South High football player Austin French earned Alaska Athlete of the Week honors after leading the Wolverines to the football state championship.
French led his team in rushing with 89 yards, thanks to a 75-yard scoring sprint in the final minutes of a 37-3 victory over Bartlett in the state title game.
He also had an interception on defense and scored a touchdown on special teams after taking a punt 61 yards to the house for the second-longest punt return TD in state title game history.
French helped South cap a 9-2 season by bagging the school’s fifth state championship since opening its doors in 2004.
Also receiving votes:
- Tia Allen – The UAA volleyball player led the Seawolves to back-to-back five-set road wins in the GNAC after slamming a career-high 23 kills and hitting .447 against Saint Martin’s and furnishing 17 kills with 12 digs against Western Oregon.
- John Peckham – The UAA runner won the GNAC Cross Country Championships, covering the 8-kilometer course in 24 minutes, 4.6 seconds. The graduate student became the 14th men’s winner in program history, while leading the Seawolves to a runner-up finish.
The Alaska Athlete of the Week is selected by a panel each Monday. If you have an athlete of the week recommendation you can email it to info@alaskasportshall.org.
