La Center graduate Joshua McNeal recently completed his rookie Iditarod. The former Wildcat started training for the 2021 Iditarod in August of last year with dogs he raised at his kennel in Fairbanks, Alaska. The 832-mile trek took McNeal a total of nine days, 16 hours and seven minutes and after crossing the finish line, McNeal said he had a “proud dad moment” when looking at his dogs. Photo by Susan Smith of Takotna, Alaska - Deshka Landing South checkpoint 
La Center High School grad competes in 2021 Iditarod
After nine straight days of sleep deprivation and sub-zero temperatures in the Alaskan wilderness, La Center High School Alumnus Joshua McNeal and his team of Alaskan huskies crossed the finish line of the 2021 Iditarod.
The arrival at the Deshka Landing South checkpoint in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday, March 17, marked the end of an 832-mile round-trip journey for the rookie musher and his team.
“(Finishing) was just a moment of being really proud,” McNeal said. “My dogs are like our kids, and just looking at them and what we were able to accomplish together … It was almost like a proud dad moment.”
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