Caitlin Clark is represented at the Iditarod sled dog race, and so is Iowa by a musher from Pella.

Deke Naaktgeboren is the musher and a big Iowa fan. His father was on Deke’s back sled for Saturday’s ceremonial start of the Iditarod and wore Caitlin Clark’s No. 22.

Musher Deke Naaktgeboren (34) greets fans during the ceremonial start of the Idtarod sled dog race Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska.

He is originally from Pella. His father, Randy Naaktgeboren of Knoxville, Iowa, is on the back sled and wearing Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes No. 22.

Saturday at the ceremonial start of Alaska’s famed 1,000-mile Iditarod sled dog race across the state’s wilderness, a participant for the day wore an “Iowa 22” shirt/coat/cold-weather something to celebrate women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark.

That was Randy Naaktgeboren of Knoxville, Iowa, the father of Iditarod musher Deke Naaktgeboren. Randy was on his son’s back sled as they went 11 miles through Anchorage in what was basically a parade.

Deke, 34, is on his own starting Sunday when the race begins in Willow. Well, he will have up to 16 Alaskan huskies as traveling companions.

Deke grew up in Pella, Iowa. He moved to Alaska in 2011 and drove a team of dogs in the Iditarod for the first time in 2020. This year is his fourth in the race.

He raises and trains his dogs. Here is the link to an Ottumwa Courier story about him.

Deke Naaktgeboren

Deke Naaktgeboren.

In the summer, he works for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management. He has his winters free to train his dogs.

Much thanks to Jay Christensen, who shot and supplied the photo. Check out his fantastic photography on his Instagram page, @JayChristensenPhoto.

Here’s Deke’s Facebook page, which has some of his own photos from Saturday’s event.

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Five-time champion Dallas Seavey of Talkeetna, Alaska, wearing bib No. 7, takes an auction-winner 11 miles over the streets of Anchorage, Alaska, during Saturday’s ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

The 1,000-mile race will take mushers and their dog teams a thousand miles over Alaska’s unforgiving terrain, with the winner expected at the finish line in Nome, Alaska, in about 10 days. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)