The inaugural class of 2018 for the Alaska Hall of Fame Director’s Youth Awards spotlights three high school athletes who have demonstrated outstanding athletic ability, leadership and character.
Brenner Furlong, Soldotna High School senior, receives the annual Trajan Langdon Youth Award for Leadership, Sportsmanship and Inspiration.
Dimond junior Alissa Pili and Service senior cross-country Skimeister Gus Schumacher are the first recipients of the Pride of Alaska, Directors’ Youth Awards.
“Alaska has gone several years without any type of statewide, sports-wide recognition for outstanding high school-aged athletic achievement,” said Harlow Robinson, executive director of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. “We felt the time was past due to bring this type of award back and we plan to make this an annual tradition.” “I know I speak for the entire Alaska Sports Hall of Fame board of directors in saying we were blown away by the number of great candidates and inspired by the quality of character as well as the talents of our young athletes from across the state,” said Robinson.
The winners were selected by the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame board of directors after a public submission process.
Winners were selected from pools of finalists narrowed down from the original list of nominees. “Our selection panel made some difficult decisions,” said Robinson. “There were dozens of nominees worthy of consideration that did not make the list of finalists.”
All of the youth and adult winners will be honored at the annual Alaska Sports Hall of Fame ceremony April 24 at the Anchorage Museum.
The Youth Awards recipients will be honored at the annual Alaska Sports Hall of Fame ceremony April 24 at the Anchorage Museum. The ceremony also recognizes adult awards recipients (including Kikkan Randall, Roxy Wright and Andrew Kurka), and inducts the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Individuals Holly Brooks and Virgil Hoog, the Arctic Winter Games (Event), and Dolly Lefever becoming the first American woman to conquer the famed Seven Summits (Moment) will all be honored.
Trajan Langdon Youth Award (named for East High graduate Tradan Langdon; Alaska all-state, college basketball (Duke), NBA, Cavaliers)
Criteria: For Leadership, Sportsmanship and Inspiration – For a person or group of people who have demonstrated leadership, integrity and sportsmanship during the past year and positively influenced and inspired others to be better sportsmen or sportswomen.
2018 Trajan Langdon Youth Award Recipient: Brenner Furlong (award description from alaskasportshall.org)
“A senior at Soldotna High, Brenner serves his community, school and family with exemplary dedication and rigor. He was Gatorade football Player of the Year in 2016-17, two-time Offensive Player of the Year, 400-meter state champion in track and pays special attention to kids who need extra help, either due to a physical disability or in need of additional support with rides or help studying. Brenner always includes a fellow player who is in a wheel chair due to cerebral palsy, and he consistently mentors younger players, carrying on a tradition in the Stars football program that did not lose a game in his career. “
2018 Trajan Langdon Youth Award: Finalists
Tatum Bayne, Sitka
Simeon Beardon, Anchorage
Brandon Gall, Anchorage
Tobin Karlberg, Anchorage
Grace Miller, Palmer
Duncan Okitkun, Kotlik
Award Winners & Finalists Biographies: Click Here!
Brenner Furlong is the seventh selection for the award which dates to 2012. Furlong joins past recipients of the Alaska Hall of Fame Trajan Langdon Youth Award:
2017 Damen Bell-Holter, Ketchikan High School
2016 Laci Effenberger, Ketchikan High School
2015 Aliy Zirkle, Iditarod musher
2014 Marko Cheseto, University of Alaska Anchorage
2013 Paul Tandy, West High School
2012 Chugiak High School Football Team
