Sitka senior Clare Mullin defends her Division II state championship as she approaches the finish of the 2024 ASAA cross-country running state championships Saturday on the Bartlett High School Trails in Anchorage. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sitka senior Clare Mullin defends her Division II state championship as she approaches the finish of the 2024 ASAA cross-country running state championships Saturday on the Bartlett High School Trails in Anchorage. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Division II state cross-country harriers fed to the Wolves and Lions

Sitka’s Clare Mullin, Grace’s Robbie Annett defend their crowns.

Sitka senior Clare Mullin repeated her state title-winning performance by capturing the 2024 ASAA Division II Girls State Championship Saturday on the Bartlett High School Trails in Anchorage much like a practice jog with teammates.

As a matter of fact Mullin ran the majority of the race with classmate Marina Dill, the two looking like it was just another day along one of the many paths on the Sitka Cross Trail.

“I’m just so happy I got to do it with my teammate,” Mullin said of her win in 19:47. “And I think it was just a great end to my senior cross country season.”

Mullin said the plan to run together wasn’t hers.

“I said ‘Marina, what are you doing?’ but she knew all along she could do it.”

Dill finished in second place with 19:55.

“Just like last year at state we ran together,” Dill said. “That was like deja vue all over again. It was so nice to see her and run with her. She is such a good pacer.”

Sitka seniors Marina Dill (452) and Clare Mullin (459) lead the Division II girls race during the 2024 ASAA cross-country running state championships Saturday on the Bartlett High School Trails in Anchorage. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Sitka seniors Marina Dill (452) and Clare Mullin (459) lead the Division II girls race during the 2024 ASAA cross-country running state championships Saturday on the Bartlett High School Trails in Anchorage. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Grace Christian senior Robbie Annett defended his state title with a time of 16:14 and was followed across the line by classmate Colton Merriner.

“The plan was to take out 1K very hard so that no one wants to stick with me in that first bit,” Annett said. “And that just makes it really difficult on the others, but I’m happy with how it turned out. Having teammates like I do is fantastic. We’ve worked hard all season. Our coaches have a perfect training plan for us. It has worked successfully in the past and it is great to continue winning. And that was a special one too for Colton (Merriner) and I. The new course is difficult. I think I might like the old one better. There are a couple more brutal hills. Like, there was an old hill that was really hard but they added a couple that are not too fun.”

Seward captured the girls team title with 44 points, Sitka 46, Homer 74, Grace 113, Delta Junction 129, Bethel 149, Mountain City Christian Academy 217.

Grace took the boys title with 40, Homer 74, Sitka 92, Bethel 94, MCCA 132, Valdez 155, Seward 157, Monroe 168.

The Division II boys start the 2024 ASAA cross-country running state championships Saturday on the Bartlett High School Trails in Anchorage. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

The Division II boys start the 2024 ASAA cross-country running state championships Saturday on the Bartlett High School Trails in Anchorage. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

RESULTS

Division II Girls:

1. Clare Mullin, Sitka 19:47.6 2. Marina Dill, Sitka 19:55.7 3. Olive Jordan, Seward 20:11.6 4. Iris Haas, Delta Junction 20:48.6 5. Sydney Mondeel, Grace Christian 21:00.7 6. AwaLuk Nichols, Nome-Beltz 21:11.4 7. Claira Booz, Homer 21:15.6 8. Beatrix McDonough, Homer 21:32.0 9. Juniper Ingalls, Seward 21:32.1 10. Aliyah Merculief, Sitka 21:59.5 11. Katie Van Buskirk, Seward 22:08.9 12. Sadie Haas, Seward 22:14.1 13. Maddie Haas, Seward 22:19.9 14. Ronni Bennett, Monroe Catholic 22:21.8 15. Kiyler West, Nome-Beltz 22:24.3 16. Etta Bynagle, Homer 22:24.7 17. Natalie Hall, Sitka 22:34.7 18. Anya Simard, Monroe Catholic 22:38.1 19. Claire Dyment, Bethel 22:43.7 20. Rosemarie Dyment, Bethel 22:44.1 21. Jadelynn Kubik, Sitka 22:50.5 22. Teresa Fallon, Kenai Central 22:50.9 23. Lucy Bamford, Seward 22:51.0 24. Selah Brueckner, Seward 22:55.5 25. Jane Douglas, Delta Junction 22:57.6 26. Jaela Marchbanks, Homer 22:58.9 27. Xiimara Salazar, Kotzebue 23:00.2 28. Myra Kalafut, Homer 23:01.6 29. Hope Jackson, Grace Christian 23:04.1 30. Tagan Rinner, Grace Christian 23:04.4 31. Kyana Harpak, Bethel 23:05.0 32. Sarah Murphy, Grace Christian 23:05.7 33. Ashlyn Elliot, Grace Christian 23:06.4 34. Reagan Pearson, Delta Junction 23:17.2 35. Serena Brooks, Delta Junction 23:21.2 36. Marina Marley, Sitka 23:28.0 37. Kiriakia Basargin, Homer 23:35.8 38. Faith Mondeel, Grace Christian 23:40.3 39. Mary Burke, Monroe Catholic 23:48.8 40. Lily Slaugenhoup, Mountain City Christian Academy 23:56.5 41. Delaney Schaffer, Grace Christian 23:59.1 42. Emersyn Cortez, Monroe Catholic 24:06.8 43. Haizel Ezell, Mountain City Christian Academy 24:10.7 44. Claire Burke, Monroe Catholic 24:16.0 45. Danica Billings, Galena 24:20.0 46. Forrest Olemaun, Barrow 24:22.3 47. Kayleigh Bell, Bethel 24:27.1 48. Zenae Billings, Galena 24:31.4 49. Aries Bioff, Mt Edgecumbe 24:46.1 50. Jewely Weber, Valdez 25:23.8 51. Grace Pearson, Delta Junction 25:26.3 52. Rayne Fraley, Delta Junction 25:26.6 53. Jordan Timmcke, Mountain City Christian Academy 25:32.0 54. Leilynn Swain, Sitka 25:45.0 55. Flossie Olemaun, Barrow 25:59.0 56. Sally Peters, Bethel 26:00.1 57. Hannah Leinberger, Bethel 26:35.5 58. Kora Robinson, Mountain City Christian Academy 26:47.4 59. Elli Griswold, Hutchison 26:54.8 60. Abby Ostrom, Homer 27:01.6 61. Abby Timmcke, Mountain City Christian Academy 27:58.3 62. CyAri Hunt, Mt Edgecumbe 28:05.9 63. Claire Higbee, Monroe Catholic 28:37.4 64. Ashlynn Lonewolf, Bethel 29:13.0

Division II Boys:

1. Robbie Annett, Grace Christian 16:14.8 2. Colton Merriner, Grace Christian 16:21.6 3. Johannes Bynagle, Homer 16:25.0 4. Connor Hitchcock, Sitka 16:28.8 5. Orson Hoogendorn, Nome-Beltz 17:07.3 6. Lukas Underhile, Mountain City Christian Academy 17:10.0 7. Breyden Nottingham, Mountain City Christian Academy 17:11.4 8. Ned Peters, Bethel 17:18.4 9. Owen Crotts, Grace Christian 17:22.3 10. Trey Demmert, Sitka 17:29.9 11. Cole Iverson, Bethel 17:30.2 12. Caleb Bunker, Homer 17:39.7 13. Luke Elhard, Seward 17:40.5 14. Jai Badajos, Homer 17:48.7 15. Easton Roads, Grace Christian 17:52.7 16. Joe Adolfae, Grace Christian 17:58.1 17. Reggie Baksis, Valdez 17:58.9 18. Tristin Nicholson, Monroe Catholic 18:03.4 19. Francis Myers, Sitka 18:04.2 20. Ryan Annett, Grace Christian 18:07.2 21. Tait Ostrom, Homer 18:11.7 22. Sheldon Smith, Bethel 18:13.6 23. James Humphrey, Valdez 18:16.2 24. Ridge Conant, Seward 18:19.6 25. Anthony White, Delta Junction 18:20.2 26. Jackson Iverson, Bethel 18:26.0 27. Nathaniel Vincler, Mt Edgecumbe 18:26.2 28. Chase Laker, Kenai Central 18:27.7 29. Myles Werle, Monroe Catholic 18:29.4 30. Derek Wilson, Mt Edgecumbe 18:33.7 31. Asher Mcglinchy, Monroe Catholic 18:36.4 32. Reid Rauch, Homer 18:37.3 33. Jody Goodrich, Homer 18:42.1 34. Kaden VanBuskirk, Valdez 18:48.2 35. Brett Ross, Sitka 18:50.4 36. Justin Hames, Sitka 18:55.1 37. Aidan Crow, Bethel 18:56.7 38. Landon Tinsley, Homer 18:56.8 39. Benjamin Milton, Nome-Beltz 18:57.6 40. Ethan Wheeler, Bethel 19:02.5 41. Ben Marcus, Kotzebue 19:15.9 42. Sampson Antrim, Seward 19:16.3 43. Madden Cockroft, Bethel 19:21.5 44. Jack Matthew, Mountain City Christian Academy 19:23.5 45. Royce Rock, Grace Christian 19:25.9 46. Calder Prussian, Sitka 19:26.4 47. Eli Martin, Mountain City Christian Academy 19:31.0 48. Alex Fink, Seward 19:38.4 49. Eli Rothe, Delta Junction 19:39.1 50. Rowan Olney-Miller, Sitka 19:40.9 51. Dalen Beck, Valdez 19:45.9 52. Colten Bitz, Mountain City Christian Academy 19:47.9 53. Cirque Carter, Valdez 20:00.9 54. Frank Antrim, Seward 20:26.9 55. Josiah Ruse, Delta Junction 20:35.7 56. Donald Olson, Mt Edgecumbe 20:43.8 57. Nico Williams, Mountain City Christian Academy 20:53.6 58. Luke Walter, Monroe Catholic 21:01.7 59. Jaidhen Oyao, Mountain City Christian Academy 21:08.8 60. Romen Weber, Valdez 21:14.1 61. Robert Taylor, Valdez 21:24.3 62. Alden Wilbur, Monroe Catholic 21:31.6 63. Brayden Cruger, Monroe Catholic 21:32.9 64. Olin Liljemark, Seward 21:46.2.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.

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