The 2022 Native Youth Olympic Games, after a two-year hiatus from face-to-face competition, returned to the Alaska Airlines Center on the campus of the University of Alaska, Anchorage for three days of competition.
Peninsula athletes Emilee Wilson, Leah Evans, Mylee Yeoman and Dez Hess placed in the top-five in individual events contested at the NYO Games.
Emilee Wilson from the Salamatof team placed third in the Girls One-Foot High Kick with a mark of 82”. Emily also placed fifth in the Girls Tw0-Foot High Kick with a mark of 64″.
Mylee Yeoman, from Salamatof, placed fifth in the Girls Indian Stick Pull.
Dez Hess, Ninilchik, placed fifth in the Boys One-Foot High Kick with a height of 106″.
Leah Evans, from Homer, placed second in the Girls Indian Stick Pull.
Link to NYO Top-Five Lists: Click Here!
NYO Games Details
According to the NYO, the games spotlight traditional athletic contests and games helped develop these and other skills critical to everyday life in the challenging Alaska environment. Today’s NYO Games Alaska carries on in this spirit by encouraging young people to strive for their personal best while helping and supporting their teammates—even other teams.
Today’s world is very different than when these games originated, and the skills and values they instill are just as important now as then. NYO Games Alaska is one of a small handful of events—along with the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) and the Arctic Winter Games—based on these traditional northern latitude contests.
The NYO Games include:
- Alaskan High Kick
- Arm Pull** Junior Games only
- Eskimo Stick Pull
- Indian Stick Pull* Senior Games only
- Kneel Jump
- One-Foot High Kick
- One-Hand Reach* Senior Games only
- Scissor Broad Jump
- Seal Hop
- Two-Foot High Kick
- Wrist Carry
