Knights lead Valley skiers in state relay events

ANCHORAGE — The Colony boys Nordic ski squad capped its season with a seventh-place finish in the mixed relay Saturday, the final day of the ASAA/First National Bank State Cross-Country Skiing Championships at Kincaid Park in Anchorage.

Colony, which earned its first Region III boys title in nearly a decade last week, also finished seventh overall in the boys three-day total. Brandon Schafer, Dawson Knopp, Tracen Knopp and Lyon Kopsack teamed to post a combined time of 55 minutes and 45.5 seconds in the boys’ mixed relay. The Knights were the top Region III team in the race. Palmer (Tobin Sworts, James Lynn, Colbe Hand and John Snelders) finished 11th. The Moose were 12th overall in the three-day team standings.

Colony finished eighth in the girls’ mixed relay. Tracie Haan, Greta Jenkins, Tatjana Spaic and Jordyn Block combined to post a total time of 39:45. Jenkins, the second skier of the group, had the second-fastest time of her leg, posting a time of 10:05.5 in her 3-kilometer classic run.

The Knight relay squad finished 38 seconds behind region rival Soldotna in the standings.

Palmer (Anne Woodings, Morgan Lundin, Rya Berrigan and Kiersten Johnson) finished 10th.

The Knights also finished eighth in the final team standings, and Palmer placed 10th.

Dawson Knopp posted the lone top 20 finish for a Valley skier during the classic races on Friday. Knopp, a freshman, used his time of 30:09 to place 19th in the 10-K classic. Tracen Knopp (30:21) placed 23rd for the Knights. Schafer (40th), Nick Harrison (49th), Andrew Nelson (50th) and Kopsack (51st) also placed in the top 51 for CHS.

John Snelders (30:46) led Palmer with a 30th-place finish. Tobin Sworts (32:03) was 43rd.

Colton Pulver led Wasilla with a time of 34:23.

Jenkins finished just outside of the top 20 of the girls’ 7.5-K classic on Friday. Jenkins led Colony with a 21st-place finish, posting a time of 27:46. Haan (28:39) and Spaic (28:51) finished 32nd and 35th for CHS.

Johnson, who led all Valley skiers in the freestyle Thursday, posted a team-best time of 28:19 to lead Palmer in the classic race Friday. Johnson was 27th in the standings. Ruby Woodings (29:34) and Rya Berrigan (29:38) also broke the 30-minute mark for Palmer.

Danika Ingersoll led Wasilla with a time of 34:25.

ASAA/First National Bank

State Cross-Country Ski

Championships

Friday-Saturday, Kincaid Park

Boys final standings (3-day totals):

1. South 4:11:42.8; 2. West Valley 4:12:29.9; 3. West 4:18:56; 4. Service 4:21:03; 5. Grace 4:27:03.7; 6. East 4:27:59.4; 7. Colony 4:31:04.7; 8. Chugiak 4:31:15.5; 9. Dimond 4:32:29.6; 10. Lathrop 4:37:08.9; 11. Kenai 4:39:41.7; 12. Palmer 4:42:25.5; 13. Soldotna 4:46:07.5; 14. Skyview 5:01:54.1; 15. Eagle River 5:07:48.3; 16. Homer 5:10:24.2.

Girls final standings (3-day totals):

1. South 3:25:41.5; 2. Service 3:29:08.4; 3. West 3:32:32.8; 4. East 3:31:21; 5. Chugiak 3:34:51; 6. Soldotna 34:39:13; 7. West Valley 3:43:51; 8. Colony 3:46:04; 9. Grace 3:46:11; 10. Palmer 3:46:23; 11. Dimond 3:46:55; 12. Kenai 3:58:06; 13. Lathrop 3:58:40; 14. Homer 4:00:41; 15. Eagle River 4:15:21; 16. Skyview 4:22:13.

Girls mixed relay standings:

1. Service 36:43; 2. South 36:59; 3. West 38:14; 4. Chugiak 38:17; 5. East 38:29; 6. Soldotna 39:07; 7. Colony 39:45; 8. West Valley 39:58; 9. Dimond 40:16; 10. Palmer 40:31; 11. Grace 40:32; 12. Kenai 41:58; 13. Lathrop 42:39; 14. Homer 42:49; 15. Skyview 45:18; 16. Eagle River 45:53; 17. Bartlett 57:01; 18. North Pole 1:03:01.

Boys mixed relay standings:

1. West Valley 52:20; 2. South 52:59; 3. Service 53:25; 4. West 54:49; 5. East 55:26; 6. Dimond 55:30; 7. Colony 55:45; 8. Grace 55:50; 9. Chugiak 56:13; 10. Lathrop 56:28; 11. Palmer 58:42; 12. Kenai 58:43; 13. Soldotna 59:32; 14. Skyview 1:00:38; 15. Homer 1:03:57; 16. Eagle River 1:04:24; 17. Bartlett 1:15:27; 18. North Pole 1:16:48.

Boys 10-K classic team standings:

1. South 1:57:38; 2. West Valley 1:59:10; 3. West 1:59:24; 4. Service 2:00:43; 5. Grace 2:04:12; 6. East 2:04:48; 7. Colony 2:05:40; 8. Chugiak 2:06:43; 9. Dimond 2:07:48; 10. Lathrop 2:08:21; 11. Kenai 2:10:38; 12. Palmer 2:11:14; 13. Soldotna 2:12:30; 14. Eagle River 2:24:06; 15. Skyview 2:23:14; 16. Homer 2:25:42; 17. Wasilla 2:32:53.

Boys 10-K classic individual results (top 20):

1. J. Bassett, Ser 28:53; 2. M. Donaldson, WV 28:56; 3. T. O’Harra, East 29:01; 4. S. Takagi, Sou 29:05; 5. L. McLaughlin, Gra 29:06; 6. D. Serventi, Gra 29:09; 7. J. Volz, West 29:09.02; 8. T. Ramey, Sou 29:10; 9. H. Wonders, Sou 29:11; 10. M. Muffoletto, Ser 29:26; 11. S. King, Lat 29:45; 12. J. Koenig, WV 29:49; 13. T. Sayre, WV 29:51; 14. W. Mans, West 29:53; 15. J. Farr, East 29:59; 16. D. McPheters, Chu 30:03; 17. M. Wise, West 30:05; 18. L. Michael, Sol 30:07; 19. D. Knopp, Col 30:09; 20. M. Hoefler, Sou 30:10.

Other Valley finishers:

23. T. Knopp, Col 30:21; 30. J. Snelders, Pal 30:46; 40. B. Schafer, Col 31:58; 43. T. Sworts, Pal 32:03; 49. N. Harrison, Col 33:11; 50. A. Nelson, Col 33:16; 51. L. Kopsack, Col 33:17; 61. L. Lynn, Pal 34:09; 65. C. Hand, Pal 34:15; 68. C. Pulver, Was 34:23; 82. D. Dahms, Pal 36:13l 83. J. Alverts, Pal 36:13; 88. L. Seims, Was 37:11; 98. M. Wieliczkiewicz, Was 38:35; 107. Q. Fuller, Was 42:42.

Girls 7.5-K classic team standings:

1. South 1:45:22; 2. Service 1:46:49; 3. East 1:48:21; 4. West 1:49:49; 5. Chugiak 1:50:28; 6. Soldotna 1:53:40; 7. West Valley 1:53:54; 8. Grace 1:54:51; 9. Colony 1:55:00; 10. Palmer 1:56:47; 11. Dimond 1:57:10; 12. Lathrop 1:59:56; 13. Kenai 2:04:42; 14. Homer 2:05:57; 15. Eagle River 2:11:17; 16. Skyview 2:17:23.

Girls 7.5-K classic individual results (top 20):

1. S. Lammers, Chu 25:13; 2. T. Hunt-Smith, Ser 25:13; 3. S. Fox, Sol 25:15; 4. M. Flynn, East 25:24; 5. J. Hoefler, Sou 25:40; 6. E. Tarbath, Ser 25:43; 7. A. Flynn, Sou 26:06; 8. H. Pothast, Sol 26:09; 9. M. York, West 26:29; 10. A. Darnell, Sou 26:34; 11. R. Terry, Ser 26:58; 12. R. Terry, Ser 26:58; 13. J. Hediger, WV 27:00; 14. I. Bembenek, Sou 27:00; 15. B. Hirsch, West 27:04; 16. A. Jager, East 27:06; 17. M. Fink, East 27:09; 18. K. Denton, Dim 27:30; 19. H. Booher, Chu 27:36; 20. E. Arnold, Gra 27:37.

Other Valley finishers:

21. G. Jenkins, Col 27:46; 27. K. Johnson, Pal 28:19; 32. T. Haan, Col 28:39; 35. T. Spaic, Col 28:51; 40. A. Woodings, Pal 29:14; 46. R. Woodings, Pal 29:34; 49. R. Berrigan, Pal 29:38; 51. J. Block, Col 29:43; 56. M. Meyerhofer, Col 30:26; 58. M. Lundin, Pal 30:42; 59. J. Laitinen, Pal 30:46; 70. L. Olsen, Col 31:43; 85. D. Ingersoll, Was 34:25.