Matias Saari
Sports writer
Call Matias at 907-459-7591.
Matias Saari, 37, grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan a quarter-mile from Lake Superior. After surviving a teenage year in Chengdu, China (his dad is a retired history professor) and spending many joyful childhood summers in Austria (his mom grew up on a dairy farm in the foothills of the Alps), he attended Michigan State University, where he “earned” a degree in journalism. Saari took his first newspaper job as a general assignment reporter for the Ketchikan Daily News in 1995 not because it was a dream to move to Alaska but because nobody else had offered him a job. Three and a half years later he moved to Fairbanks, thinking he wanted to pursue a creative writing master’s degree at UAF. Really he didn’t, so he tried a panoply of jobs — Census Bureau, herb farm, park ranger, library, used bookstore — before landing as a sportswriter at the News-Miner in April 2006. He lives near the top of Murphy Dome in a humble cabin he built (with much help) that still needs a lot of work. On his eighth attempt, he won the Equinox Marathon in 2007; Saari expects the book he’s begun about the history of the race to take at least as many years to finish.
Recent Stories
- Goldpanners escape jams for victory over Miners
- Thursday, July 2, 2009
- A diving catch and a bizarre play helped the Alaska Goldpanners clinch a 2-1 win Wednesday over the Mat-Su Miners — who nearly stole the Alaska Baseball League game despite stranding 15 runners.
- Former Hutchison coach faces challenges with Nanooks women's hoops team
- Wednesday, July 1, 2009
- Dave Thompson was as surprised as anybody that the Alaska Nanooks were interested in him becoming their new women’s basketball coach.
- Miners douse Fire in different ways
- Tuesday, June 30, 2009
- The Mat-Su Miners walked all over the Athletes in Action Fire en route to a 13-7 victory Monday in the opener of a doubleheader sweep at Growden Memorial Park.
- Miners douse Fire in different ways
- Tuesday, June 30, 2009
- FAIRBANKS — The Mat-Su Miners walked all over the Athletes in Action Fire en route to a 13-7 victory Monday in the opener of a doubleheader sweep at Growden Memorial Park.
- Fairbanksan achieves goal of reaching summit of world’s highest peak
- Sunday, June 28, 2009
- FAIRBANKS — Alec Turner had plenty to fear on Mount Everest — including a 3,000-foot drop, avalanches, his labored breathing and a sketchy ladder crossing in the Khumbu Icefall.
- Penguins trade ex-Nanooks goalie to New York Rangers
- Sunday, June 28, 2009
- FAIRBANKS — The reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins traded their rights to former Alaska Nanooks standout goaltender Chad Johnson on Saturday to the New York Rangers, who have an affinity for players with connections to the 49th State.
- Floridians enjoying life on Fairbanks’ tennis courts
- Sunday, June 28, 2009
- FAIRBANKS — Patty Jones didn’t hesitate when asked why her family traveled across the country for the Midnight Sun Tennis Tournament.
- Midnight Sun Soccer Tournament provides fun for everyone involved
- Saturday, June 27, 2009
- FAIRBANKS — The Under-11 girls division of the Midnight Sun Soccer Tournament is different in many ways — it uses fewer players on a smaller field and plays shorter games than the older competitors do.
- Tomsich outduels Houck to claim second win in soggy Midnight Sun Run
- Sunday, June 21, 2009
- FAIRBANKS — Tony Tomsich and Justin Houck never knew each other while competing as runners for Western Washington University and the University of Portland, respectively.
- Former champs head field for Fairbanks' Midnight Sun Run
- Saturday, June 20, 2009
- FAIRBANKS — Tony Tomsich and Crystal Pitney are West Valley High School graduates who have continued their running careers in college.
