Sports

World-class skier, multi-sport star claim inaugural Hall of Fame youth awards

A skier who unleashed world-class speed to make U.S. history and a multi-sport star who helped her school win state championships in two sports this year are the inaugural winners of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame's youth athletes of the year awards.

Cross-country skier Gus Schumacher of Service High and versatile Alissa Pili of Dimond High will be honored with Pride of Alaska Youth Awards at a ceremony later this month at the Anchorage Museum.

Schumacher and Pili were honored as Alaska's top performers of the year for high school-aged athletes.

Schumacher led the United States to its first medal in boys competition at the World Junior Championships earlier this winter.

The United States earned medals in boys competition for the first time in history this winter thanks to Schumacher's sizzling anchor leg in the relay race at the World Championships.

Skiing on a team that included two other Anchorage boys — Luke Jager and Hunter Wonders — Schumacher made up a gap of more than 20 seconds in the final leg of the race to put the Americans on the medals podium.

The team was in fourth place, more than 26 seconds out of third place, when Schumacher took over. By the time he finished his 5-kilometer leg, he had lifted the United States into second place, 2.2 seconds away from the gold medal.

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"The feelings were incredible — the best I've ever had in a race," Schumacher told the ADN.

['Unbelievable' effort puts Alaska boys on World Junior podium]

The effort in Goms, Switzerland, was the best in a school year filled with stellar efforts by Schumacher, a senior who trains with the Alaska Winter Stars.
He repeated as Alaska's Skimeister at the state high school ski championships, won the Class 4A boys title at the state cross-country championships in the fall and was the top junior racer at the U.S. cross-country ski championships at Kincaid Park in January.

Pili also pulled off a repeat this year — she was named Alaska's Gatorade basketball player of the year for the second straight season.

A double-double machine in basketball and volleyball, Pili racked up 22 kills and 26 digs to propel the Lynx to their third straight state volleyball crown in November and last month piled up 22 points and 20 rebounds to carry them to a state basketball championship.

Pili is a threat to win more state titles this spring in track and field — she is the reigning champion in shot put and discus.

[Lynx cap undefeated season by denying three-peat by Wasilla girls]

Schumacher and Pili will be among those honored at an April 24 ceremony that will include the induction of the newest Hall of Fame class.

Another high school athlete will also be honored — Soldotna's Brenner Furlong, winner of the inaugural Trajan Langdon Youth Award for leadership, sportsmanship and inspiration.

Furlong, a senior running back, never lost a football game in four seasons with the Stars. He mentors young players and formed a bond with team manager Matthew Martinelli, who was born with cerebral palsy and gets help from Furlong and other players when it comes to getting to and from the field in his wheelchair.

The youth awards were created this year. Furlong, Pili and Schumacher will be honored April 24 at the annual Alaska Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

This year's Hall of Fame Class includes cross-country skier Holly Brooks and volleyball coach Virgil Hooe, who will be inducted as individuals. Mountain climber Dolly Lefever, the first American woman to climb the Seven Summits, will be honored in the moments category, and the Arctic Winter Games will be inducted as an event.

[Olympic skier, volleyball coach earn spots in Alaska Sports Hall of Fame]

Besides the youth awards, Directors Awards for adults will be given to cross-country skier Kikkan Randall, dog musher Roxy Wright and sit-skier Andrew Kurka, who are the winners of this year's Pride of Alaska awards.

Basketball player NeNe Hale will receive the Trajan Langdon Award for leadership, sportsmanship and inspiration and ski coach Jim Mahaffey will receive the Joe Floyd Award for significant and lasting contribution to Alaska through sports.

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