Alailefaleula, Hiestand rule the throwing ring; Chugiak defends D1 boys team title

Whether it be on the gridiron or in the throwing ring, when Deuce Alailefaleula is firing on all cylinders, he’s simply unstoppable.

The Bartlett senior launched the shot put 53 feet, 3.5 inches to collect his third straight title, while Chugiak’s Benjamin Hiestand netted his second state title in the discus with a throw of 168-3, helping the Mustangs defend their team title at the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Track & Field State Championships.

Alailefaleula, the reigning Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year in football, transformed his skills in the shot put when he needed them most.

“I missed a lot during the season, only been to three track meets due to injuries and prepping myself to go to school,” said Alailefaleula, a Boise State football commit. “My motivation for this state meet was just staying focused and staying healthy.”

After launching the 12-pound spherical ball to a season-best in the prelims, the senior maintained his lead, holding off a late challenge from Benjamin Hiestand, the reigning Region IV champion. He also finished fifth in the discus.

“It feels awkward, you know, having that competitiveness with another person — I’m not used to it yet,” said Alailefaleula, after clinching the three-peat. “But it feels good … just throwing blows at each other, just to see who will come out harder.”

Hiestand didn’t go home empty-handed either, as the junior defended his crown in the discus to contribute 18 points to the Mustangs in their pursuit of the team title sweep.

The thrower won the discus by more than 18 feet to cap an undefeated season in the event against in-state competition. His only loss came at the Liberty Bell Invitational in Colorado, where he threw a colossal 180-1 to move up to No. 4 all-time in Alaska prep history.

Teammate Elijah Udall also contributed major points for the Mustangs by sweeping the sprinting events.

Unlike Hiestand, Udall entered the meet as a bit of an underdog, having only one individual victory this season in the sprints. But where his experience lacked, his speed flourished, making it count on the state’s biggest stage.

The freshman won the 100 in 11.20, edging Soldotna’s Andon Wolverton by mere thousandths of a second. Officials meticulously analyzed the photo-finish before declaring Udall the winner, a process that took longer than the race itself.

“It was a little scary, I didn’t know where I was in the race, but at the very end I (also) wasn’t completely sure,” said Udall.

With one title in hand, Udall continued his quest in the 200, completing the sprint-double in a personal-best 22.54, while leading the Mustangs to a 1-2-3 sweep with Ahmir Walker (22.68) and Dausen Loughman (22.88).

Two-time defending cross country champion Katahdin Staples earned his first title on the track by winning the 3,200 in a personal-best 9:20.82. The East junior led for a majority of the race, using a strong start to distance himself from the field, after taking runner-up one year ago.

A late charge from Kodiak’s Weston Roberts put pressure on Staples, but he held off the senior, adding to his growing legacy.

Roberts was not deterred, however, anchoring the Bears to victory the following day in the 4×800, an event Kodiak has a lengthy history in, including winning eight consecutive titles from 2011-2018 and placing sixth or higher in every state championship since 2006.

The quartet of Stokely Williams, Julian Kiefer, Gabriel Koehler and Roberts defended their title to collect their 12th crown in the event, while blazing to a time of 8:03.66 — the seventh-fastest time in Alaska prep history and the Bears’ fastest time at the state meet.

“We put in so much work,” said Williams. “Especially, we’ve been training in the mornings all winter, so we’ve got a lot of miles in. It was really satisfying to see it all pay off.”

Koehler and Roberts — George Fox commits — extended the lead after Kiefer rocketed to the front, putting the Bears atop the podium to finish nine seconds ahead of Chugiak.

“This is truly something incredible,” said Koehler. “This is something I’ll never forget.”

Ketchikan’s Henry Vail repeated as winner in the 400, clocking a blistering 49.67 to lead West’s Ansel Alexander (49.73) — who became the ninth fastest quarter-miler in Alaska prep history in 49.40 at the Region IV Championships — also under the 50-second barrier. Vail, a junior, capped an undefeated season in the event against in-state competition, while lowering his own school record.

Eagle River’s Luke Shaw made it an 800/1600 sweep, with respective times of 1:59.19 and 4:20.71. The Stanford-bound senior outkicked Katahdin Staples in the latter, while leading Dimond freshman Jack Weiss under the two-minute barrier in the former. The result was a storybook ending for Shaw, who previously finished runner-up in the 800 last spring and ninth as a sophomore, despite clocking 1:58 in the prelims that year.

East’s Matthew Jackson completed an undefeated season in the 110 hurdles, clocking 15.74 after a slight stumble mid-race. The junior’s title is the first for Thunderbirds since Ceylon Mitchell in 2008.

“I was determined just to catch back up, I didn’t expect to get back in the lead,” said Jackson. “It just feels good to win something for my team.”

Dimond’s Malachi Coski, Tavarius Wrice and Corde Bates proved to be a triple-threat, winning the 300 hurdles, high jump and long jump. Coski, a senior, sped to 40.06, breaking the Lynx’s 27-year-old record set by Terry Jesclard, while Wrice, a junior, cleared 6-4 in the high jump to become Dimond’s first champion in the event since Justin Ore two decades ago. Bates, a senior and the seventh-best long jumper in Alaska prep history, overcame a deficit to SoHi’s Zack Kemp in the prelims, jumping 21-5.75 in the finals.

After taking fourth at the Region III Championships, Colony’s Hans Erickson soared to victory in the triple jump with a leap of 43-6. Erickson’s title was the first in the event since three-time state champion Brandon Nicholson (2015-17), who later competed for UAA. The Knights also narrowly won the 4×200 in 1:31.27 over West Valley and Soldotna.

North Pole’s Kooper Matteson won a quartet of adaptive events — the high jump, long jump, shot put and discus — while Service’s Ryker Riggs won the adaptive 800 and 1,600.

East’s Christopher Jemison won the men’s unified/partners 100 with Omar Drummeh, while the Thunderbirds also won the mixed unified 4×100. Bartlett’s Juddah Bolger won the men’s unified/partners shot put with Jaxson Ezell. Service won the men’s unified 4×100.

Led by Hiestand’s and Udall’s wins, Chugiak also won the 4×100 in 43.59 and the 4×400 in 3:27.38. The Mustangs scored points from Ahmir Walker (100 & 200), Luke Poland (100, long jump & triple jump), Dausen Loughman (200 & 400), Matthew Varney (400), Kohen Galloway (800, 1,600 & 3,200), Gabriel Huse (discus) and Finn Larsen (triple jump) to dominate the team standings.

The Mustangs scored 116 points, while Colony finished runner-up with 72 points.

The title marks the seventh for the Mustangs (’87, ’88, ’96, ’19, ’21, ’25, ’26), who defended their crown from last spring. It also marks the second-straight state team title sweep for the Mustangs in track and field.

Full results here.