In his final attempt of the triple jump at the 2023 ASAA Track & Field State Championships, Petersburg’s Hendrik “Rik” Cumps thought back to a week earlier in the same event at the Region V Championships in Juneau where he won on his final attempt.
“Well, I had put myself in position to getting the last jump so I just had to give it my all,” Cumps said from the state championships in Anchorage. “Leave it all out there because I had nothing to do after it.”
And on Friday he did it again. Traveling out a personal record distance of 40 feet 7.75 inches to pass the 39-08.75 mark of Sitka freshman Francis Myers, and on Saturday Cumps added another state championship, winning the DII boys long jump with a 19-00.75 leap.
“I feel pretty good, still kind of, yeah, trying to take it all in,” said Cumps. “It’s kind of crazy.”
Cumps could be compared to a Formula I driver — he just shows up on race day and wins. There is not much of a track to speak of in Little Norway, the town’s commonly known name.
“We have a pretty bad pit,” said Cumps. “It’s like a ramp made out of wood. I don’t even really jump there because it is so bad. I really don’t even jump until all the meets.”
Third in the triple jump last season and a non-qualifier in the long jump, Cumps thanked his coaches and wanted town folks to know what the Vikings were about.
“I want people in Petersburg to know they can take track seriously,” he said. “The more people that join the better. We have a serious program, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.”
What is known in Petersburg is the fire truck parade state track champions receive.
“I think that is the tradition,” Cumps laughed. “But let’s wait and see tomorrow morning.”
It was with a volume of athletes that Sitka took home the girls team title and the Wolves’ boys placed second and won the Sportsmanship Award.
“It is just the kids being good kids,” Sitka coach Jeremy Strong said. “Good coaching staff, good support and the kids kind of taking care of business when it was time. I think overall Southeast Alaska represented really well. It was fun to watch them compete up here. It was a good end to a long season.”
Not to be outdone, or out jumped, Sitka sophomore Ada Parker won the DII girls triple jump with 32-06.50. Valdez sophomore Izzy Kizer won the girls long jump with 16-06.75.
In the grueling 3200 meters Sitka senior Anna Prussian topped the field in 12 minutes 12.59 seconds and held off talented Kenai senior Jayna Boonstra who hit 12:35.55.
Sitka sophomore Clare Mullin won the 1600 meters in 5:21.87 with Prussian second in 5:34.66, Sitka sophomore Marina Dill third in 5:35.36 and Haines sophomore Ari’el Godinez Long fourth in 5:39.36.
Mullin also won the 800 in 2:24.85 with Dill second in 2:31.53
Prussian was part of Sitka’s 4×800 state champions along with freshman Jadelynn Kubik, senior Jessica Christner and Dill who won in 10:43.16.
Homer won the girls 4×400 relay in 4:18.69 with Prussian, Dill, Kubik and sophomore Clare Mullin second at 4:19.07.
Sitka won the boys 4×800 with senior Dylan Crenna, sophomore Connor Hitchcock, senior James Helem and junior Annan Weiland hitting 8:39.64.
Grace Christian won the 4×200 girls relay in 1:51.32 and Kenai the girls 4×100 in 52.46. Kenai won the boys 4×100 in 45.70 and the 4×200 in 1:35.97. Homer won the boys 4×400 in 3:32.43.
Tri-Valley junior McKinley Eddington won the girls 100 hurdles in 16.56 and Homer sophomore Gracie Mistake the 300 hurdles in 47.11. Grace Christian senior Geremu Daggett won the boys 110 hurdles in 15.83 and Anchorage Christian junior Nolan Warren the 300 hurdles in 41.32.
Valdez sophomore Izzy Kizer won the 100 in 13.09 and Grace Christian senior Brennyn Edwards won the 200 in 26.54. Kizer also won the girls long jump with 16-06.75. Delta Junction senior LJ Clark won the boys 100 in 11.37 and Kenai senior Regan Graves the 200 in 23.29.
Unalakleet freshman Ourea Busk won the girls 400 in 1:01.22. Eielson sophomore Niko Alvarado won the boys 400 in 51.78 and Grace Christian sophomore Robbie Annett the 800 in 2:00.53 and 1600 in 4:24.67.
Homer senior Seamus McDonough won the boys 3200 in 9:28.34 with Sitka senior Silas Demmert fifth in 9:47.94.
Homer sophomore Brightly Thoning won the girls high jump with 4-10. Hutchison jr. Zane Robinson won the boys high jump in 5-08 and Sitka sophomore Rowan Only-Miller was third with 5-4.
ACS freshman Jieaya Siatini won the girls shot with 36-10 and Nikiski junior Truit McCaughey won the boys shot with 45-06 and Yakutat sophomore Dylan Petersen was sixth with a 37-9.5.
Redington so. Alexia Pike won the girls discus with 119-09 with Haines sophomore Emma Dohrn fifth at 105-05. Grace Christian senior Charlie Beck won the boys discus with 135-01, Haines senior Eric Gillham third with 121-07 and Petersburg sophomore Erik Thynes was fourth with 119-08.
• Contact reporter Klas Stolpe at Klas.Stolpe@gmail.com.
