Colony girls cruise to team title at Fairbanks meet

WASILLA — Eight schools with track and field in the Fairbanks area meet five times this season in Region IV regular season meets. Over the weekend, the Colony Knights decided to crash the Interior’s track party.

Senior Chase Stephens won four individual events to help the Knights run away with the girls’ title during the third Region IV meet of the season at Lathrop High School. Colony finished with 214 total points in the girls’ standings, well ahead of runner-up West Valley (186) and host Lathrop (102).

Stephens finished first in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and 100 hurdles. The senior enjoyed season bests in two of the events, hitting a mark of 5-foot-2 in the high jump and 16-6 in the long jump.

Stephens was one of three Knights to earn individual wins. Jordyn Block coasted to a win in the 800 meters and Madelino Ko scored a victory in the 300 hurdles. Block, Jill Bowker, Elisabeth Bowker and Cathelyne Powers also teamed up to win the 3,200-meter relay for the Knights.

In addition to her win in the hurdles, Ko was second in the triple jump and third in the high jump. Jill Bowker was second in the 1,600 and third in the 3,200, while Powers finished second in the 3,200 and third in the 1,600.

Anna Condio logged runner-up finishes in the long jump and 300 hurdles, and a third-place finish in the 200. Elizabeth Freeman was third in the 100 for Colony.

Junior Brandon Nicholson won a pair of events to help Colony finish as the runner-up in the boys’ standings with 147 total points. Nicholson hit a career mark in the triple jump, recording a leap of 45 feet, 2.25 inches in the event he won a state title in last season. Nicholson was also first in the long jump.

Alex Alvardo won the shot put for the Knights, with a throw of 42-2.5.

Nicholson added a second-place finish in the 400 to his two wins. Jacob Hessinger (300 hurdles), Matthew Clyde (110 hurdles) and Zane Vrvilo (400) each recorded a third-place finish for the Knights.

The Colony boys also recorded runner-up finishes in the 400, 800 and 3,200 relays.

Defending champ hits high mark

Wasilla junior Ceil Dunleavy, the two-time defending state champion in the 4A girls’ high jump, hit the best mark of her career Saturday. Dunleavy recorded a mark of 5 feet, 6 inches to win the event at the Homer Invitational in Homer.

Dunleavy also hit 5-6 during the Brian Young Invitational, a postseason meet in Kodiak, last year.

She captured her second straight state crown with a mark of 5-4 in the 2015 state championships as a sophomore. A jump of 5-2 gave her the title as a freshman.

Wasilla sophomore Chatel LeBon finished second in the high jump, hitting 4-10.

Kaylyn Kelly (200 meters) and Jestine Burt (100 hurdles) each finished third for the Wasilla girls.

Wasilla grabbed runner-up finishes in the boys’ 400 and 800 relays.

Donovan Eiman led Palmer with a second-place finish in the boys’ triple jump. Chase Ferris was third in the boys’ 100 for the Moose.

Alison VanPelt led Houston with a third-place finish in the 1,600.