Colony girls win George Plumley Invite team title

The Colony girls cross-country running team have another title to add to the list of accomplishments this season.

The Knights used 48 total points to earn the girls team title during the George Plumley Invitational Saturday afternoon at Palmer High School. The Knights, who also won the Redington Top Dog Invitational and their own Colony Invite during the first month of the Alaska prep cross-country running season, finished 23 points ahead of runner-up Seward in the standings.

Senior Ella Hopkins led the Knights with a second-place finish in the girls varsity race, and time of 19 minutes, 41 seconds. Defending ASAA Division II state champion Claire Mullin, of Sitka, was first at 19:33.

Sophomore Aubrey Virgin was also fifth for the Knights at 20:33, and senior Rachel Danz (21:10) placed 10th.

Palmer’s annual cross-country running meet which draws among the biggest fields in the state is named for George Plumley, a Palmer High graduate and longtime volunteer in the Valley running community. Plumley is credited with bringing technology to local cross-country, track and field, and community races, to help with the timing of events, and spent years volunteering his time to help host races. Plumley died in 2019 after a four-year battle with cancer.

Wasilla sophomore Hailee Gicaobbe finished third for the Warriors in the girls race, with a time of 19:55. Palmer sophomore Karley Tichenor (21:15) was 10th.

Colony placed a pair of runners in the top 10 of the varsity boys race. Junior Trygve Vang-Thompson was eighth at 17:37, and led all Valley runners. Senior Coby Marvin was 10th at 17:53.

Wasilla sophomore Blaze Rubeo finished ninth with a time of 17:45.

Grace Christian senior Robbie Annett, the defending Division II state champion, won the boys race with a time of 16:04. The Grizzlies were first in the team standings.

Freshman Finn Adams led the Palmer boys with a 15th-place finish, and time of 18:08.

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