GOOD KARMA

HOUSTON — Call it good karma.

After intentionally surrendering the lead, Palmer junior Mason Minturn used a late kick to outlast Wasilla junior Noah Ripley and win the boys’ race of the Mat-Su Borough Championships at Houston High School on Wednesday.

Minturn, who won the 2-mile event with a time of 9 minutes and 35 seconds, led early. He was passed by Ripley, but as Ripley held the lead and worked his way through the second loop of the course that sits just beyond Houston High, the Wasilla junior made a wrong turn on the trail. Knowing that his Valley counterpart was headed in a wrong direction, Minturn yelled out to warn Ripley. Minturn went one step further by slowing down to allow Ripley to pass. Once Ripley was back in the lead, Minturn switched to another gear.

“(Mason) told me he let Noah go ahead and take the lead again, and he out-sprinted (Noah) at the end,” Palmer head coach John Bishop said. “It was a beautiful run.”

Wasilla head coach Gary Howell was thrilled when he heard the tale of sportsmanship on the trail.

“That’s awesome,” the Wasilla head coach said. “How many times are you going to hear about that?”

Without boasting about his good deed on the trail, Minturn was excited about his run.

“We were going back and forth through the whole race,” Minturn said. “I went off like a rocket, but kind of slowed down.”

Minturn said a quick start was part of his strategy.

“I wanted to go out fast, not that fast, but I wanted to go out fast and out-kick him,” Minturn said.

Ripley led with less than 300 yards left in the race. As the course transitioned from the wooded trail beyond the Houston High School campus to the HHS practice field Ripley led. But Minturn was able to beat his rival on the sprint.

Minturn has enjoyed steady improvement throughout the final half of the regular season.

“He’s really been working hard,” Bishop said.

Last week, Minturn placed ninth in the Palmer Invitational by beating his own personal record by more than 30 seconds.

With his runner-up finish, Ripley led the Warriors to the borough team title. Josh Pahkala (third), Simon Fischer (fourth), Michael Johnston (seventh), Keith Thompson (ninth) and Anthony Kellar (10th) finished in the top 10 for Wasilla.

Chris Osiensky finished fifth to help Palmer place second in the team standings. Tanner Enloe was sixth to lead the third-place Knights.

Sophomore Jenna Ford won the girls’ race with a time of 10:48 and helped Wasilla sweep the team titles with a victory in the girls’ standings.

Ford was one of four Warriors to place in the top five. Mariah Burroughs (third), Mandi Riggenberg (fourth) and Jessica Pahkala (fifth) all recorded top-five finishes.

Runner-up Audrey Michaelson led Colony to a second-place finish in the team standings. Makenzie Thompson was sixth for the Knights. Hana Bohman led Palmer with a seventh-place finish.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Mat-Su Borough Championships

Wednesday, Houston High School

Boys’ team scores:

1. Wasilla 25; 2. Palmer 53; 3. Colony 54.

Boys’ individual results:

1. M. Minturn, Pal 9 minutes, 35 seconds; 2. N. Ripley, Was 9:40; 3. J. Pahkala, Was 9:45; 4. S. Fischer, Was 9:51; 5. C. Osiensky, Pal 9:52; 6. T. Enloe, Col 9:57; 7. M. Johnston, Was 10:01; 8. B. Schafer, Col 10:08; 9. K. Thompson, Was 10:09; 10. A. Keller, Was 10:19; 12. R. Tracy, Was 10:26; 13. J. Day, Pal 10:27; 14. A. Cooley, Was 10:28; 15. B. Atkinson, Col 10:30; 16. B. Liebing, Pal 10:32; 17. A. Meyerhofer, Col 10:33; 18. N. Gumminger, Col 10:33; 19. J. Meaney, Col 10:34; 20. A. Gentz, Pal 10:35; 21. A. Gocke, Hou 10:36; 22. C. Perry, Was 10:37; 23. C. Perry, Was 10:37; 24. E. Johnson, Was 10:39; 25. J. Healy, Col 10:52; 26. S. Forrest, Pal 10:54; 27. S. Hermann, Pal 10:55; 28. R. Abbott, Was 10:56; 29. J. Buck, Col 10:57; 30. Name N/A 10:58; 31. Name N/A 10:58; 32. Name N/A 11:02; 33. C. Mattson, Was 11:03; 34. T. Murray, Col 11:04; 35. D. Drake, Hou 11:09; 36. L. Jaschek, Col 11:11; 37. J. Ritchey, Hou 11:11; 38. J. Murak, Col 11:12; 39. B. Lee, Was 11:12; 40. A. Fuller, Was 11:12; 41. C. Olsen, Col 11:16; 42. E. Grazulis, Col 11:16; 43. T. Rockey, Pal 11:21; 44. F. Strick, Was 11:22; 45. T. Hall, Col 11:22; 46. E. Morris, Col 11:26; 47. G. Hulbert, Col 11:30; 48. David B., Pal 11:30; 49. B. Kavalok, Pal 11:31; 50. C. Campbel, Was 11:31; 51. Kennewick, Was 11:33; 52. T. Swarts, Pal 11:43; 53. J. Lorse, Col 11:44; 54. C. Danner, Col 11:51; 55. Z. Marsh, Pal 11:51; 56. A. Gardner, Hou 12:00; 57. L. Wirght, Pal 12:01; 58. G. Elder, Hou 12:04; 59. K. Guthrie, Was 12:05; 60. R. Lozanoff, Col 12:07; 61. D. Gumminger, Col 12:08; 62. H. Colberg, Col 12:10; 63. T. Thao, Col 12:13; 64. R. Loveless, Was 12:14; 65. J. Day, Pal 12:15; 66. T. Seims, Was 12:16; 67. K. Horton, Was 12:16; 68. L. Jones, Col 12:29; 69. Name NA, Col 12:30; 70. Name NA, Pal 12:31; 71. L. Homstad, Pal 12:31; 72. R. Rodamer, Was 12:48; 73. C. Susky, SV 12:49; 74. V. Edwards, Was 12:53; 75. J. Fujimoto, Col 12:56; 76. B. Pralle, Col 13:05; 77. C. Priest, Pal 13:37; 78. J. Grice, Was 12:46; 79. L. Daugherty, SV 14:17; 80. N. Walsh, Hou 15:17; 81. B. Ingersoll, Was 17:25.

Girls’ team scores:

1. Wasilla 24; 2. Colony 45; 3. Palmer 56.

Girls’ individual results:

1. J. Ford, Was 10:48; 2. A. Michaelson, Col 10:58; 3. M. Burroughs, Was 11:31; 4. M. Riggenberg, Was 11:34; 5. J. Pahkala, Was 11:37; 6. M. Thompson, Col 11:40; 7. H. Bohman, Pal 11:47; 8. G. Winter, Pal 12:02; 9. H. Hanna, Pal 12:07; 10. C. Bonn, Col 12:11; 11. M. Lundt, Pal 12:07; 12. C. Schleich, Was 12:17; 13. C. Cox, Col 12:17.2; 14. A. Loper, SV 12:23; 15. B. Dottie, Col 12:30; 16. A. Jahn, Col 12:31; 17. J. Krediet, Col 12:34; 18. D. Salmon, Pal 12:35; 19. A. Saxon, Col 12:41; 20. M. Wright, Was 12:47; 21. H. Young, Was 13:14; 22. A. Woodings, Pal 13:18; 23. B. Meier, Col 13:19; 24. E. Fitchner, Was 13:21; 25. J. Marman, Was 13:22; 26. H. Smith, Pal 13:39; 27. S. Jurasek, SV 14:00; 28. K. Champ, Hou 14:17; 29. T. Haan, Col 14:18; 30. B. Jensen, Col 14:20; 31. W. Nagel, Col 14:57; 32. H. Spargo, Was 15:13; 33. N. Trouy, Was 15:35; 34. J. Coisman, Col 15:35.5; 35. D. Ferguson, Was 15:45; 36. R. Wagner, SV 16:07; 37. K. McPhail, Col 16:17; 38. K. Stricklan, Col 16:38; 39. S. Pralle, Col 17:45; 40. H. Michaelson, Col 17:53.