Anchorage Daily News

Amanda Black became an instant celebrity in her village of Napakiak on Friday when she blew the lid off Anchorage's Dena'ina Center at the Senior Native Youth Olympics.

The 18-year-old not only set a record in the girls toe kick, she also crushed her personal best by five inches to give Napakiak -- a Lower Kuskokwim village of about 400 people -- its first Senior Native Youth Olympic champion.

"I think the village of Napakiak will have a feast," said Paul Paul, a coach for the Lower Kuskokwim School District. "They will be so proud of her."

Black, representing Napakiak's first athlete at SNYO, put together a jump that drew tears from her coach.

"She was really focused," Paul said.

Black shared the toe kick record with Beverly Nakarak of Bering Straight School District, but Black was named the winner because she leapt 53 inches in only three attempts. It took Nakarak six tries.

"It was pretty cool," Black said about winning an event that teaches kids to be light on their feet on sea ice. "I'm really happy."

Black dedicated herself to breaking the record -- set in 2007 by Renae Ivanoff -- four years ago when coach David Bill introduced her to the sport that only requires a tape measure and a stick.

Black practiced the toe kick for two hours every day after school. On the weekends, while she worked at Napakiak's only grocery store, she would hone her leaping skills alongside grocery isles.

"I worked on jumping when there was nothing else to do," Black said.

The training never seemed to stop, even when she came to Anchorage for SNYO.

On Thursday night around 9:30, Black had her stick and tape measure handy in the Holiday Inn Express lobby.

But her practice was cut to only 30 minutes.

"The lobby lady said curfew was at 10," said Monica Hecklinger, a teacher who lives Tununak. "It was time to stop."

Come Friday, it was time to give it her best. She became one of five athletes to break records so far with one more day of competition.

Find Kevin Klott online at adn.com/contact/kklott or call 257-4335.

Native Youth Olympics

At the Dena'ina Center

Friday's Results

Girls Eskimo Stick Pull -- 1) Rae Rae Timmerman, Dillingham; 2) Aurora Warrior, Mt. Edgecumbe; 3) Daniell Green, LYSD; 4) Grace Volencia, Wasilla; 5) Crissy Elliott, Bethel.

Boys Eskimo Stick Pull -- 1) Donovan Phillips, LYSD; 2) Jed Johnson, Wasilla; 3) Lloyd Kompkoff, Valdez; 4) Thomas Albert, LKSD; 5) Forrest Cook, Su Valley.

Girls Toe Kick -- 1) Amanda Black, LKSD, 53 inches (NYO record; old record: Renae Ivanoff, BSSD, 2007, 51); 2) Beverly Nakarak, BSSD, 53; 3) Jacqlyn Weston, Anchorage, 50; 4) Sara Schaeffer, Mt. Edgecumbe, 48; 5) Samantha Keeney, Valdez, 42.

Boys Toe Kick -- 1) Albert Tunuchuk, LKSD, 82; 2) Max Fancher, BSSD, 82; 3) Timothy Standifer, Tyonek, 76; 4) Antone Ukatish, Nanwalek, 72; 5) Chris Anderson, Kenai, 72.

Girls One Hand Reach -- 1) Alice Strick, Wasilla, 58; 2) Stephanie Lupie, Bethel, 57; 3) Kristen Smeaton, Dillingham, 56; 4) Chelsea Morrow, Yakutat, 56; 5) Jessica Waska, Yupiit S. District, 56.

Boys One Hand Reach -- 1) Derek Bodfish, Alak, 64; 2) Andrew Walker, Anchorage, 64; 3) tie, Yako McCarr, LKSD, and Mark Tubin, Anchorage, 63; 5) Calvin Bell, Nome, 59.

Thursday's Results

Girls Kneel Jump -- 1) Sharlene King, Anchorage, 4934 inches; 2) Jaclyn West, Anchorage, 45; 3) Darcie Kingeekuk, BSSD, 4312; 4) Laura Terchik, LKSD, 4314.

Boys Kneel Jump -- 1) Daniel Andrew III, LKSD, 57 inches; 2) Shawn Paul, Bethel, 56; 3) Terry Rogers, Mt. Edgecumbe, 5412; 4) Eric Aguchak, LYSD, 5412; 5) Aaron Wilde, ATC Youth, 5212.

Girls Wrist Carry -- 1) NeKa Luce, Nome, 508 feet-6 inches; 2) Jorden Lisac, Dillingham, 411-5; 3) Samantha Ishnook, SWRSD, 218-9; 4) Irene Attungana, Houston, 185; 5) Raeann Patkotak, Barrow, 151-312.

Boys Wrist Carry -- 1) Troy Lockwood, BSSD, 611-4 (NYO record; old record, Micheal Wassilly, Dillingham, 2008, 606-7); 2) Gabe Melin, Houston, 509-4; 3) Fred Rivels, LYSD, 436-534; 4) Shawn Paul, Bethel, 413-10; 5) Lonny Booshu, Nome, 406-312.

Girls Alaskan High Kick -- 1) Jacqlyn Weston, Anchorage, 76 (NYO record; old record, Tanya Slim, LKSD, 2008, 74); 2) Flora Phillips, Anchorage, 70; 3) Jessica Waska, Yupiit S. District, 68; 4) Magdeline Isadore, LYSD, 68; 5) Christine McElwee, Bethel, 66.

Boys Alaskan High Kick -- 1) Andrew White, LKSD, 93 (NYO record; old record, Manuel Tumulak, Anchorage, 2007, 92; 2) Mark Tubin, Anchorage, 90; 3) Lonny Booshu, Nome, 86; 4) Christian Paul, Mt. Edgecumbe, 82; 5) Kash Ferguson, Chevak, 82.

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