Aliy Zirkle C’92 became the first woman to win the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race when she crossed the finish line on Feb. 23 with her nine hearty team members: Pedro, A.J., Martin, Sonic, Diesel, Fats, Roller, Bob and Beaner. Though Zirkle told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner she was “driven” to win, she gave due credit for the 10 day, 22 hour, 59 minute finish to pack leader, Pedro, saying, “There’s always a dog behind the glory.” As for the gender distinction, the Two Rivers, Alaska, resident said she didn’t think the top contenders in the race “ever looked at me as a woman competitor. They looked at me as a competitor.”
