Who is Alaska's greatest high school athlete ever
· Yahoo Sports
Alaska has one of the most diverse high school sports programs in the United States.
Visit bettingx.club for more information.
From baseball and basketball to skiing and running, the state’s rich, expansive sphere has produced many names that have become well-known throughout the contiguous 48 and beyond.
Who is the best all-time Alaskan high school athlete? Who best defines the prep environment of the largest state in the country?
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY is launching its 250 for 250 series, a celebration of the best athletes from each state. With your votes, five will be selected to represent the athletes who have defined high school sports.
With that in mind, here are the nominees for the Alaskan high school athlete. The 16 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standouts at the high school level.
Carlos Boozer, Boys Basketball, Juneau-Douglas High School
Perhaps the best-recognized high school basketball player from Alaska, Carlos Boozer led Juneau-Douglas to back-to-back championships, was named the Player of the Year three times, and was a two-time Parade All-American. Boozer led his team to a 95-12 record over his career before departing for Duke and eventually the NBA.
John Brown, Boys Basketball, Ketchikan High School
John Brown went 110-14 over his four years of basketball, dominating the 1960s as he won four championships. A double-double machine, he was named one of Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 high school basketball players of all time.
Mario Chalmers, Boys Basketball, Bartlett High School (Anchorage)
Mario Chalmers is the only player from Alaska to win championships in high school, college and the NBA. He contributed all four years, helping Bartlett win a championship as a freshman, and was named Alaska Player of the Year three times. A five-star prospect, Chalmers attended Kansas and then played in the NBA.
Don Clary, Cross Country, Anchorage East High School
Few athletes, if any, around the nation can say they set more records than Dan Clary, who set 27 such records in cross country, according to the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, and still holds records in the one-mile, two-mile, and 5,000 meters. He only lost two races in high school, finishing second in both.
Brandon Dubinsky, Boys Hockey, Robert Service High School (Anchorage)
Prior to Brandon Dubinsky’s 13-year NHL career, he played for a variety of prep hockey programs in Alaska, including Service High School, the Alaska All Stars and Western Hockey League’s Portland Winter Hawks, the last of which he joined at age 16, according to Alaska News Source.
Scott Gomez, Boys Hockey, East Anchorage High School
Before Scott Gomez was a Stanley Cup champion and an Olympian, he played at East Anchorage. He made his impact in just two years of play, winning Alaska Player of the Year both years, and recorded 183 points in 55 games. A member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, he is called “The One.”
Betsy Haines, Cross Country, Track, East Anchorage High School
Betsy Haines was an elite runner at East Anchorage, winning three cross-country championships and only losing one race in three years on the track team, according to the Anchorage Daily News (ADN). She was named to the U.S. ski team at the age of 15.
Jeannie Hebert-Truax, Girls Basketball, North Pole High School and Monroe Catholic
Jannie Hebert-Truax became the first Alaska high school player to win three Player of the Year Awards, earning them across two different high schools. She won a pair of championships with Monroe Catholic, and though we’re not counting coaching stats, she won seven state titles as a coach.
Bobby Hill, Powerlifting, Bartlett High School (Anchorage)
Diagnosed at birth with Down Syndrome, Bobby Hill has made an outsized impact on Alaska high school sports. He is one of the most decorated Special Olympians, with 11 medals in powerlifting, and served as manager of Bartlett’s football team for 20 years.
Lydia Jacoby, Girls Swimming, Seward High School
Lydia Jacoby broke her first state record when she was 12, and then continued to dominate in high school. She set Alaska records in the 100-yard breaststroke in 2018 and 2019, establishing herself as an elite swimmer before becoming homeschooled during COVID-19. She won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Alev Kelter, Hockey, Soccer, Flag Football, Chugiak High School (Anchorage)
You’re unlikely to find a more well-rounded athlete than Alev Kelter, who played girls soccer and flag football and boys hockey. A two-time Alaska Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year, Kelter was the first Alaskan girl selected to the U.S. Soccer’s U-14 Olympic Development camp. She has competed in soccer, hockey and rugby in the Olympics.
Trajan Langdon, East Anchorage High School
Trajan Langdon, now president of the Detroit Pistons, was one of the best high school basketball players Alaska has seen. A three-time state Player of the Year, Langdon set the 4A record with 2,200 career points. He won a championship with East Anchorage.
Jessica Monroe, Girls Basketball, Volleyball, Track and Field, Colony High School
Jessica Monroe wins championships wherever she goes. She won multiple titles in basketball and volleyball, and won the triple jump title in track and field. She was the 1999 Alaska Prep Athlete of the Year and a two-time Basketball Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year.
Allie Ostrander, Cross Country, Kenai Central High School
Allie Ostrander specialized in cross country, setting records in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs and winning three championships. She also competed in track, winning four individual titles. Ostrander played four years of high school basketball and competed in Nordic skiing in middle school. Anchorage Daily News calls her “the best female high school runner Alaska has ever produced.”
Kikkan Randall, Cross Country, Skiing, Track, East Anchorage High School
Kikkan Randall’s track coach recommended she take up cross-country skiing to keep in shape in the winter. That turned out to be prescient. One of the most decorated American skiers, Randall’s first taste of victory came in cross-country and track, where she won a combined 10 titles between the two sports. She is the niece of Haines.
Mark Schlereth, Football, Robert Service High School (Anchorage)
Mark Schlereth has a rare distinction — as an offensive lineman, he may be the biggest household name of this group. A 1984 Service High graduate, Schlereth was not a highly recruited prospect. Still, after attending the University of Idaho, he made it to the NFL and became the first Alaskan to win the Super Bowl.
.oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}
Who is the greatest Alaska high school athlete of all time?This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is the best Alaskan high school athlete of all time? VOTE NOW