnny Figgins – The junior midfielder recorded a hattrick as the Colony Knights dismantled the visiting Dimond Lynx 5-0 in their season opener. On the day, Figgins racked up three goals and an assist.
- Novie McCabe – The APU skier furnished a strong finish to the cross-country ski season by winning the title in the 40K national championship last Monday in Duluth.
- Allie Ostrander – The Soldotna runner finished 30th overall and second among Americans at the World Cross-Country Championships in Serbia.
- Scott Patterson – The Anchorage skier ended his U.S. Ski Team career Monday by claiming a bronze medal in the season’s final competition, a 40-kilometer race in Duluth.
- Alissa Pili – The University of Utah women’s basketball team’s two-time All-American out of Anchorage dazzled in her college swan song, scoring 35 points and adding seven rebounds in the Utes 77-66 loss to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Patrick Tolan – The 18-year-old Anchorage native scored his first North American Hockey League goal on his first shot, notching the Anchorage Wolverines’ lone score in a 2-1 shootout loss to the visiting Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Saturday.
The Alaska Athlete of the Week is selected by a panel each Monday
Have a candidate in mind? Email us your nomination: info@alaskasportshall.org.