Mid-distance runners expected to pace Palmer Moose

PALMER — After helping lead the Palmer High boys’ cross-country squad to a runner-up finish in the region championships in the fall, key members of that group are now helping the Moose track and field team kick start the spring season.

Seniors Joe Day and Mason Minturn are back on the track, leading a talented group of mid-distance runners.

“Joe and Mason are standing out,” Palmer coach Tim Popowski said. “We knew that in the beginning of the season, that our mid-distance would be pretty strong again”

Day already owns a top time in the state, posting a mark of 1 minute and 59.32 seconds in the 800 meters during a meet in Fairbanks last Saturday. Day is currently the only runner in the state with an 800 time below two minutes.

“He really wants that this year,” Popowski said of Day’s top time in the 800. “He’s been pushing himself each and every week.”

Minturn has the state’s second-best time in the 1,600 this year, a mark of 3:35.27. Junior Chris Osiensky also returns to add strength to the distance events.

A pair of young runners, sophomores Vincint Aumavae and James Nisbett, are expected to lead the Palmer sprinters. Senior Ben Self and junior Hayden Niekamp lead the Palmer throwers.

On the girls’ side, Palmer has one of the top throwers in the state. Rachael Huffman is second in the state in the shot put, with a throw of 36 feet, 2 inches. She’s also sixth in the discus.

Another thrower, junior Taylor Blake, won the shot put during the meet in Fairbanks last weekend. Popowski said Blake should also do well in the sprints.

The Palmer girls return a number of veterans in addition to Huffman and Blake. The list includes senior Tress Whitfield and juniors Jamie VanHoomissen and Sarah Minturn.

Whitfield and VanHoomissen will compete in the sprints, and Minturn will be among the Palmer distance runners.

Sophomores Hana Bohman and Kalei DePriest and freshman Molly Osiensky are among the underclassmen on the squad who will be regulars for the Moose.

The Moose will host their first meet of the season Thursday at Palmer High.

Anchorage Christian, Colony, Grace Christian, Houston and Kodiak are slated to compete. The field events start at 3 p.m., and the track events begin at 4:30 p.m.

Wasilla has also scheduled a three-team meet for Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at WHS.

Colony and Seward are slated to attend.

** Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories previewing the seasons of the local prep track and field squad. For more see frontiersman.com/sports.