English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Anchorage, AK

PORTLAND, Ore. – A raucous crowd of fifth graders inside the Alaska Airlines Center kicked off a successful final week of the regular season for the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team, which finished its 2024 campaign with a pair of impressive Great Northwest Athletic Conference victories and was named the GNAC Team of the Week on Monday.

UAA (16-12, 10-8 GNAC) took down fourth-place Western Washington in straight sets during Thursday's Alaska School District Digs Higher Education field trip day, which brought upwards of 3,000 elementary school kids to the arena. The Seawolves continued buzzing off the momentum in their Saturday match, sweeping second-place Simon Fraser to close out the year with a pair of victories.

"That one was really fun," UAA head coach Stacie Meisner said on playing in front of the fifth-grade fans. "It was a really loud environment, and the kids had a great time. The players were able to interact with them before and after the match, and it was special for those kid who not only have never come to a game but have never been on a college campus. Starting to introduce kids to what it's like to be on a campus when they are young is really important. Having this kind of community engagement is not just special, but it is important we continue to do this in the future."

It was the second straight week with a headline crowd at UAA, after it reclaimed the NCAA Division II volleyball attendance record in its home match against Alaska Fairbanks on Nov. 16. UAA originally broke the attendance record with 3,888 fans in 2022, before the University of Nebraska Kearney brought in 4,003 fans to a match last fall. The Seawolves reclaimed the distinction two weeks ago, with a total of 4,388 fans filling out the green seats at the Alaska Airlines Center.

"This is the third year we have done it, and it has always been a success," Meisner said of the annual Pack the House night. "It really speaks to the community here in Anchorage and how much they support UAA athletics as a whole. We were able to get people in the door who maybe have never come to a game before, which helps generate long-term interest in supporting the program. We are grateful to have the support we do, and it is something really special to play in front of a crowd that big. It is not something that happens often at the D2 level."

The Seawolves had the memory of a 3-2 loss to the Vikings on Sept. 21 on their minds at the outset of Thursday's match, as they turned the tables to even the season series between the teams with a 25-22, 25-17, 25-17 triumph. Junior Tia Allen posted an 11-kill, 13-dig double-double to lead the way, while Bella Burney and Katie Birtcil each had three block assists.

"Going into last week in general, the team wanted to go out on a high note for our seniors," Meisner said. "We had a lot of good energy and excitement before and during the match against WWU with the kids in the arena, and that played a role. Our team came out focused, and wanted to be competitive and get a bit of redemption from that match earlier in the year after we let them reverse sweep us."

Libero Madison Galloway had 19 digs while Hannah Trotter (14 assists) and Kadyn Osborne (12 assists) split the duties of coordinating the offense in the win over the Vikings. Senior Bethany Tuchardt, who averaged 2.23 kills per set this season, contributed eight kills to the offensive effort.

"She has a great vertical, and has worked hard this year on increasing her arm speed and hitting the ball harder," Meisner said on Tuchardt. "She's a reliable pin hitter who we can put on the outside or right side, and we know she will be able to score points when she's in the front row."

Saturday's win over the Red Leafs brought UAA closure, as its 2024 conference schedule began with a 3-0 defeat in Burnaby, B.C., on Sept. 19. The Seawolves flipped the script in convincing fashion, cruising to a 25-13, 25-17, 25-20 triumph to close the season.

"We knew we would have to play some of our best volleyball to have a competitive match," Meisner said on the team's approach to facing SFU. "Our team has grown a lot through the season and found ways to improve a little bit each week. Simon was our first conference match, and getting to play them at the very end and have a much better performance at home shows the work and effort we have put in throughout the season to get better week after week."

Osborne followed with 21 assists in the win over the Red Leafs, marking her 12th match this season reaching 20 assists. The senior from Anchorage racked up 673 assists in her two-year career, averaging 5.18 per set for her hometown team. "She did an excellent job all year long of distributing the ball to our attackers and helping us have a balanced attack," Meisner said. "She did a great job feeding the middle when teams least expected it, and that's how Leilani (Elder) was able to have higher hitting efficiencies. Defensively Kadyn does a nice job in the back row getting digs."

Leilani Elder, a fourth-year senior on the squad, came through with seven total blocks last week while adding a dozen kills in her final matches as a Seawolf. Elder led the team and ranked eighth in the GNAC this fall with 1.06 blocks per set and totaled 304 blocks (0.92 per set) in her four-year career at UAA.

"She has been in the program four years and played every single year," Meisner said on Elder. "She has continually gotten better and she really had a great year. She had some good offensive output for us and good movement on the block. She was a solid, steady force in the front row for us."

In her first season on the floor for the Seawolves, Allen played a pivotal role both offensively and defensively. In the win over the Vikings Thursday, she recorded her eighth double-double of the season, and she led the team with 2.35 kills per set this fall while ranking 13th in the GNAC with 2.98 digs per set this fall. "Tia is not just an athlete, but she is a competitor," Meisner said. "She is a captain on our team, and she plays a really big role athletically and as a leader on our team. She had a tremendous week and is another player who continues to work hard week after week. She is the cornerstone to our team."

Fueling the UAA defense all season long have been Burney and Galloway, who each contributed in last week's wins. Burney added five block assists against the Red Leafs to give her eight total on the week, and she finished her sophomore season second on the squad with 0.81 blocks per set.

"Bella is a tremendous athlete," said Meisner. "She is only a sophomore, and she continues to get better week after week. She has tons of athleticism and continues to have a high ceiling. Getting her back in the middle this year helped us out. She's a force in the middle and can get the ball at any given time. She really did some nice things this week, and we are excited to have her for two more years."

Galloway meanwhile ranked sixth in the GNAC this season with 4.07 digs per set and reached double figures in digs in 24 of 28 matches played. Through the first three seasons of her collegiate career, Galloway has accumulated 953 digs. Her digs per set mark this fall was more than a full dig higher than her previous single-season best of 2.84 which she posted in 2023.

"Madison is a force on defense," said Meisner. "She sees the ball really well, refuses to let the ball hit the ground without getting on the ground herself, and that has resulted in her getting a lot of digs. She's a great athlete and provides a great foundation for us defensively. We are one of the top teams in the conference in digs per set, and that has a lot to do with her."

A newcomer to the roster this season, Birtcil made an immediate impact, ranking second on the team with 2.34 kills per set and 3.04 digs per set. A transfer from New Mexico State, Birtcil recorded her seventh double-double of the year with 13 kills and 13 digs in the win over SFU on Saturday.

"Katie came in as a grad transfer for her final year of eligibility, and really filled a nice role on our team," Meisner said. "She had offensive output in both the front and back rows and did nice things defensively and in serve-receive. She may not have the highest offensive numbers, but she is a player who demanded respect and teams tried to keep the ball away from her. Katie helped us have a balanced offensive attack and opened up things for some other hitters to have success."

Light magnitude 3.3 earthquake at 13 km depth

24 Nov 23:43 UTC: First to report: EMSC after 2 minutes.24 Nov 23:44: Now using data updates from USGS25 Nov 01:00: Magnitude recalculated from 3.4 to 3.3. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 28.5 to 13.2 km (from 17.7 to 8.2 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 1.6 km (1 mi) towards SW.

Update Mon, 25 Nov 2024, 00:03

An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 occurred early afternoon on Sunday, November 24th, 2024, at 2:42 pm local time near Anchorage, Alaska, USA, as reported by the United States Geological Survey.According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a shallow depth of 18 miles. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.A second report was later issued by The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), which listed it as a magnitude 3.4 earthquake as well. A third agency, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), reported the same quake at magnitude 3.4.Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Girdwood (pop. 2,300) located 17 miles from the epicenter, Elmendorf Air Force Base (pop. 6,600) 17 miles away, Eagle River (pop. 24,800) 17 miles away, and Eagle River (pop. 24,800) 17 miles away. In Anchorage (pop. 291,200, 25 miles away), Gateway (pop. 5,600, 27 miles away), Knik-Fairview (pop. 14,900, 27 miles away), Palmer (pop. 6,800, 29 miles away), Wasilla (pop. 9,300, 29 miles away), and Lakes (pop. 8,400, 30 miles away), the quake was probably not felt.

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ANCHORAGE (Nov. 22) – Senior guard Jazzpher Evans scored 14 points to help stake host Alaska Anchorage to a big halftime lead, but Troy guard Shaulana Wagner answered with 20 points Friday to lift the visitors to an 80-73 overtime victory in the semifinals of the ASRC/ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout women's basketball tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center.

The Seawolves (6-1) – who counted the game as an exhibition – also got 13 points, six rebounds and four steals from senior center Tori Hollingshead as they move on to face Vermont in Saturday's 6:15 pm third-place contest.

The Trojans (2-4) erased a 39-19 halftime deficit thanks also to an 18-point, 13-rebound effort from forward Fortuna Ngnawo, earning a spot in Saturday's 8:30 p.m. title game against North Dakota State. NDSU defeated Vermont 58-50 in the other semifinal.

"We came out on fire and they seemed flat in the first half," said UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy. "Unfortunately, we didn't execute our game plan on either end of the floor in the second half, and against this level of competition, they will make you pay. Credit to Troy, and we will look to bounce back from this with a renewed energy when we hit the court tomorrow."

Looking to add a ninth Shootout title to their resume, the Div. II Seawolves raced to a 9-0 lead and dominated the opening 20 minutes, outshooting the Sun Belt Conference club .469 (15-32) to .259 (7-27).

The Div. I visitors from Alabama found their stride in the third quarter, however, shooting 10 of 16 from the field and 10 of 12 at the foul stripe. UAA led 58-49 heading into the fourth and 66-55 when Kenzie Sirowich swished a midrange jumper at the 4:11 mark.

Troy answered immediately with a three from reserve guard Leilani Guion though, and tallied six points on their next trip downcourt, getting a putback from Zay Dyer and a four-point play by Briana Peguero after a quick UAA turnover.

UAA led 67-64 after Evans split a pair of free throws with 2:13 remaining, but neither team would score until Wagner drove for a layup and foul with 23 seconds left. Wagner made the free throw, and the game went to overtime when Evans's three-point try came up short.

The Trojans controlled the extra session, shooting 4 of 7 to UAA's 2 of 12, as Dyer finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.

UAA also got 11 points, eight assists and five rebounds from senior point guard Emilia Long, while junior guard Elaina Mack had 11 points and five rebounds. Freshman forward Ashlyn Rean led UAA with eight rebounds.

Both Troy and North Dakota State will make their first Shootout final appearance Saturday in the tournament's 41st edition.

Find links tickets and links to live video and stats for both games at GoSeawolves.com.

Sue Heverling wrapped herself in a winter coat, clutched a pair of hiking poles and set out across a frozen mud flat near Anchorage, braving five-degree temperatures and treacherous ice to see the Alaskan city’s newest, and largest, spectacle.

She took her first tentative steps on the ice, slipped and fell, then got up and pushed on. As she drew closer, what had appeared modest from a distance now loomed before her.

“That is big,” Ms. Heverling, 62, recalled saying to herself.

The object of her fascination was the carcass of a 47-foot-long fin whale, which has drawn crowds in Anchorage for days.

The young female member of the second largest mammal species had probably washed ashore on the high tide on Saturday, according to Barbara Mahoney, a biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who examined the carcass.

Fin whales, considered endangered, regularly swim in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Strait. Every so often, minke whales, gray whales and humpbacks wash ashore in Alaska. But it’s unusual for a fin whale to be found on a beach so close to Alaska’s biggest city, Ms. Mahoney said.

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So people are captivated. A nearby public trail, the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, is usually busy with joggers, bikers and cross-country skiers. This week, hundreds of pairs of eyes turned toward the mud flat and the dark-gray mound the size of a school bus. Residents have posted pictures of the mountain of flesh on social media, where it has inevitably spawned memes.

“People here in Anchorage, everyone’s real curious,” Ms. Mahoney said. “People come in with their sticks, on their bikes, walk in their skis.”

Ms. Heverling said that when she came close to the whale on Wednesday, she saw its mouth gaping open, revealing the baleen plates inside. The tail lay flat against the ice, positioned as if it were still gliding in the waters of Cook Inlet. Nearby, she saw a family with toddlers picking their way across the ice.

“It was sad to see it just lying there dead, but even though it’s sad, it was beautiful,” she said. “This is nature, and this is what can happen.”

A whale carcass can pose hazards so close to a city. In warmer months, it can develop a putrid smell as it rots. A buildup of gas inside the body could even cause it to explode. Bears could come around looking for a source of protein.

But the November cold has frozen the carcass, so the smell has been minimal, and the bears are hibernating, Ms. Mahoney said.

In an effort to find out what caused the whale’s death, Ms. Mahoney and a team of scientists performed a necropsy and will test samples from the carcass to look for signs of harmful algal blooms and diseases, she said. The absence of gashes or marks from fishing nets indicated the death was not caused by human activity, she said.

Ms. Mahoney said the carcass would likely return to the sea next month, when a high tide of more than 30 feet was expected to wash it away. Until then, she said, visitors would continue to come, including students on field trips from nearby schools.

“It’s cold, it’s windy, sometimes it can be smelly,” she said. “But there’s been a constant stream.”

Fin Whales

THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE MEN'S BASKETBALL...

Sat., Nov. 23 – Noon AST – Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, AK Portland Bible (0-4) at Alaska Anchorage (2-5) & Sun., Nov. 24 – 3 pm AST – Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, AK Portland Bible at Alaska Anchorage

TICKETS: GoSeawolves.com LIVE VIDEO: youtube.com/UAASeawolves LIVE STATS: GoSeawolves.com/sidearmstats/mbball

UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2024-25 stats) G—Dillon Barrientos, 6-1, Sr. (4.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.0 apg) G—Sean Evans, 6-3, Sr. (12.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, .389 3FG, .909 FT) G—Tyler Burraston, 6-4, Jr. (11.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, .396 3FG, .800 FT) F—Jesse Stines, 6-7, Jr. (3.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg) C—Bishop Tosi, 6-6, Jr. (9.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, .595 FG, .731 FT)

HOMESTAND BEGINS: The Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team returns to the Alaska Airlines Center this week to begin a six-game homestand, hosting non-NCAA foe Portland Bible for a pair of contests Saturday (noon AST) and Sunday (3 pm AST).

THE SERIES... vs PBC: UAA leads 8-0 overall and in Anchorage Last: UAA 87-28 (12/29/22 at UAA) Notes: The average score has been 93.5-43.5, with a 108-36 win Dec. 28, 2022 standing as the largest margin ... UAA has scored at least 80 points in each meeting and allowed no more than 58 points ... first meeting was Dec. 2, 2011.

SCOUTING REPORT: Portland Bible is a National Christian Colleges Athletic Association (NCCAA) member ... the Arrows have gotten off to a rough start, losing their first four games against Multnomah (106-47), Simpson (108-52), Lewis & Clark (99-45) and Bushnell (124-42).

LAST TIME OUT: The Seawolves suffered losses in their most recent outings, falling 62-59 at Hawaii Pacific and 91-69 at Chaminade, Nov. 8-9 in Honolulu ... in the first game, UAA got 13 points apiece from Sr. G Sean Evans and Jr. G Tyler Burraston, but the Sharks pulled ahead with two minutes remaining ... Jr. F Bishop Tosi had 8 points, and Jr. G/F Malik Jackson notched 7 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in the setback ... across town the next day, UAA got career highs from Jr. G Hasaan Herrington (20 pts, 6-11 FG, 8-10 FT) and Fr. G Parker Kroon (7-11 FG, 5-7 3FG) as they trailed throughout in a loss to the Silverswords ... Tosi had 9 points (3-3 FG), 5 rebounds, 3 assists and no turnovers as well.

TEAM NOTES: The Seawolves are top-3 in the GNAC stats in eight categories, including second in scoring offense (68.0 ppg), 3FGs per game (9.6) and rebounds allowed per game (33.3) ... after going 22-11 last year, UAA has earned 16 .500-or-better records in the past 17 seasons, and 37 winning records in 46 seasons of NCAA Div. II existence ... the 2023-24 Seawolves claimed the program's 33rd winning conference record in 42 years belonging to a league ... last year marked the 17th 20-win season for UAA since becoming an NCAA Div. II program in 1977-78.

PRESEASON PICKS: The Seawolves have already garnered a pair of individual honors as Sr. PG Dillon Barrientos and Jr. F Bishop Tosi were named to the Preseason All-GNAC Team ... Barrientos started every game for last year's UAA club that went 22-11 and made the NCAA Tournament ... the Santa Clarita, Calif., native and College of the Canyons transfer averaged 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a junior, shooting 43 percent from the field ... he ranked 4th in the GNAC in assists, 6th in A/T ratio (2.4) and 15th in 3FGs per game (1.6) ... Tosi returns for his second season at UAA, having taken a medical redshirt in 2023-24 ... in three games prior to breaking his finger, the former Bartlett High star averaged 13.0 ppg on .583 shooting and 7.7 rpg, posting a 24-point, 14-rebound effort in a win over Chaminade ... as a JC star at Bellevue (Wash.) College, Tosi totaled 820 points and 457 rebounds in 59 games, earning first-team All-NWAC honors and leading his team to back-to-back NWAC title games.

'WOLF BITES: Since transferring north from fellow D-II program Nebraska-Kearney, Sr. G Sean Evans has emerged as the Seawolves' leading scorer at 12.6 ppg, notching double figures in five of seven contests ... the Colorado native is 18th in the GNAC in scoring, along with 10th in assists (3.0 apg), 8th in A/T ratio (1.8) and 8th in 3FGs per game (2.0) ... Jr. G Tyler Burraston has also scored double figures in five of seven games, with a UAA season-high 23 points in the opener against Warner Pacific and 13 points (4-7 3FG) at Hawaii Pacific ... Burraston is 3rd in the GNAC with 3.0 3FGs per game and 14th in 3FG% at .396 ... including an opening double-double against WPU, Jr. F/C Bishop Tosi has scored double figures four times and snagged at least five rebounds in five of seven games ... the former Bartlett High star is 6th in the GNAC in both rebounding (6.4 rpg) and FG% (.595), along with 16th in FT% (.731) ... Jr. G Hasaan Herrington is coming off a career-high 20 points and season-high 6 rebounds at Chaminade, nailing a UAA season-high eight free throws (8-10) in the setback ... the former East Anchorage HS star boasts a solid 13/7 A/T ratio, and is ranked 15th in the GNAC in FT% (.741) ... other Seawolves among the current GNAC stats leaders are Sr. G Dillon Barrientos in assists (11th, 3.0 apg) and A/T ratio (4th, 3.0), and So. G Zach Ibbetson in 3FGs per game (13th, 1.7).

TRUST IN RUSTY: In his 20th season (21st year) at the helm, head coach Rusty Osborne (351-218) has led the Seawolves to six NCAA Tournament bids, including advancement to the 2008 NCAA Div. II Semifinals, and 16 records of .500-or-better in the last 17 seasons … the longest tenured coach in program history and in the GNAC, he became the first UAA coach in any sport to reach 300 career victories when the Seawolves beat Hawaii Pacific on Nov. 13, 2021 … Osborne captured GNAC and NABC West District coach-of-the-year awards in 2008 after becoming the second coach to lead UAA to three consecutive NCAA berths (2006-08), and in 2011-12 his Seawolves posted a 24-10 record to equal the 2nd-most victories in program history; Osborne's 2007-08 club holds that record with a 29-6 mark … before taking over the head job in 2004-05, the Texas native previously served 13 seasons (1991-04) as a UAA assistant, including 11 years as the top assistant … the Seawolves have won over 60 percent of their games with Osborne on the staff, claiming four conference titles and eight trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament ... Osborne is assisted by associate head coach Ryan Orton (10th season/11th year) and Ryan Engebretsen (4th season/5th year).

2024-25 Seawolf Individual Honors DILLON BARRIENTOS Preseason All-GNAC Team BISHOP TOSI Preseason All-GNAC Team