Chugiak High rising senior Benjamin Hiestand launched a school-record 183 feet, 6 inches in the discus at the USATF Pacific Northwest Association Junior Olympic Championships to earn our Alaska Athlete of the Week honors.
The defending state champion topped his previous best by more than three feet, while surpassing Erich Scheunemann’s 37-year-old school record by 19 inches.
Hiestand now ranks second all time in Alaska boys history, trailing only Bartlett’s Jordan Clarke (204-0).
Ten days earlier, Hiestand led a strong contingent of Alaskans at Nike Outdoor Nationals, placing seventh in the emerging elite section of the discus (171-2.25) at the historic Hayward Field.
- Jacob Joanis – The Kenai American Legion baseball player hit two home runs and drove in nine runs at the Alaska 529 Midseason Classic and struck out nine batters in his lone start to lead the Twins to a 4-0 record and the title at Mulcahy Stadium.
- Tracen Knopp – The 27-year-old runner from Palmer finished 19th among men in his debut at the Western States 100 in California’s Sierra Nevadas, the premier ultramarathon in North America.
- Shauna Severson – The 39-year-old Eagle River runner shaved seven minutes off the female course record on Sunday in the 15-mile Juneau Ridge Race (an Alaskan Mountain Runners Grand Prix event) finishing in two hours 32 minutes and two seconds.
The Alaska Athlete of the Week is selected by a panel each Monday. Send recommendations to info@alaskasportshall.org.
