Knights boys first, girls second at Colony Invite

The Colony boys track and field team has now won three in a row. The host Knights captured the team title during the Colony Invitational at Colony High.

Colony, which also finished first in the Homer and Wasilla meets during the previous two weeks, had 185 total points in the team standings. Travis Saari, Gabe Black and Grant Ousley led the Knights with wins. Saari was first in the 400 meters with a time of 52.35 seconds. Black used a personal best of 4:35.79 to win the 1,600. Ousley placed first in the shot put with a throw of 47 feet, 3.5 inches.

The Knights also won the 800 relay.

Connor Rush (800) and Trygve Vang-Thopmson (3,200) were both second, and Saari (200), Josiah Herick (3,200) and Haakon Erickson (300 hurdles) were third.

Colony also finished second in the girls team standings, seven points shy of first-place Soldotna. Aubrey Virgin led the Knights with a pair of first-place finishes. She won the 1,600 (5:25.15) and 3,200 (12:01.65). Annelise Larsen was also first in the long jump, with a personal best mark of 16-4.

Josephine Kelley (100) and Clara Sensabaugh (1,600) were second, and Mattelyn Elliott was third in the discus.

Sawyer Wilhelm and Nolan Garner were both first for the Palmer boys. Wilhelm won the 200 at 23.78 and Garner was first in the discus at 146-11. Wilhelm (100) and Corbin Gerkin (high jump) placed third.

Gabriel Carey won the 800 at 2:06.59 to lead the Wasilla boys, and was third in the 800. Richard Rogers was second in the triple jump and Brandon Wadleigh placed third in the long jump.

Leila Petersen led the Palmer girls with a first-place finish and time of 59.18 in the 400, and was also third in the 200.

Mia Bukala placed in the top three a trio of times for the Redington girls. She won the triple jump with a mark of 34-4.25, and was also second in the 100 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles.

Susitna Valley swept the top three in the girls high jump. Jessie Wentworth won at 5-10, and was followed by teammates Maris Mossanen and Maura McDaniel.

Hailee Giacobbe was second in the 3,200 to lead the Wasilla girls.

Contact the Frontiersman at sports@frontiersman.com.