JDHS track record falls at Ketchikan meet

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé track and field team earned high team placings at the Ketchikan Invitational meet at Esther Shea Field over the weekend with the boys finishing over the field and the girls finishing in second behind Sitka.

JDHS senior Nick Iverson set a new Crimson Bears record in the 800 meters with a time of 1 minute 55.27 seconds.

“I pretty much went into the race not really sure what I was fully capable of, but I knew whatever it was it would be fast,” Iverson said. “My coach and I agreed this weekend to really focus on the open 800 as the only other event I was in was the 4×400. I was pretty excited, and full of anticipations and nerves before the race, so I went out pretty hard, so by the end my legs were feeling it. But overall I’m super happy with the result, and it was fun to be with my team at such a fun and great meet.”

JDHS freshman Bella Connally blazed to one of the fastest Crimson Bears 100-meter girls finishes with a 12.39 winning effort and she doubled that with a win in the 200 meters at 25.97.

“It was amazing,” Connally said. “I was so nervous though at the beginning of it. With me personally, with the 100, I feel more nervous about the speed and like, just trying my best throughout the whole thing. With the 200 I am more scared with how long it is because I was so tired after it. I am trying to work on my kick in the second half of the 200, I always feel like I am slowing down, but I’m trying my best to push through the pain. It is amazing to have the teammates I do. It is always nice having their support and they calm me down before races, they are all so nice.”

Among the other JDHS wins Crimson Bears sophomore Orion Paden and seniors Finley Hightower, Johnathyn Kestel and Carter Harralston won the boys’ 4×100 meter relay with a time of 44.81. Hightower and classmates Corder Janes, Sage Janes and Ferguson Wheeler won the 4×400 in 3:42.94.

Hightower also won the 300 hurdles in 43.65.

JDHS’ Johnathyn Kestel won the triple jump with a leap of 42 feet five inches and the long jump with 19 feet eight inches. Maxie Leuahli won the girls shot put with a 32-foot 3.75-inch effort and junior Meliame Tupou placed second in the discus with 87 feet six inches.

JDHS senior Ben Zukas won the boys shot put in 40 feet 3.25 inches and junior Richard Tupou won the discus with a throw of 145 feet nine inches.

JDHS senior Owen Woodruff placed second in the boys 3,200 with a 9:53.71 and Ida Meyer placed third in the girls 3,200 in 12:16.67.

“It felt amazing to get out on the track and kind of cast away my doubts about my performance after being sick for a long while and missing out on multiple meets,” Meyer said. “In the 3,200-meter I was definitely trying get back into the mentality of racing and putting out a good effort. The 1,600-meter felt actually felt amazing — I already had the 3,200-meter under my belt, and I just focused on having fun and keeping the pace I have been repping in practice. I let my gratitude for my coaches and my teammates carry me through the finish line. I am excited for regions, but also sad that it will be my last time at a high school meet with most of my friends, so I am taking every day bit by bit, doing my best to soak up the time I have with the team I love so much. I can’t wait to see not only what I can do, but what my teammates can do on the track and on the field.”

JDHS will host the Region V Track & Field Championships Friday and Saturday at Thunder Mountain Middle School. The 2025 ASAA Track & Field State Championships are May 30-31 at Anchorage’s Dimond High School.

KETCHIKAN INVITATIONAL TEAM SCORES

Girls

1) Sitka 190; 2) Juneau-Douglas 126; 3) Haines 85; 4) Kayhi 82; 5) Petersburg 73; 6) Craig 19; 7) Skagway 6

Boys

1) Juneau-Douglas 176; 2) Sitka 155.5; 3) Kayhi 101.5; 4) Petersburg 62.5; 5) Haines 49.5; 6) Skagway 38; 7) Wrangell 16; 8) Craig 9

EVENT RESULTS

Top 10 plus JDHS

Boys

100 meters

1) Jason Lorig (Kayhi) 10.84; 2) Carter Harralston (JD) 11.31; 3) Finley Hightower (JD) 11.76; 4) Rex Adres (Sitka) 11.78; 5) Andrew Mullin (Sitka) 11.89; 6) Orion Paden (JD) 11.97; 7) Royce Borst (Skagway) 12.10; 8) Brayden Tucker (Petersburg) 12.16; 9) Zander Dumag (Sitka) 11.94; 10) Ben Kandoll (Petersburg) 11.96; 13) Isaac Phelps 12.13; 14) Hayden Aube 12.16; 18) Denali Schijvens 12.19; 19) Krew Ridle 12.25; 29) Gage Keller 13.13; 30) Isaiah Carrillo 13.41; 35 Leonidas Taualo-Tasi 13.69.

200 meters

1) Jason Lorig (Kayhi) 22.53; 2) Calder Prussian (Sitka) 23.43; 3) James Connelly (Kayhi) 23.78; 4) Isaiah Harris (Sitka) 24.31; 5) Ben Kandoll (Petersburg) 24.40; 6) TJ Smith (Haines) 25.22; 7) Rowan Olney-Miller (Sitka) 24.72; 8) Denali Schijvens (JD) 24.73; 9) Royce Borst (Skagway) 24.82; 10) Ashton Peterson (Sitka) 24.97; 12) Isaac Phelps 25.04; 20) Krew Ridle 25.75; 26) Isaiah Carrillo 27.47.

400 meters

1) Henry Vail (Kayhi) 50.95; 2) Calder Prussian (Sitka) 51.62; 3) Ben Sikes (JD) 56.47; 4) Brody Ferrin (Haines) 56.69; 5) Calvin Miller (Skagway) 57.38; 6) Andrew Mullin (Sitka) 58.34; 7) Aulis Nelson (Craig) 57.29; 8) Brenden Moncibaiz (Skagway) 57.50; 9) Camden Lawson (Skagway) 57.75; 10) Logan Fellman (JD) 58.25; 11) John Polasky 58.31; 15) Gunnar Tarver 59.53; 16) Gage Keller 1:01.72; 17) Gavin Holt 1:01.75.

800 meters

1) Nick Iverson (JD) 1:55.27; 2) Boomchain Loucks (Wrangell) 2:02.79; 3) Connor Hitchcock (Sitka) 2:03.72; 4) Sage Janes (JD) 2:05.66; 5) Finn Lamb (JD) 2:06.26; 6) Corder Janes (JD) 2:06.74; 7) Trey Demmert (Sitka) 2:08.27; 8) Carter Phillips (Kayhi) 2:10.37; 9) Zach Martins (Sitka) 2:16.95; 10) Logan Fellman (JD) 2:14.91; 15) Gage Keller 2:20.54; 16) Emmett Hightower 2:23.57; 20) Gavin Holt 2:27.52; 21) Caden Morris 2:27.95; 22) Braxton Jenkins 2:31.99.

1,600 meters

1) Connor Hitchcock (Sitka) 4:27.58; 2) Boomchain Loucks (Wrangell) 4:27.99; 3) Sage Janes (JD) 4:35.20; 4) Owen Woodruff (JD) 4:36.11; 5) Trey Demmert (Sitka) 4:44.87; 6) Ferguson Wheeler (JD) 4:45.74; 7) Logan Fellman (JD) 4:49.75; 8) Aulis Nelson (Craig) 4:50.17; 9) Carter Phillips (Kayhi) 4:51.23; 10) Gaje Ventress (Petersburg) 4:57.43; 16) Gage Keller 5:20.75; 18) Zacheriah Bos 5:22.13; 19) Carson Kautz 5:25.16; 21) Caden Morris 5:30.71; 24) Elijah Levy 5:40.68; 26) Braxton Jenkins 5:41.78.

3,200 meters

1) Connor Hitchcock (Sitka) 9:26.55; 2) Owen Woodruff (JD) 9:53.71; 3) Aulis Nelson (Craig) 10:10.89; 4) Zach Martins (Sitka) 10:21.75; 5) Gaje Ventress (Petersburg) 10:32.23; 6) Logan Rupprecht (Skagway) 10:50.13; 7) Justin Hames (Sitka) 10:56.31; 8) Alex Holmgrain (Petersburg) 11:07.95; 9) Landon Kikness (Sitka) 11:08.39; 10) Elia Ward (Petersburg) 11:31.21; 11) Zacheriah Bos 11:48.36; 14) Elijah Levy 11:58.83; 17) Carson Kautz 12:17.05.

110 hurdles

1) Rowan Olney-Miller (Sitka) 16.31; 2) Noah Pawuk (Petersburg) 17.14; 3) JC Davis (Haines) 17.50; 4) Jozaiah Dela Cruz (Kayhi) 17.70; 5) Jomar Molina (Sitka) 18.14; 6) Brenden Moncibaiz (Skagway) 18.17; 7) Orion Paden (JD) 19.75; 8) Gunnar Tarver (JD) 19.82; 9) Logan Ward (Skagway) 20.09; 10) Maddox Tracy (Skagway) 20.69.

300 hurdles

1) Finley Hightower (JD) 43.65; 2) Jozaiah Dela Cruz (Kayhi) 44.69; 3) JC Davis (Haines) 45.31; 4) Ferguson Wheeler (JD) 45.85; 5) Noah Pawuk (Petersburg) 45.91; 6) Ethan Clark (Sitka) 47.88; 7) Edward Dela Cruz (Kayhi) 48.50; 8) Edgar Hernandez (Sitka) 52.75; 9) Grant Maygren (Craig) 52.88; 10) Alex Danskin (Kayhi) 54.56.

4×100 relay

1) Juneau-Douglas (Walter Haube-Law, Leonidas Taualo-Tasi, Jonah Mahle, Ames Patterson) 44.81; 2) Juneau-Douglas (Orion Paden, Finley Hightower, Johnathyn Kestel, Carter Harralston) 44.81; 3) Kayhi 45.53; 4) Sitka 46.85; 5) Kayhi B 50.15; 6) Petersburg 50.44; 7) Sitka 50.57; 8) Juneau-Douglas (Dominic Wery Tagaban, Gunnar Tarver, Oliver Lamkin, Ben Zukas) 52.34; 9) Kayhi C 53.03; 10) Craig 53.28; 11) Sitka 58.91

4×200 relay

1) Kayhi (Edward Dela Cruz, Jozaiah Dela Cruz, Henry Vail, James Connelly) 1:36.28; 2) Juneau-Douglas (Johnathyn Kestel, Denali Schijvens, Ben Sikes, Isaac Phelps) 1:37.00; 3) Petersburg 1:39.28; 4) Skagway 1:42.38; 5) Haines 1:47.94; 6) Sitka 1:48.88; 7) Craig 1:59.62.

4×400 relay

1) Juneau-Douglas (Finley Hightower, Corder Janes, Sage Janes, Ferguson Wheeler) 3:42.94; 2) Sitka 3:46.90; 3) Juneau-Douglas (Nick Iverson, Finn Lamb, Owen Woodruff, Ben Sikes) 3:52.38; 4) Skagway 3:54.19; 5) Haines 3:57.55; 6) Juneau-Douglas (Polasky, Phelps, E. Hightower, Fellman) 4:05.84; 7) Petersburg 4:08.47; 8) Juneau-Douglas (Kautz, Levy, Bos, Holt) 4:26.22; 9) Petersburg 4:52.53

4×800 relay

1) Sitka (Trey Demmert, Justin Hames, Zach Martins, Connor Hitchcock) 9:07.77; 2) Petersburg 9:13.88; 3) Kayhi 9:38.82; 4) Skagway 9:57.29; 5) Sitka 10:38.51.

Shot Put

1) Ben Zukas (JD) 40-03.25; 2) Angus Olsen (Petersburg) 40-02.25; 3) Kaden Duke (Petersburg) 40-01.25, Jack Dunn (Kayhi) 30-01.25 (tie); 5) Paul Thompson (Kayhi) 39-07; 6) Leonidas Taualo-Tasi (JD) 39-01.5; 7) Denali Schijvens (JD) 38-08.5; 8) Shane Tincher (Sitka) 38-04.75; 9) Richard Tupou (JD) 36-10.75; 10) Trey Colbert (Kayhi) 36-08; 12) Walter Haube-Law 34-01; 13) Dominic WeryTagaban 34-03; 16) Ames Patterson 32-02.50; 21) Asher Fink 30-10.25; 26) Jonah Mahle 29-02.50; 27) Oliver Lamkin 27-04.25; 33) Craig Thorsteinson 22-05.

Discus

1) Richard Tupou (JD) 145-09; 2) Kaden Duke (Petersburg) 143-09; 3) JC Davis (Haines) 124-08; 5) Gunnar Tarver (JD) 121-05.5; 6) Jack Dunn (Kayhi) 121-04.50; 7) Erik Thynes (Petersburg) 120-11; 8) Zach Webb (Sitka) 113-10; 9) Braydon Wood (Sitka) 105-08; 10) Cole McLaughlin (Sitka) 104-00; 11) Ben Zukas 98-03; 15) Haube-Law 95-05; 16 Patterson 95-04.50; 18) Wery Tagaban 86-10; 19) Lamkin 86-09.50; 21) Mahle 84-07; 23) Taualo-Tasi 82-08.50; 27 Fink 73-08; 33) Thorsteinson 54-06.

High Jump

1) Trey Colbert (Kayhi) 6-00; 2) Royce Borst (Skagway) 5-10; 3) Rowan Olney-Miller (Sitka) 5-08; 4) Ashton Peterson (Sitka) 5-06; 5) Alex Weerasinghe (Haines) 5-02; 6) Carter Harralston (JD) 5-02

Long Jump

1) Johnathyn Kestel (JD) 19-08; 2) Cole McLaughlin (Sitka) 18-08.5; 3) Alex Weerasinghe (Haines) 18-05.50; Ashton Peterson (Sitka) 18-05.50 (tie); 5) Zander Dumag (Sitka) 18-02; 6) Jomar Molina (Sitka) 17-08.75; 7) Ryder Calver (Skagway) 17-02.5; 8) Ike Pennino (Kayhi) 16-09; 9) Liam Woodard (Kayhi) 16-06.75; 10) Nolan Lutomski (Petersburg) 16-04; 16) Ridle 15-10; 18) Morris 15-04.25.

Triple Jump

1) Johnathyn Kestel (JD) 42-05.0; 2) Cole McLaughlin (Sitka) 39-00; 3) Royce Borst (Skagway) 38-01.5; 4) Alex Weerasinghe (Haines) 36-11; 5) Trey Colbert (Kayhi) 36-00.50; 6) Jomar Molina (Sitka) 35-11; 7) Shane Tincher (Sitka) 35-07.5; 8) Wade Llyod (Haines) 34-04.5; 9) Logan Ward (Skagway) 33-08; 10) Ike Pennino (Kayhi) 33-07.

Girls

100 meters

1) Bella Connally (JD) 12.39; 2) Adalyna Moore (Sitka) 13.15; 3) Addie Hartman (JD) 13.32; 4) Sarah Jones (Haines) 13.44; 5) Hayla Trigg (Sitka) 13.54; 6) Faith Horner (Craig) 13.91; 7) Ashley Eilenberger (Petersburg) 14.19; 8) Marla Whittington (Craig) 14.37; 9) Gwen White (Sitka) 14.41; 10) Maelle Boitor (Petersburg) 14.50; 11) Laina Mesdag 14.53; 14) Mya Hayes 14.85; 15) Isabella Reyes-Boyer 14.87; 17) Kaylee Koelsch 15.15; 19) Zoe Brown-Cortes 15.25; 21) Freya Shelton-Walker 15.44; 25) Nevaeh Alexander 16.31; 27) Ingrid Higdon 16.85.

200 meters

1) Bella Connally (JD) 25.97; 2) Clara Odden (Kayhi) 26.81; 3) Adalyna Moore (Sitka) 28.09; 4) Sarah Jones (Haines) 28.43; 5) Freya Tucker (Petersburg) 29.09; 6) Hayla Trigg (Sitka) 28.94; 7) CC Elliott (Haines), Sydney Salmon (Haines) 30.00; 9) Faith Hotner (Craig) 30.09; 10) Gwen White (Sitka) 30.47; 16) Koelsch 32.16; 20) Alexander 34.44; 22) Higdon 35.75.

400 meters

1) Leilynn Swain (Sitka) 1:06.25; 2) Ashlyn Ganey (Haines) 1:08.03; 3) Gabrielle Whitacre (Petersburg) 1:08.09; 4) Sydney Salmon (Haines) 1:08.34; 5) CC Elliot (Haines) 1:10.60; 6) Jadelynn Kubik (Sitka) 1:08.34; 7) Payton Hagan (Kayhi) 1:13.94; 8) Maelle Boitor (Petersburg) 1:16.55; 9) Aly Trugon (Kayhi) 1:17.63; 10) Lillian Fernandez (Kayhi) 1:21.44.

800 meters

1) Clare Mullin (Sitka) 2:15.63; 2) Ari’el Godinez-Long (Haines) 2;32.20; 3) Carol Frey (Kayhi) 2:34.23; 4) Alyah Merculief (Sitka) 2:39.64; 5) Sigrid Eller (JD) 2:40.65; 6) Cadence Flint (Petersburg) 2:47.41; 7) Adele Fanning (JD) 2:50.97; 8) Camelia Bell (Haines) 2:51.34; 9) Sunna Shane (JD) 2:53.29; 11) Della Mearig (JD) 2:55.38; 15) Kaycee Parady 3:22.95; 16) Makia Silva 3:30.12.

1,600 meters

1) Clare Mullin (Sitka) 5:10.23; 2) Ida Meyer (JD) 5:34.34; 3) Marina Dill (Sitka) 5:40.26; 4) Pacific Ricker (JD) 5:44.91; 5) Sigrid Eller (JD) 5:45.28; 6) Arielle Rucker (Petersburg) 5:49.97; 7) Aliyah Merculief (Sitka) 5:56.51; 8) Lua Mangaccat (JD) 6:06.77; 9) Della Mearig (JD) 6:09.63; 10) Camelia Bell (Haines) 6:10.56; 13) Fanning 6:26.41; 16) Shane 6:31.98; 18) Ellie Jo Wall 6:58.47; 20) Bailey Roguska 7:35.67; 21) Parady 7:35.67; 22) Zoe Lessard 7:45.52; 23) Silva 8:20.23.

3,200 meters

1) Clare Mullin (Sitka) 10:50.78; 2) Marina Dill (Sitka) 11:39.31; 3) Ida Meyer (JD) 12:16.67; 4) Arielle Tucker (Petersburg) 12:29.80; 5) Pacific Ricke (JD) 12:32.79; 6) Aliyah Merculief (Sitka) 12:38.54; 7) Kaia Mangaccat (JD) 12:50.60; 8) Lua Mangaccat (JD) 12:54.69; 9) Camelia Bell (Haines) 12:56.35; 10) Maria Toth (Petersburg) 13:27.41; 13) Acey Wall 14:21.73; 16) E. Jo Wall 15:07.86; 17) Roguska 16:02.53; 18) Lessard 16:33.84.

100 hurdles

1) Emma Heuer (Sitka) 17.53; 2) Mariah Colbert (Kayhi) 17.83; 3) Claire Ruaro (Kayhi) 17.91; 4) Addie Hartman (JD) 18.20; 5) Lexie Tow (Petersburg) 19.13; 6) Isabella Reyes-Boyer (JD) 19.50; 7) Kira Tupou (JD) 19.80; 8) Laina Mesdag (JD) 20.47; 9) Freya Tucker (Petersburg) 20.62; 10) Kiera Arnold (Kayhi) 20.69.

300 hurdles

1) Clara Odden (Kayhi) 49.33; 2) Natalie Hall (Sitka) 51.44; 3) Claire Ruaro (Kayhi) 52.97; 4) Lexie Tow (Petersburg) 53.50; 5) Ryan Elerding (Kayhi) 58.22; 7) Serena Crupi (JD) 55.75; 8) Kiera Arnold (Kayhi) 55.87; 9) Kaia Mangaccat (JD) 56.06; 10) Adele Fanning (JD) 56.82.

4×100 relay

1) Sitka (Hayla Trigg, Leilynn Swain, Gwen White, Emma Heuer) 54.66; 2) JD (Mya Hayes, Addie Hartman, Zoe Brown-Cortes, Bella Connally) 55.17; 3) Kayhi 58.72; 4) Petersburg 58.94; 5) Sitka B 59.06; 6) Craig 1:01.18; 7) JD (Nevaeh Alexander, Ingrid Higdon, Laina Mesdag, Kaylee Koelsch) 1:01.76; 8) Skagway 1:04.40

4×200 relay

1) Sitka (Hayla Trigg, Jadelynn Kubik, Natalie Hall, Adalyna Moore) 1:51.84; 2) Kayhi 1:53.00; 3) Haines 1:59.31; 4) Craig 2:08.10; 5) JD (Alexander, Higdon, Kölsch, Serena Crupi) 2:13.29.

4×400 relay

1) Sitka (Natalie Hall, Leilynn Swain, Jadelynn Kuik, Adalyna Moore) 4:27.40; 2) Kayhi 4:34.41; 3) JD (Addie Hartman, Ida Meyer, Pacific Ricke, K. Mangaccat) 4:41.35; 4) Petersburg 5:00.75.

4×800 relay

1) JD (Ellie Jo Wall, Bailey Roguska, Acey Wall, Zoe Lessard) 10:28.93; 2) Kayhi 10:55.69) 3) Petersburg 11:07.48; 4) Sitka 13:00.67.

Shot Put

1) Maxie Lehauli (JD) 32-03.75; 2) Madison Dill (Sitka) 30-01; 3) Melaime Tupou (JD) 29-06.5; 4) Emma Dohrn (Haines) 28-11.25; 5) Marley Richards (Sitka) 28-08.75; 6) Emilia Anderson (Petersburg) 26-10; 7) Gabrielle Whitacre (Petersburg) 26-02; 8) Abigail Patten (Craig) 25-02.75; 9) Issy Martin (JD) 24-10.75; 10) Amelia Lockwood (JD) 24-10; 16) Kira Jenkins 22-03.50; 22) Eva Goertzen 19-05.50.

Discus

1) Emma Dohrn (Haines) 99-09.5; 2) Meliame Tupou (JD) 87-06; 3) Abigail Patten (Craig) 85-00.5; 4) Madison Dill (Sitka) 83-03.5; 5) Desirae Hutton (Sitka) 82-09; 6) Issy Martin (JD) 80-00; 7) Mary Bell (Haines) 79-04.5; 8) Maxie Lehauli (JD) 78-10; 9) Mariah Colbert (Kayhi) 77-01.5; 10) Amelia Lockwood (JD) 72-10.50; 19) Goertzen 58-09.50;23) Jenkins 45-09.50.

High Jump

1) Cadence Flint (Petersburg) 4-06; 2) Lexie Tow (Petersburg) 4-04; 3) Emma Heuer (Sitka) 4-02; 4) Kaitlyn Tronrund (Skagway) 4-02; 5) Payton Hagan (Kayhi) 4-02.

Long Jump

1) Emma Heuer (Sitka) 14-07.5; 2) Jadelynn Kubik (Sitka) 13-11.5; 3) Ari’el Godinez Long (Haines) 13-11; 4) Ashlyn Ganey (Haines) 13-9.75; 5) Freya Tucker (Petersburg) 12_8.75; 6) Freyja Shelton-Walker (JD) 12-03; 7) Mary Bell (Haines) 11-11.5; 8) Mya Hayes (JD) 11-11; 9) Gwen White (Sitka) 11-9.5; 10) Sydney Salmon (Haines) 11-09; 14) Brown-Cortes 10-08.

Triple Jump

1) Ari’el Godinez Long (Haines) 31-03; 2) Ryan Elerding (Kayhi) 30-06; 3) Melody Peacock (Sitka) 29-05.75; 4) Taylor Cushing (Sitka) 28-11; 5) Cadence Flint (Petersburg) 28-02.5; 6) Ashlyn Ganey (Haines) 26-05; 7) Freyja Shelton-Walker (JD) 26-02; 8) Mya Hayes (JD0 24-08; 9) Mina Yee (Skagway) 24-02.5.

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