Moose sweep Valdez Invite

VALDEZ — The Palmer Moose skied to a clean sweep during the Valdez Invitational ski meet in Valdez last week.

Palmer not only swept the team titles of the annual cross country skiing meet — that included teams such as West Valley, Lathrop, Colony and the host Buccaneers — a pair of PHS seniors also scored first-place finishes in the boys and girls races.

Senior Duney Strickland posted a 19-second win during the boys’ 8.4-kilometer freestyle. Strickland finished with a time of 21:14.

Lathrop’s Pat Nugent finished second at 21:33.

Davis Dunlap and Ted Hoople also posted top-10 finishes to help Palmer secure the top spot in the team standings.

Dunlap, just 33 seconds behind Strickland in the individual standings, finished fourth with a time of 21:47.

Hoople was eighth at 22:53.

Aube Strickland (12th, 23:11), Wylie Mangelsdorf (13th, 23:18) and Daniel Van Hoomissen (16th, 24:46) also placed in the top-16 for Palmer.

Twins Kimberly and Amanda DelFrate finished in the top two spots of the girls’ 5.4-kilometer freestyle.

Kimberly DelFrate finished first with a time of 15:31, while Amanda followed with a second-place finish and time or 15:31.

The seniors were among four Palmer skiers to place in the top-nine. Mariah Shones was eighth, with a time of 17:16. Hannah Smith placed ninth with a time of 17:19.

Sophomore Schyler Knopp posted a ninth-place finish to help lead the Colony Knights to the fourth spot in the boys’ team standings.

Knopp finished in 22:53 and was the first of three Colony skiers to place in the top 15.

Abe Meyerhofer was 14th with a time of 23:33 and Gunner Williams finished 15th at 23:45.

Keith Pulver led Wasilla with a 24th-place finish. Pulver posted a time of 26:03, 22 seconds faster than teammate Connor Mattson, who finished 27th.

Senior Caitlin Skvorc led Colony with a 12th-place finish in the girls’ race. Skvorc hit the finish line at the 17:38 mark.

Brittany Anderson was 24th for Colony.

Valdez Invitational

Saturday, Valdez

Boys team results:

1. Palmer 1:28:44; 2. West Valley 1:30:15; 3. Lathrop 1:30:26; 4. Colony 1:37:20; 5. Wasilla 1:50:28; 6. Valdez 1:53:34; 7. North Pole 1:58:46.

Boys individual results (Top-20):

1. D. Strickland, Pal 21:14; 2. P. Negent, Lat 21:33; 3. S. Hajdukovich, Lat 21:36; 4. D. Dunlap, Pal 21:47; 5. V. Rybkin, WV 21:59; 6. K. Grzeda, WV; 7. K. Hanson, Lat 22:27; 8. T. Hoople, Pal 22:32; 9. S. Knopp, Col 22:53; 10. J. Lede, WV 22:57; 11. R. Troyer, WV 23:01; 12. A. Strickland, Pal 23:11; 13. W. Mangelsdorf, Pal 23:18; 14. A. Meyerhofer, Col 23:33; 15. G. Williams, Col 23:45; 16. D. Van Hoomissen, Pal 24:46; 17. R. Hvada, Lat 24:50; 18. K. Wilkinson, Lat 24:55; 19. K. Holladay, Pal 24:59; 20. D. Granger, Lat 25:14.

Other Valley finishers:

24. K. Pulver, Was 26:03; 26. C. Mattson, Was 26:25; 27. J. Buck, Col 27:09; 30. S. Bowmer, Was 28:54; 31. R. Loveless, Was 29:06.

Girls team results:

1. Palmer 1:05:53; 2. West Valley 1:05:57; 3. Lathrop 1:09:59; 4. Valdez 1:12:59; 5. North Pole 1:14:08; 6. Colony 1:15:40.

Girls individual results (Top-20):

1. K. DelFrate, Pal 15:31; 2. A. DelFrate, Pal 15:47; 3. E. Mayo, WV 15:48; 4. E. Rorabaugh, WV 15:59; 5. M. Edic, WV 16:15; 6. E. Whisenhunt, WV 16:21; 7. C. Schmitz, NP 16:52; 8. M. Shones, Pal 17:16; 9. H. Smith, Pal 17:19; 10. C. Feree, Lat 17:32; 11. K. Schmitz, NP 17:33; 12. C. Skvorc, Col 17:38; 13. K. Fitzgerald, Lat 17:39; 14. H. Horris, Val 17:41; 15. H. Sudkamp-Walker, WV 17:49; 16. S. Jackson, WV 17:56; 17. J. Simmons, Val 18:02; 18. L. Lutz, Pal 18:13; 19. S. Stough, Pal 18:24; 20. M. Kelly, Val 18:25.

Other Valley finishers:

21. M. Lynn, Pal 18:26; 24. B. Anderson, Col 18:53; 26. R. Hall, Was 19:10; 27. V. Schleich, Was 19:15; 29. S. VanBavel, Col 19:28; 31. L. Dreese, Col 19:41; 37. A. Jahn, Col 20:06; 38. A. Nagel, Col 20:14; 39. C. Murray, Col 20:43.