Despite growing up in small towns without a track to train on, Taylor Eddington of Healy and Boomchain Loucks of Wrangell closed out decorated careers by dominating the competition at the Track & Field State Championships.
Each were named ASAA’s DII Outstanding Athlete of the Meet.
Each were selected to be our Alaska Athlete of the Week co-winners.
Tri-Valley’s Eddington went 4-for-4 in individual titles and broke the 10-year-old state record in the 300 hurdle prelims, clocking 43.31.
The senior from Healy went on to win the 300 hurdle state title as well as the 100 (12.66), 200 (25.61), 100 hurdles (15.14).
Wrangell’s Loucks captured the distance triple crown at the Track & Field Championships, winning the 800 (1:57.16), 1,600 (4:19.55) and 3,200 (9:31.78).
The senior’s titles are the first in Wrangell history in track and field. He owns the state’s top times in the 800 and 1,600 this season across all categories.
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Bailey Girls – Bailey family members accounted for all but one of the South girls soccer team’s goals in a 5-0 win over Wasilla in the ASAS Division I state final, capping a 20-0 season. Addison Bailey scored twice, Alivia Bailey once and Brianna Bailey once.
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Ourea Busk – The Unalakleet track star became a 4-time D2 state champion in the 400m and she anchored the Wolfpack’s 4×400 Team to a state championship by making up a large deficit due to a baton drop earlier in the race.
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Stephen Langer – The North Pole baseball player went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, including the tying run in the seventh inning to help the Patriots beat Lathrop 11-10 in extra innings in the Mid-Alaska Conference Tournament. He also pitched the final two innings to earning the winning decision in the game that took two days to complete due to rain.
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Dax O’Brien – The Dimond baseball player came through when it mattered most, dropping down a two-strike squeeze bunt to drive in the winning run as the Lynx walked off a 10-9 win over West in the Cook Inlet Conference Tournament.
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Taylor Passard – The Colony softball star hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings and help the Knights beat Wasilla 3-2 in extra innings for the Railbelt Conference Tournament title.
The Alaska Athlete of the Week is selected by a panel each Monday. Send athlete of the week recommendations to info@alaskasportshall.org.
