UAA Athletics

UAA sports notebook: Basketball awards, track and field seniors honored and trio of gymnasts set career bests

Even though the 2021-22 season has concluded, members of the UAA men’s and women’s basketball programs continue to garner recognition.

Senior Oggie Pantovic was once again honored as one of the top 10 men’s basketball players in the NCAA Division II West Region, earning second team all-region honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. This is his latest accolade following his final season, which also saw him receive second team all-region honors by the College Sports Information Directors of America and a second-straight first team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection.

Senior Tennae Voliva earned honorable mention All-America recognition and women’s head coach Ryan McCarthy was named the West Region’s finalist for WBCA NCAA DII National Coach of the Year. This marked Voliva’s latest honor for her final season with the Seawolves that also included first team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference and Third Team Academic All-America honors. McCarthy has now picked up his fifth West Region coach-of-the-year honor since the 2014-15 season.

Atlas and Cano collect GNAC track and field honors

The Seawolves swept the weekly GNAC women’s track and field awards thanks to standout performances by a pair of seniors at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego.

Tylantiss Atlas was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after coming in sixth place in the 400 meters. Her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 55.75 seconds ranks fifth in DII this season. Atlas also ran 24.64 seconds in the 200 meters which was the fourth-fastest time in the event in UAA program history.

After winning the heptathlon in San Diego with a score of 4,593 points, Elena Cano was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. Her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying total leads all Division II this season. In addition, Cano churned out a NCAA Championships provisional qualifying high jump mark with a clearance of 5 feet, 7.25 inches which is sixth in DII this season and tied for eighth on the GNAC all-time list.

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Three Seawolves record new personal bests in gymnastics at MPSF Championships

Alyssa Manley, Mackenzie Robinson and Montana Fairbairn produced career highs to pace UAA’s gymnastics team to a 190.500 total at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women’s Gymnastics Championships at University Credit Union Center.

The Seawolves received solid three-event efforts from Rachel Decious and Kylie Reese. They finished fifth in the team standings behind San Jose State (196.425), host UC Davis (196.060), Air Force (193.750) and Sacramento State (192.975) in their 2021-22 season finale.

Manley is just a freshman and led the UAA on both of her events. She scored 9.65 on uneven bars in the opening rotation and tied for ninth among the 30 competitors on floor with a career-high 9.825.

Tobin Karlberg is going from a Seawolf to a Sea Lion

After breaking out in his junior season for UAA, Tobin Karlberg entered the transfer portal and recently announced on social media that he will be going from the Last Frontier to Southern California where he will continue his playing career at Point Loma Nazarene University.

Karlberg led the 2021-2022 UAA men’s basketball team in scoring, 3-pointers, free throws, and steals. He also finished second on the team in assists and fourth in rebounds. The local product grew up in Anchorage and starred at the prep level for the Grace Christian Grizzlies.

Josh Reed

Josh Reed is a sports reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. He's a graduate of West High School and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

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