Grace Christian tops Wasilla girls

SEWARD — Grace Christian won the battle of defending state champions to earn the girls team title of the Seward Invitational on Friday.

Grace, the reigning 1-2-3A champs, placed four runners in the fifth through ninth positions to top two-time defending 4A state champion Wasilla in the team standings. The Warriors had a pair of runners in the top 5. Grace finished with 35 total points and Wasilla was second with 62.

Sophomore Peggy Mathis and senior Jenna Ford finished third and fourth respectively for the Warriors. Mathis notched a time of 20 minutes and 1 second, and Ford was right behind at 20:02.

Mandi Ringgenberg (12) and Riley Burroughs (19) also placed in the top 20 for WHS.

Kenai sophomore Allie Ostander won the girls race with a mark of 18:11.

Grace swept the team titles, also winning the boys class. Wasilla was sixth in the boys standings. Blake Carricaburu led Wasilla with an 18th-place finish.

Seward will be the home of the Region III Championships later this season.

Seward Invitational

Friday, Seward

Girls team scores:

1. Grace Christian 35; 2. Wasilla 62; 3. Kenai 86; 4. Soldotna 95; 5. Homer 96; 6. Seward 132.

Girls individual results (top 10):

1. A. Ostrander, Ken 18:11; 2. H. Steffensen, Ken 19:41; 3. P. Mathis, Was 20:01; 4. J. Ford, Was 20:02; 5. C. Applegate, Gra 20:14; 6. C. Trujillo, Gra 20:15; 7. M. Lash, Gra 20:24; 8. A. Trujillo, Gra 20:33; 9. E. Arnold, Gra 20:39; 10. D. McCormick, Sol 21:03.

Other Valley finishers:

12. Ringgenberg, Was 21:19; 19. R. Burroughs, Was 22:04; 26. A. Hasse, Was 22:51; 31. E. Fichtner, Was 23:14.

Boys individual results (top 10):

1. M. Knotek, Sew 17:17; 2. M. Moore, Sew 17:29; 3. D. Serventi, Gra 17:34; 4. J. Theisen, Ken 17:38; 5. I. Isaacs, Gra 17:39 6. F. Michaud, Ken 17:41; 7. J. Theisen, Ken 17:43; 8. M. Marshall, Sew 17:46; 9. C. McCarron, Hom 17:50; 10. N. Mole, Ken 18:04.

Other Valley finishers:

18. B. Carricaburu, Was 18:35; 28. C. Pulver, Was 19:13; 30. T. Marshall, Was 19:19; 35. K. Frick, Was 19:35; 36. R. Steiner, Was 19:36.