Homer High School held an awards ceremony for 2023-2024 athletes in the Mariner Theater on Wednesday, May 8.

Athletic director Justin Zank provided the Homer News with details on the awards delivered at the ceremony.

Freshman Female Athlete of the Year was awarded to Maddy Miotke, who participated in volleyball, basketball and track with a 3.83 GPA. She was a C-team volleyball player, junior varsity and varsity swing player for basketball and guarded a first team all-state player during the region tournament. In track she is running the 200 meter, 400 meter and a member of the 400-meter relay team. She also participates in the long jump.

Freshman Male Athlete of the Year was awarded to Justus Grimes for participation in football, wrestling, basketball and soccer with a 3.33 GPA. He was the junior varsity quarterback in his first year playing football. He received a fourth-place finish at the wrestling state championship tournament and was a junior varsity and varsity swing player in soccer. Grimes also provided varsity minutes for basketball.

Female Athlete of the Year was awarded to Cassidy Carroll, junior, for participation in cross-country running, swimming, cross-country skiing and track with a 3.9 GPA. She qualified for state in running, was a varsity swimmer and qualified for state in the 50-meter free. At the regions meet, she ran in the cross-country race and then immediately participated in swimming for the 100-meter backstroke and 50-meter free. She was on the varsity Nordic ski team in her first year of skiing and was a member of the second place Division II Nordic state girls relay team.

Male Athlete of the Year was awarded to Jody Goodrich, senior, for participation in cross-country running, swimming, cross-country skiing and track with a 4.1 GPA. He was the team captain for varsity cross-country running, took third place in regions and qualified for state. He also qualified for state swimming and competed in the swim meet immediately after the cross-country race and placed first in the 100-meter breaststroke. He was the team captain for varsity Nordic skiing, placed third at the state qualifying borough meet and ninth at regions. For the Division II Nordic state meet, he placed second as an individual. He was also a member of the boys relay team, that placed second.

Goodrich also qualified for Team Alaska in Nordic skiing for the 2023 International Arctic Winter Games event with the Besh Cup qualifying ski races. According to the Arctic Winter Games website, the event was started in 1969 by Canadian Commissioner James Smith of the Yukon Territory, Commissioner Stuart Hodgson of the Northwest Territories and Alaska’s Governor Walter Hickel.

“The Arctic Winter Games is a high profile circumpolar sport competition for northern and arctic athletes. The Games provide an opportunity to strengthen sport development in the participants’ jurisdictions, to promote the benefits of sport, to build partnerships, and to promote culture and values,” the website states.

At the 2023 Arctic Games, Goodrich had three fourth-place finishes and was on the three-man winning relay team for gold in a close race with Norway. Goodrich plans to continue skiing in college.

Program of the Year was awarded to Mariner girls basketball with an 18-11 season record and 5-3 in conference plays.

The team received first place at the Donlin Gold Bethel Invite, first place at the Homer Winter Carnival Tournament and second place at the Peninsula Conference Championships.

Peninsula Conference Coach of the Year was awarded to Dan Miotke. Athletes Sydney Shelby and Channing Lowney were both members of the First Team All-Peninsula Conference. Shelby was also a member of the second Team All-State.

Manager of the Year was awarded to Autumn Jones for girls basketball manager. Jones is also a swimmer and softball player with a 3.1 GPA.

“This manager went above and beyond her duties all season long, daily during the school day she would wash uniforms for both junior varsity and varsity programs,” coach Miotke said in the email. “She would show up for practice and have all the equipment ready to go. On the bench she was always positive and ready for anything her teammates needed. Some highlights of the year include the team’s trip to Bethel, suiting up for the Nikiski tournament when several players were sick and getting to play during the game on Senior Night. Congratulations to the always dependable and most organized person on the team, Autumn Jones.”

Parent of the Year was awarded to Vanessa Fefelov, concessions manager. She revamped concessions, created small business and doubled revenue of the concessions stand, dedicated hours to cleaning, stocking, redesigning and reworking the concession.

Congratulations to all the awardees.