Cross-country teams ready to run

DARRELL L. BREESE/ Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - The 2005 cross-country season began Saturday with the relaxed atmosphere of the Bartlett Relays. Teams will turn up their intensity this weekend as they travel to Soldotna for the Skyview Invitational.

Several Valley teams are looking to make strong runs for the three team berths to the state championship.

According to Palmer coach Norm Rousey, the boys team competition is a race for third.

"Kodiak and Kenaii pretty much have the top two spots wrapped up," Rousey said. "But I expect all three Valley teams to be in the hunt for the third spot. It should be a fun year."

While the Valley's large schools will battle for state qualifying positions, tiny Susitna Valley High should continue a winning tradition that dates back 13 seasons.

Susitna Valley Rams

The Rams girls cross-country team graduated strong runners from its 2004 squad, but coaches Larry and Jane Buskirk has five proven returners set to lead the charge this year.

Led by senior Kayti Krepel, the Su Valley girls hope to extend their conference winning streak to 14 this fall. Su Valley, a school of 118 students, competes in the class 1-2-3A division.

"We may only have five runners, just enough to make a team, but I like how we look so far," Krepel said. "Our times are already as fast as they were at the end of the season last year. So we should be OK."

Fellow senior Boone Howard leads a boys team that has nine runners and anticipates matching the girls' success.

Runners to watch for the Rams include Hannah Hamler and Travis Clark.

Colony Knights

Coach Mark Doner has a balanced troop of runners this fall. Lacking a single stand-out runner, Doner is looking for the core of his team to run near the front and score well during meets.

Joe Cook is the lone returning Knight with experience running in the big meet, having qualified for the state championship last season, but he has a healthy group of running mates on the boys team. Coach Doner is looking for Mason Wick, Ryan Van Gorder and Nick Whitmore to contribute to the Knights' success this season.

The Colony girls are led by a pair of underclassmen. Freshman Erin Skvorc had the fastest time among the Colony girls during the season-opening Bartlett relays Saturday. But it was Johanna Doner who paced the team to victory over Wasilla Tuesday in the Hatcher Pass Hill Climb dual meet against Wasilla Tuesday.

Other runners to watch on the Knights squad include Danielle Buckley and Tara Murray for the girls and boys Brian Cox and Evan Snyder.

Palmer Moose

Palmer High School starts the 2005 campaign with what might be the youngest squad in the conference. Yet coach Rousey, who returns to guide the team after a brief hiatus, has confidence in his boys squad and its ability to make a run at a state qualifying berth.

Why not be optimistic, with sophomore sensation Jacob Parisien setting the pace? Parisien finished 11th last fall at the state championship meet and has his sights set higher this year.

Though the Moose are young, they have lofty goals for this coming season.

"This group would like to finish in the top three of the conference this year," Rousey said. "They'd also like to take a shot at the team title, but it won't be easy. Our region is tough, but we'll do our best and see what we can do,"

Among the few veterans on the team is senior Ryan Cunningham, who is motivated to qualify for the state meet as an individual this year.

Palmer's other top runners are Joe Bertels, Cody Priest and Kate Fitzgerald.

Wasilla Warriors

The return of experienced runners on both the girls and boys rosters provides Wasilla High School with solid hopes for improvement on the trails this season.

Top runners from last season return to the Warriors teams, providing head coach Kristila Gardner with high hopes for improvement.

State championship qualifiers from last season, Suzanna Caldwell and Steven Watcher, will lead the Warriors this fall.

"Suzanna and Steven provide us with a real solid top runner (for each team)," Gardner said. "We're very competitive behind them. Our team success will be determined by how close the rest of the team can get to the front."

Wasilla's top runners include Jessica Gross and Emma Olson on the girls team and Jimmy Swila, John Pahkala and Brad Hobbs on the boys

squad.