Allie Ivanoff is now a triple-record-breaking NYO champion.
By the conclusion of the 33rd Annual BSSD Native Youth Olympics tournament held last weekend, the Unalakleet teen placed first in the girls’ competition for Two-foot High Kick, Canadian One-foot High Kick, Kneel Jump, and Scissor Broad Jump. In doing so, she set new district-wide records in three of those categories, some of which were among the oldest held records in the Bering Strait region.
Ivanoff’s sweep of the competition inspired some tongue-in-cheek commentary from Tournament Director Jeff Erickson during the Two-foot High Kick:
Ivanoff, a junior this year, reached 27 feet 8 inches in the Scissor Broad Jump, beating the oldest held district record set in 1994 by half an inch. In the Canadian One-foot High Kick, she reached a height of 90 inches, beating a previous NYO competitor from Unalakleet, Laureli Ivanoff, who held the record for twenty-two years. The younger Ivanoff beat the record held since 1996 by seven inches.
Ivanoff also surpassed the Two-foot High Kick district record at a height of 74 inches, and placed first in the kneel jump, reaching a distance of 45.75 inches.
Ivanoff is now eligible to compete at the state games next weekend alongside fellow BSSD athletes such as Unalakleet senior and Outstanding Boys’ Athlete for the 2018 tournament Arctic Ivanoff, Elim’s Jacob Brouillette, Shishmaref’s Jeremiah Iyatunguk, and Shea Matthias of Stebbins.
Since meeting her long-held goal of breaking the Canadian One-foot high kick record, the most outstanding girls’ athlete of the tournament is already setting her sights higher for the state-wide competition. She says, “It feels amazing! I feel great. I’ve had my eyes set on this since eighth grade, [and I] finally broke it. I wanna try to get on the podium for one foot, mostly, just have fun in general.”
But first, Ivanoff needs some time to let her accomplishments sink in.
The state-wide Native Youth Olympics will start at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage on Thursday.
Image at top: Allie Ivanoff of Unalakleet competes in the 2018 BSSD NYO, held in St. Michael. Allie now holds the district record at a height of 90 inches. Photo: Karen Trop/KNOM.
