CAN THEY DO IT?: Wasilla girls running for the repeat

FAIRBANKS — Last season, the Wasilla High girls track and field team hit the state meet with only 12 athletes. Led by that dominant dozen, Wasilla was able to win its first girls track and field state title in school history.

This year, the Warriors will have only 10 girls in uniform when the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Track and Field Championships start this morning at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks. But with an even smaller squad, Wasilla head coach Gary Howell said the Warriors could put themselves in realistic reach of the big feat, a second straight state championship.

“There’s definitely a ton of talent in those 10 girls,” Howell said Thursday as the team traveled north to Fairbanks. “This year we don’t have the large numbers, but at the same time, that state experience under their belt goes a long way.”

The majority of Wasilla’s squad has state championship experience. One athlete in particular has plenty of experience at the top of the podium. Wasilla senior star Morgan Dampier is a three-time individual champion and the state record holder in the 800 meters. Last year, Dampier won the 400 and the 800. In the 800, the Sacramento State recruit posted a time of 2 minutes and 10 seconds to set a new state mark and break a record she set as a sophomore.

This year, Dampier will be running toward history. She’s set to compete in the 100, 200, 400 and 800, and has her eye on sweeping those four events on the track. Dampier holds the regular season state best in each event and won all of those events during the Region III Championships at Palmer High last week.

Howell said Dampier has a realistic shot at making history. Her toughest competition is expected to be in the 100, where Lathrop senior Alisha Allen and Service junior Dajanae Harris are also strong.

“As long as (Morgan) comes out of the blocks well, the chances are certainly realistic,” Howell said of Dampier in the 100. “The other three events there’s more breathing room. She’s just a lot better than her competitors.”

Dampier’s season best is a 12.64 in the 100. Harris, who helped Wasilla win the state title last year before moving to Anchorage with her family, and Allen have both run a 12.81.

Dampier’s closest competitor in the 400 and 800 is a teammate, Wasilla freshman Peggy Mathis.

In addition to Dampier, Mathis could also be key for the Warriors this weekend. Mathis qualified for the state meet in the 200, 400, 1,600 and a pair of relay events. She’s ranked second in the state to Dampier in the three individual events. She’s also a member of Wasilla’s 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relay teams, both of which are ranked No. 1 in the state. Regardless of which four events Mathis competes in, Howell said the freshman has factored heavily into the success of the squad. Mathis moved with her family to Alaska from Georgia before her freshman year.

“We’re not even in the conversation (for the state title) without Peggy Mathis,” Howell said. “Having her arrive from Georgia was certainly unexpected. I thought last year we were one and done.”

Junior Jenna Ford is expected to compete for a state title in the 3,200, and the Warriors could earn additional team points in the field events. Junior Alysha Devine, a first-year track athlete, has been a pleasant surprise in the 300 hurdles. In just her fourth official competition in the event, Devine won the region title in the 300 hurdles last weekend. Wasilla could also earn team points in the throwing events with senior Sariah Tuisaula and junior Alexis Imoe.

Wasilla senior Devon Teeling, the defending state champion in the shot put, leads the Warriors boys into the state meet. Teeling is expected to contend for both the shot put and discus state titles. The senior has swept the events at the region meet in each of the last two years. Teeling currently leads all 4A throwers in the shot put and is third in the discus.

Fellow senior Tyler Anderson is ranked third in the state in the triple jump. The Warriors qualified seven boys for the state meet.

Palmer leads all Valley schools with 22 athletes in the state meet. The Moose are led by a pair of throwers on the girls side who could contend for top finishes.

Senior Rachael Huffman won a Region III title in the discus last week and was third in the shot put. She is currently ranked second in the state in the shot put and sixth in the discus. Junior Taylor Blake is third in the shot put.

Blake is also part of a pair of Palmer relay teams running in the state meet. Blake teamed up with Molly Osiensky, Jamie Van Hoomissen and Tress Whitfield to win the 400 relay at the region meet. The 800 relay team, which featured the same foursome, finished a close second to Soldotna.

Mid-distance runners Joe Day and Mason Minturn lead the Palmer boys into state. Until the weekend of the region meets, Day and Mason were the only runners in Alaska to break the 2-minute mark in the 800. Lathrop senior Kyle Hanson joined that group and now leads the state with a time of 1:58.98, just four-tenths of a second ahead of Day.

During the region meet, Day said having Minturn around to push him has been key.

“It’s a big deal,” Day said. “We kind of end up turning workouts into races sometimes.”

Colony junior Audrey Michaelson, the defending state champion in the girls 3,200, leads the 12 Knights competing in the state championships. Michaelson, who will be once again be in the hunt for the 3,200 title, will also compete in the 800 and 1,600.

Houston qualified eight athletes for the state meet, one who was a double-winner at the region meet. Junior Ben Bayne won both the 110 and 300 hurdles, and is currently ranked fifth in the state in the 300 hurdles.

Claire Gillespie finished second in the triple jump at the region meet to lead the Houston girls.

A handful of event finals are alongside the running preliminaries on today’s schedule. The girls’ high jump and boys’ triple jump preliminaries and finals start today at 9 a.m. The boys’ shot put and girls’ discus preliminaries and finals are slated for 10. The boys’ high jump and girls’ triple jump preliminaries and finals are at 11:30 a.m.

The 3,200 final will is at 11:50 a.m. today, and the remaining running preliminaries are expected to begin at 1.

The championships continue Saturday at 9 a.m. The final event of the meet, the boys 1,600 relay, is slated for 5:10 p.m. Saturday.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.

ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Championships

Valley qualifiers

Colony (12)

Daniel Bilafer: 400; Jordan Black: triple jump; Carolyn Cox: 400; Lyon Kopsack: 3200; Kortnie Swenson: shot put, discus; Natalie Lautrup: 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles; Audrey Michaelson: 800, 1600, 3200; Tanner Mulkins: long jump; Ariana Saxon: 200; Brandon Schafer: 800, 1600; Fischer Summers: discus; Makenzie Thompson: 1600, 3200.

Houston (8)

Ben Bayne: 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 800 relay; Charlie Buzby, 100, 200, 800 relay); Colton Buzby; 400, 800 relay; Claire Gillespie: triple jump; Dustin Griffith: 800 relay; Taylor Holen: 100; Kruz Kleewein: 800 relay; Jake Wells: 800 relay.

Palmer (22)

Daniel Adams: long jump; Taylor Blake: 100, shot put; Hana Bohman: 3200 relay; Sam Contraras: 3200, 3200 relay; Joe Day: 800, 3200 relay; Kalei DePriest: 400 relay, 800 relay; Ellen Groseclose: long jump; Rachael Huffman: shot put, discus; Ben King: 3200 relay; Andrew Liebing: 3200 relay; Mariana Marvel: 400 relay, 800 relay; Mason Minturn: 800, 3200 relay; Hayden Niekamp: shot put; Chris Osiensky: 3200, 3200 relay; Molly Osiensky: 400, 400 relay, 800 relay; Kcie Owens: shot put; Willow Schlenker: 3200 relay; Ben Self: shot put, discus; Chris Smith: 3200; Megin Southwick: 3200 relay; Jamie Van Hoomissen: 400, 800; Tress Whitfield: 400, 800, 3200.

Wasilla (17)

Tyler Anderson: triple jump; Mariah Burroughs: 600, 1600 relay, 3200 relay; Riley Burroughs: 3200 relay; Morgan Dampier: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 relay, 3200 relay: Alysha Devine: 300 hurdles, 1600 relay, 3200 relay; Erin Fichtner: 300 hurdles: Jenna Ford: 1600, 3200, 1600 relay, 3200 relay; Kenneth Frick: 300 hurdles; William Harren, shot put; Alexis Imoe: shot put, discus; Peggy Mathis: 200, 400, 1600, 1600 relay, 3200 relay; Jessica Pahkala: 800, 1600, 1600 relay; Mitchell Rilatos: triple jump, 300 hurdles: Noah Ripley: 3200; Devon Teeling: shot put, discus; Keith Thompson: 400; Sariah Tuisaula: shot put, discus.