JAPANESE EXCHANGE STUDENT WINS VALDEZ WOMENS SILVER SALMON DERBY

VALDEZ, Alaska – Nana Matsui, an exchange student attending Prince William Sound College in Valdez, was surprised and excited to be crowned Queen of the Silver Salmon Sisterhood Saturday night. Matsui reeled in a 15.9 pound silver salmon to win $1,000 in cash and $1,000 in prizes from Prospector Outfitters and Valdez Fish Derbies. Matsui said it was her dream to come to Alaska from her hometown of Osaka, Japan because she loves nature. Matsui is 20 years old and studying biology in Valdez while staying with a host family. “I was sleeping”, said Matsui. “I woke up because everyone was yelling. This is the first salmon I have ever caught so I wasn’t sure what to do. I was panicked”. Despite her nerves, Matsui managed to catch the Women’s Derby winner and also take the lead in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby. If her fish holds on in the regular derby through September 4^th, Matsui stands to win a $15,000 cash prize.

Cindy Unger of Valdez took 2^nd place in the Women’s Silver Salmon Derby with a 14.58 pound silver salmon and said, “When it first flashed my husband’s eyes got about as big as the fish”. Unger took home $500 cash and $500 in prizes for the Women’s Derby and is currently in 3^rd place in the overall Silver Salmon derby. The 3^rd place winner in the Women’s Derby was Karinna Gonzalez of Fairbanks who caught a 14.46 pound silver salmon.

A week ago, anglers were wondering if the silver salmon would show up in Valdez then, at one point last week, all three overall leaders in the Silver Salmon Derby were caught by anglers fishing from shore. Seems the silvers ran deep early in the season and eluded anglers until they surfaced close to the hatchery. For the Women’s Derby weekend, the densest boat traffic could be found from just outside the harbor to Shoup Bay. Matsui’s derby winning fish was caught near Gold Creek. Other hot spots included Potato Point, Jacks Bay, Galena Bay and Allison Point.

The Valdez Halibut Derby is going strong and nice sized weekly winners are continuing to come into Port Valdez. Will Everett of Palmer, Alaska was the 1^st place weekly winner with a 156.2 pound halibut he caught aboard the Bold Eagle. Laura Saxe of Valdez took the 2^nd place weekly prize with a 107 pound halibut she caught aboard the Go Get Her. David Jamison is still leading the derby with the 253.0 pound halibut he caught May 29^th aboard the Nanatuk.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        David Jamison             Fairbanks, AK             253.0 lbs.         May 29                        Nanatuk
2^nd        Kim Steiger                  Westchester, PA           211.0 lbs.         July 5               Halibut Grove
3^rd        Jeff Leaverton             Madisonville, LA         174.4 lbs.         June 16                        Dan Orion

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners

1^st Will Everett Palmer, AK 156.2 lbs. Aug 10 Bold Eagle
2^nd Laura Saxe Valdez, AK 107.0 lbs. Aug 10 Go Get Her

Silver Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Nana Matsui                Valdez, AK                 15.90 lbs.         Aug 13                        Summer School
2^nd        Jensen Rhoades           Valdez, AK                 14.58 lbs.         Aug 9              Shore (Allison Pt)
3^rd        Cindy Unger               Valdez, AK                 14.58 lbs.         Aug 13                        See n Things

Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby
2016 – TOP 50

Place	Name	Hometown	Fish Weight

1^st	Nana Matsui	Valdez, AK	15.90 lbs.
2^nd	Cindy Unger	Valdez, AK	14.58 lbs.
3^rd	Karinna Gonzalez	Fairbanks, AK	14.46 lbs.
4^th	Tammy Hurst	Valdez, AK	14.22 lbs.
5^th	Beverly Lee	Gladstone, MI	14.16 lbs.
6^th	Sandra Petersen	Scottsdale, AZ	13.96 lbs.
7^th	Laura Saxe	Valdez, AK	13.78 lbs.
8^th	Pam Carbaugh	Anchorage, AK	13.74 lbs.
9^th	Cheryl Painter	Chugiak, AK	13.74 lbs.
10^th	Michale Carlile	Wasilla, AK	13.62 lbs.
11^th	Veronica Burzinski	Anchorage, AK	13.46 lbs.
12^th	Sharon Baxter	Fairbanks, AK	13.32 lbs.
13^th	Annella Dickinson	Valdez, AK	13.30 lbs.
14^th	Natalie Croteau	North Pole, AK	13.14 lbs.
15^th	Christy Franklin	Valdez, AK	13.10 lbs.
16^th	Lynda Hernandez	Anchorage, AK	13.08 lbs.
17^th	June Smith	Fairbanks, AK	12.98 lbs.
18^th	Savannah Cockerham	Valdez, AK	12.88 lbs.
19^th	Jennifer Cooper	Fairbanks, AK	12.86 lbs.
20^th	Jessica Risk	Valdez, AK	12.84 lbs.
21^st	Vicki Twardowski	Lemont, IL	12.84 lbs.
22^nd	Connie Huizenga	Fairbanks, AK	12.82 lbs.
23^rd	Susan Glade	North Pole, AK	12.76 lbs.
24^th	Heather Coleman	Wasilla, AK	12.70 lbs.
25^th	Marilou Walterman	North Pole, AK	12.66 lbs.
26^th	Dollie Hoch	Wasilla, AK	12.66 lbs.
27^th	Jamie Arciniega	Valdez, AK	12.64 lbs.
28^th	Clarissa Mashburn	Anchorage, AK	12.60 lbs.
29^th	Charmaine Allen	Valdez, AK	12.58 lbs.
30^th	Jeanne Chapman	Fairbanks, AK	12.56 lbs.
31^st	Andrea Sitton	Tok, AK	12.52 lbs.
32^nd	Shawana Glade	North Pole, AK	12.52 lbs.
33^rd	Courtney Volkman	Deer Creek, MN	12.52 lbs.
34^th	Sheila Lint	Delta Junction, AK	12.50 lbs.
35^th	Kathy Young	Fairbanks, AK	12.50 lbs.
36^th	Kathy Molinar	Valdez, AK	12.36 lbs.
37^th	Jackie Brown	New Mittletown, OH	12.24 lbs.
38^th	Shannon Groundwater	Valdez, AK	12.20 lbs.
39^th	Tamara Stamm	Boise, ID	12.20 lbs.
40^th	Natalie Chamberlin	Fairbanks, AK	12.18 lbs.
41^st	Anita McIntosh	La Grande, OR	12.18 lbs.
42^nd	Jennifer Nunley	Galena, AK	12.14 lbs.
43^rd	Andrea Koski	Fairbanks, AK	12.12 lbs.
44^th	Remedios Nigl	North Pole, AK	12.06 lbs.
45^th	Joy Bruns	Wasilla, AK	12.04 lbs.
46^th	Dona Mae Smedley	Wasilla, AK	11.98 lbs.
47^th	Donna LaPella	Valdez, AK	11.97 lbs.
48^th	Dezi Wiley	Valdez, AK	11.94 lbs.
49^th	Charlot Pierce	Anchorage, AK	11.92 lbs.
50^th	Gloria Coce	St. Paul, Alberta	11.90 lbs.

For more information on the Valdez Derbies, visit: www.valdezfishderbies.com
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