Six of the 2025 field come to the trail with one Jr. Iditarod under the belt. Previous race experience is valuable, but in the case of the 2025 Jr. race they will be on a new trail. With the race beginning just off the Glenn Highway at Tolsona Lodge then running out to Lake Louise and back, the route will be new for veterans and rookies alike.
Leif Anderson, a junior at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks grew up around dogs. His parents, Gwen Holdmann and Ken Anderson are both Iditarod and Yukon Quest veterans Leif loves summer and winter outdoor activities and has been on many winter camping expeditions in the Brooks Range and Alaska Range. He also enjoys computer programming, chess and math. His first major race was the 2022 Alpine Creek Excursion where he won the Junior Division. Leif and his two sisters share a kennel of dogs with their Mom. After graduating high school he plans to attend UAF seeking a degree in engineering. Leif who will be running his second Jr. Iditarod, completed his rookie run in 2023 earning 10th place. Earlier in 2025, Leif earned 3rd place in the Quest Alaska 80.
Nelson Wappet, a junior at Lathrop High in Fairbanks carries on a Jr. Iditarod family tradition started in 2016 by older brother Chandler. Chandler ran for three years then was followed by Hannah who competed in ‘21 and ‘22. The Wappet family has raised and trained several litters of husky pups that have been the basis of the Jr. Iditarod teams for Nelson, Hannah and Chandler. Nelson’s first memories of mushing go back to when he was just three years old. He’s passionate about mushing, soccer, weight lifting, pack rafting and hunting. Wappett, running his second Jr. Iditarod, competed his rookie run in 2023 earning 13th place. He’s a three year veteran of the Jr. Willow 100 and participated in the 2025 Quest Alaska 80 mile race claiming first place. Congrats!. Upon graduation, Wappett hopes to attend medical school and would like to continue running dogs.
Addy Pederson, a sophomore from Homer, Alaska has been around sled dogs since birth, as the family maintains a recreational mushing kennel. At the age of twelve, Addy took over as chief of kennel operations for the family’s recreational mushing kennel. With the goal of racing, she began to acquire some dogs suited for racing. She’s been building and training for a couple of years and has participated in junior races – the Knik 100, Knik 200, the Willow Jr. 100 and the Jr. Iditarod in 2024 where she earned 13th place. She enjoys hiking, biking, hunting and training her black Labrador. To offset kennel expenses, she participates in 4H, raising and selling turkeys. She hasn’t decided on a post high-school career path but she intends to continue mushing. Addy claimed 10th place in the recent Jr. Willow 100. Addy earned 20th and 17th place in the Knik 100 and 200 mile races respectively held earlier this season.
Arien Sanderson was introduced to mushing at the age of 3 when she joined Iditarod veteran, Alan Eischens on the runners. From that experience she grew to love the sport. In 2016 she acquired her first sled dog and established Midnight Howlers Racing Kennel, home to twenty-eight sled dogs. Arien, age 15, finished her rookie Jr. Iditarod in 10th place. She’s participated in the Willow Jr. 100, Goose Bay 150, Quest Alaska 80, Hal Bartko 10 and the Jr. World Championships. The sophomore from Palmer attends Career Tech High School. She enjoys outdoor activities – running, skiing, hunting, fishing, hiking, 4-wheeling, skijoring and biking. Her post high-school goals include becoming a veterinarian and a professional dog musher. Arien recently placed 5th in the Willow Jr. 100.
Mckena Hanson carries on a family tradition of mushing – a tradition spanning five generations! She follows the runners of family members who have accumulated 14 Jr. Iditarod finishes between 1989 and 2022 including a championship captured by her father, Brian in 1991. The Knik 100 in December of 2023 was Mckena’s first race in which she captured third place out of the junior age racers. In her rookie Jr. Iditarod run, Hanson claimed 11th place. Mckena, age 15, lives in Anchorage and is a sophomore at West Anchorage High School. She’s an avid hockey player and also plays tennis. While she hasn’t decided on a career path, she looks forward to attending college. McKenna recently finished the Knik 100 in 10th place and the Willow Jr. !00 in 2nd place.
AddieAnn Randall began mushing 7 years ago. She had the chance to run Robert Bundtzen’s retired dogs and fell in love with the dogs and mushing. A couple of years later, the family purchased their first sled dogs. They established Rock on Racing Kennel where the dogs are affectionately called the Rock Stars. At one time, the family lived off the road system and relied on their dogs as a mode of transportation between home and the road. AddieAnn, age 15, lives in Willow and is a home schooled sophomore. She enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, dog agility training, painting and drawing. Her future goals are to become a veterinarian and a professional dog musher. AddieAnn recently finished the Knik 100 in 8th place and Willow Jr. 100 in 3rd place and received their sportsmanship award. Randall earned rookie of the year honors in the 2024 Jr. Iditarod with 6th place.
Comeback tomorrow to meet the two year Jr. Iditarod veterans as well as the 2025 race marshal. The story will also include a tribute to recently departed Jr. Iditarod volunteer, Terry Langholz
