April 23, 2026 by the Seward Folly Staff

It’s been a banner year for Seward’s wrestling phenom, Sobina Clendaniel. She has earned the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame’s 2026 Director’s Award: Pride of Alaska (Youth Girls). The Seward High junior is stacking up titles and breaking barriers on and off the mat.

The 16-year-old is making a name for herself at the national level, with three medals in three major tournaments.

Earlier this month at the USA Wrestling women’s national championships, Clendaniel proved dangerous in two age groups and two weight classes.

She claimed bronze in the U17 57kg division, placing third in a field of 85.

She tested herself by wrestling in the U20 59kg division, placing fourth in a field of 51, most of them older and more experienced.

Those results followed a silver-medal performance at the U17 Pan-Am Team Trials in March. Her other medal at a national tournament came at last summer’s high-profile U.S. Marine Corps Junior National championships in Fargo, N.D., where she finished third in the U16 125-pound weight class.

The bronze medal in Fargo earned Clendaniel an invitation to spend a week at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. She returned from that trip to win the Alaska high school championship at 126 pounds and cap a 20-0 season with the Seward Seahawks. She will return to the Olympic Training Center this summer.

Photos from the Marathon Miners Wrestling Club Facebook page.

For Sobina, it’s about more than just the hardware. She’s quick to credit the coaches who have guided her along the way: “Nate (Smith) and Brian (Mullaly) always told me, ‘You’re a beast. You’re amazing.’ Even on my worst days, they pushed me to be better than I was the day before. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”

Nate Smith talks about Sobina’s natural talent and her drive: “She is special because the world has kicked her around, but she takes that and channels the energy in a positive way. She has the paint and the brush. We show her how to put it down on paper.”

Her journey has also been supported by the wrestling community in Alaska and beyond. When the chance arose to compete in Las Vegas at a high school girls recruiting showcase, one of her Anchorage coaches, Mario, made sure finances wouldn’t hold her back.

“He told me if I wanted to go, I’d only have to pay for my plane ticket,” Sobina said. “I said yes immediately.”

Rachel Nelson, a 2016 Olympic Qualifier and one of Sobina’s mentors, has watched her growth with pride. “Sobina is one of those athletes who brings energy everywhere she goes. I’ve enjoyed mentoring her because she’s respectful to everyone around her, hardworking, and always pushing herself.”

Tela O’Donnell Bacher, a 2004 Olympian (inaugural team for women’s wrestling), another one of Sobina’s mentors, describes Sobina as “an incredibly hardworking athlete and student. But the most exciting thing about working with Sobina is her strength of spirit and mind. This combination is limitless and it’s an absolute honor to cheer her on in wrestling and life.”

Balancing school, training, and work at Seward’s Spruce Lodge hasn’t been easy, but Sobina thrives on challenge. She’s looking ahead to training at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs this summer, and dreams of wrestling in college. She would like to become a physical therapist or nutritionist to help other athletes reach their potential.

“Helping others perform their best is my biggest goal,” she says.

Through every victory, Sobina carries a message to other young athletes: “Never compare your journey to anyone else’s. You don’t know what they’re going through behind the scenes. Just do your best, because that’s all anyone can ask.”

Sobina Clendaniel’s best has already brought pride to Seward, to Alaska, and to everyone who’s watched her fight for a place on the podium.

Other Notable Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

This year’s Hall of Fame class also honored Dan Marshall for his significant and lasting contributions to Alaska sports, and Ephriam Kalmakoff, who set a long-standing record in Seward’s Mount Marathon as a teenager nearly a century ago. Kalmakoff, an Aleut from Chignik, won the grueling race three times in a row starting in 1928, holding the record for nearly three decades.

Like those legends before her, Sobina Clendaniel is proving that Alaska’s most inspiring athletes come from all walks of life.