Southeast’s top high school runners will vie for bragging rights at the Alaska School Activities Association’s cross country championships on Saturday at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys and girls qualified as the 4A team representatives with their Region V championships last weekend.
“Our theme for this week is desire,” JDHS co-coach Tristan Knutson-Lombardo said. “We’ve been talking about all the hard work and training our athletes have put in this season. The hay is in the barn and the hard workouts are over. Now they have to want it.”
The 4A individuals that finished in the top 10 regardless of if their team won also will move on to state.
Thunder Mountain High School senior Naomi Welling defended her 4A girl’s region crown and will be Southeast’s favorite for a state title.
“Our three girls have been to state at least twice,” TMHS coach Scott May said. “With their experience they are going for course records, which will hopefully lead to competitive placing. Naomi could be in the top five this year if all come together for her.”
JDHS senior Alize Arthur topped the boy’s regions, junior Ethan Goebel was close behind and freshman Arne Ellefson-Carnes placed third. The Crimson Bears’ fourth- through seventh-place runners were solid and helped ensure their team’s win.
“We have four underclassmen on our girls team and this meet provides a great opportunity for them to get the lay of the statewide running land,” JDHS coach Merry Ellefson said. “It is about building our future. They also have three seniors and state veterans to guide them as they prepare to race. Again, we see this with Arne and Clem on the guy’s side. We want each of them – boys and girls – to know they are ready for whoever the course and day brings.”
The Falcons will feature newcomers at the state level.
“Opposite from the girls, none of our three boys have been up to state,” TMHS coach May said. “Underclassmen Justin (Sleppy) and Jonah (Penrose) hope to gain valuable experience for the future, whereas Obadiah (Dawson) will leave nothing out there. This is it for him. I know he is excited to see what he can do after a week of tapering.”
“Every athlete on Saturday’s starting line will be nervous,” Knutson-Lombardo said. “So our focus has been telling our runners to believe in themselves and their training. Our goal is for each runner to cross the finish feeling they gave it their all. While a team championship may not be in the cards, … we are looking for both teams to be finishing mid-pack. Ali (Arthur) has been leading our boy’s team and a top 20 finish would be a very solid result. Ethan (Goebel) should be running tight with Ali, and Arne (Ellefson-Carnes) is one of the top freshmen in the state. Both Kat (Barrows) and Malia (Miller) will continue to push our girls team up front with top runs.”
On the 1A/2A/3A side, top finishers from each of the top three teams go to state as well as the top 15 individual finishers. The girl’s teams were Petersburg, Mount Edgecumbe and Wrangell, and the boy’s teams had Sitka, Craig and Mt. Edgecumbe advancing.
The Sitka boys could be on track to dethrone Anchorages Grace Christian, the winner of the small school state title since 2006. The Wolves placed the top four finishers during last weekend’s region championships.
Southeast 4A girls qualifiers
Welling (1st in regions, 19:37), TMHS sophomore Erin Wallace (2nd, 19:56), Ketchikan freshman Erika Rodanhisler (3rd, 19:58), JDHS freshman Malia Miller (4th, 21:47), JDHS senior Katline Barrows (5th, 21:49), KTN senior Sarah Cool (6th, 21:56), JDHS senior Maddy Handley (7th, 22:06.16), KTN freshman Elizabeth Knight (8th, 22:06.59), TMHS senior Dunya Hermann (9th, 22:10), JDHS’ senior Toma Kimlinger (10th, 22:18), JDHS freshman Kyra Barrows (11th, 22:21), JDHS sophomore Gillian Smith (12th, 22:55) and JDHS freshman Nicole Mannix (15th, 24:01).
Southeast 4A boys qualifiers
JDHS’ Arthur (1st, 17:13), JDHS’ Goebel (2nd, 17:26), KTN senior Sylvan Blankenship (3rd, 17:28), JDHS’ Ellefson-Carnes (4th, 17:48), KTN senior Leif Svenson (5th, 18:01), KTN junior Trent Rodanhisler (6th, 18:09), TMHS junior Justin Sleppy (7th, 18:11), TMHS sophomore Jonah Penrose (8th, 18:15), TMHS senior Obadiah Dawson (9th, 18:16), KTN freshman Leif Stephens (10th, 18:23), JDHS sophomore Tim McKenna (11th, 18:29), JDHS’ freshman Clem Taylor-Roth (12th, 18:34), JDHS junior John White (13th, 18:45) and JDHS senior Ryan Moritz (21st, 21:00).
Southeast small school boys qualifiers
SHS SO. Colin Baciocco (1st, 17:01), SHS JR. David Wilcox (2nd, 17:05), SHS FR. Joseph Pate (3 rd, 17:23), SHS JR. Jordan Zellhuber (17:43), Wrangell SR. Matthew Gerald (5th, 17:57), Craig SO. Andrew Marker (6th, 18:00), SHS Triston Rosas (7th, 18:04), Skagway freshman Danny Brady (8th, 18:14), PSG senior Tucker Hagerman (9th, 18:22), SHS senior Neil Little (10th, 18:31), Hoonah JR. Emmanuel Budke (11th, 18:39), PSG JR. Nathaniel Lenhard (12th, 18:47), MTE JR. Kendrick Hoblet (13th, 19:10), SHS SO. Connor Buxton, (14th, 19:10), CHS SR. Wyatt Patten (15th, 19:12), MTE SR. Kobe Rutherford (19th, 19:25), MTE SO. Aaron Rose (20th, 19:30), MTE SR. James Simeonoff (22nd, 19:41), CHS SR. Morgan House (26th, 20:12), CHS SR. Seth Packer (27th, 20:12), CHS FR. Gabriel Almenzor (30th, 20:24), CHS JR. Timber Burnham (31st, 20:29), MTE SR. Joseph Kewan (32nd, 20:31), MTE SO. Karl Ivanoff (36th, 20:47), MTE FR. Brayden Bahnke (38th, 21:07) and CHS JR. Isaiah Records (41st, 21:20).
Southeast small school girls qualifiers
WHS SO. Reyn Hutten (1st, 21:13), PSG SO. Kayleigh Eddy (2nd, 22:00), PSG FR. Avery Skeek (3rd, 22:08), PSG SR. Hannah Pfundt (4th, 22:40), Hoonah SR. Jordan McLuckie (5th, 22:52), PSG SO. Erin Pfundt (6th, 22:56), CHS JR. Aspen Hansen (7th, 22:57), MTE SO. Laura Ekada (8th, 22:59), Hydaburg SR. Lillian Borromeo (9th, 23:13), PSG SO. Julia Murph (10th, 23:18), Skagway SO. Alexandra Weber (11th, 23:20), SHS SO. Ayla McNeilley (12th, 23:25), Skagway JR. Hailey Jensen (13th, 23:26), MTE SR. Jasmine Jemewouk (14th, 23:28), MTE JR. Bianca Willis (15th, 23:33), MTE SR. Victoria Thomas, Victoria (18th, 23:52), MTE FR. Rebecca Hollander (20th, 24:41), WHS JR. Kaylauna Churchill (24th, 25:12), MTE SR. Madison Clark (25th, 25:16), MTE JR. Julie Amaktoolik (29th, 25:54), PSG SO. Madisyn Parker (31st, 26:21), WHS FR. Helen Decker (35th, 26:39), PSG JR. Alexandra Bless (37th, 26:55), WHS FR. Abigail Gerald (40th, 27:59) and WHS SO. Kiara Meissner (50th, 30:38).
Top 4A girls statewide
Region III – Kenai’s Riana Boonstra 19:04, Jaycie Calvert 19:27, Ithaca Bergholtz 19:32 and Addison Gibson 20:14; Colony’s Jill Bowker 19:46; Kodiak’s Zoe Bigley 20:18; Soldotna’ Daisy Nelson 20:22. Region IV – South’s Morgan Lash 18:52; Bartlett’s Carolynn Pype 19:45; Chugiak’s Emma Nelson 19:36 and KayLee Manwaring 19:51; West’s Molly Gellert 19:02 and Lauren Corkran 19:48; Service’s Sarah Souders 20:13; Eagle Rivers Paige McManus 19:43; and Dimond’s Kylie Judd 20:18. Region VI – West Valley’s Jenna Difolco 20:39.
Top 4A boys statewide
Region III – Kodiak’s Michael Parnell 16:22 and Keith Osowski 16:23; Wasilla’s Quincy Fuller 16:37; Colony’s Tracen Knopp 16:42; and Soldotna’s Aaron Swedberg 17:02. Region IV – West’s Finn Walker 15:43; South’s Derek Steele 15:56; Chugiak’s Ty Jordan 15:39; and Services’ Gus Schumacher 15:41. Region VI – West Valley’s Ti Donaldson 17:16.
• Contact Sports editor Klas Stolpe at 523-2228 or at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
