New school boasts first state track qualifiers

WASILLA — More than 50 Valley athletes will compete in individual events during the ASAA/First National Bank State Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday at Dimond High School in Anchorage. Three made school history before they even stepped onto the Dimond track.

Nathan Ashworth, Tommi Crist and Hailey Holland are the first athletes to in program history to qualify for the state tournament for Redington Jr./Sr. High School, which opened its doors for the first time in the fall of 2015.

“Getting three athletes to state is pretty significant,” said Susan Skvorc, the track and field coach for the first-year Valley school.

Ashworth, Crist and Holland join three members of the Redington wrestling program — Saige Paris, Jordan Morganflash and Hannah Arnott — as trailblazers for Huskies athletics. Paris, Morganflash and Arnott each qualified for the ASAA state wrestling championships in December. The group of six athletes will go down as the first class of Redington students to participate in state tournaments.

“Very few of the (Redington) sports were able to compete at the varsity level. Getting some kids out there and competing at the highest level is a pretty big deal,” Skvorc said.

Ashworth will run in the boys’ 100 meters at state and Crist is in the girls’ 3,200. Holland qualified in both the shot put and discus. Both Holland and Crist are freshmen, and Ashworth is a sophomore. All three will compete in the Class 3A championships.

Holland earned her team’s highest finish during the Region III 3A Championships last week at Colony High, placing second in the shot put.

“She has big dreams and wants to chase them down,” Skvorc said of Holland, who first started participating in the throwing events this season. “I don’t know that she had any idea of what she could do. She has caught on really quickly.”

Skvorc said Redington had 14 students on the track and field team this spring, and six earned varsity levels. Skvorc, also the cross-country running coach in the fall, have five athletes on her cross-country team this year. Overall, Skvorc said Redington coaches in all of the sports are working to build foundations for the programs.

“We want to keep the kids active all year,” Skvorc said.

Knights boast arsenal

Colony will have the biggest contingent among the Valley’s six ASAA-sanctioned schools at the state meet, with 20 athletes participating in individual events. Colony also has four relay teams in the championships.

Senior Chase Stephens qualified in four different events. The standout will compete in the girls’ high jump, long jump, triple jump and 300-meter hurdles. Stephens has won 13 region titles in her prep career, but is still in search of her first state title.

Jill Bowker (girls 800, 1,600, 3,200), Anna Condio (girls’ high jump, long jump, triple jump), Brandon Nicholson (boys’ high jump, long jump, triple jump) and Dakota Peterson-Thompson (boys’ 800, 1,600, 3,200) each qualified in three different individual events for the Knights.

Colony’s girls’ 3,200 relay team (Bowker, Jordyn Block, Cathelyne Powers and Coleen Geraghty) has clocked the fastest time in the state this season. Nicholson, who won Region III championships in the high jump and triple jump last weekend, owns the state’s longest mark in the triple jump this year.

Wasilla and Palmer each have nine athletes competing in individual events. Wasilla is led by junior Ceil Dunleavy, the two-time defending state champion in the 4A girls’ high jump. Dunleavy posted the top jump in the state this year, 5 feet, 6 inches. That mark is equal to the state record, set in 1983. Marks must be obtained at the state championships to be considered a state record.

Houston has seven individual athletes in the state meet, while Susitna Valley will have six.

The meet begins Friday morning at 9 a.m. at Dimond High with the 3A and 4A high jump. The girls’ discus on boys’ shot put are scheduled for the first day, along with the boys’ and girls’ triple jump.

Running preliminaries start Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Field events on the second day begin Saturday at 9 a.m., and the running events start at 10:30 a.m.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com

ASAA/First National Bank State Championships

Valley qualifiers

Colony: (20 individual, four relays)

Alex Alvardo (shot put, discus); Jordyn Block (800, 1,600); Jill Bowker (800, 1,600, 3,200); Melvin Charles-White (300 hurdles); Paige Clary (high jump); Anna Condio (high jump, long jump, triple jump); Coleen Geraghty (800, 1,600); Jake Hessinger (300 hurdles); Jonathon Holgate (long jump); Madeline Ko (high jump, long jump); Grace Looney (shot put); Jordan Nero (100); Brandon Nicholson (high jump, long jump, triple jump); Dakota Peterson-Thompson (800, 1,600, 3,200); Jon Pomrenke (200); Lily Sessom (high jump, triple jump, 300 hurdles); Chase Stephens (high jump, long jump, triple jump, 100 hurdles); Danielle Stotler (discus); Kristina Tennesen (discus); Zane Vrvilo (200, 400); Boys 400 relay; Boys 800 relay; Girls 800 relay; Girls 3,200 relay.

Houston: (seven individual, two relays)

Ben Bitler (discus); Cassie Kapuniai (long jump); John Koeneman (shot put); Deni Koreze-Richards (triple jump); Chanel May-Thomas (long jump); Kimberly Quincy (shot put, discus); Allison VanPelt (200, 1,600, 3,200); Girls 400 relay, Girls 800 relay.

Palmer: (nine individual, four relays)

Rya Berrigan (1,600); Matthew Daniels (110 hurdles); Donovan Eiman (high jump, triple jump); Chase Ferris (200); Nick Johnson (triple jump); Shawna Johnson (long jump); Brady Southwick (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles); Tyler Spatz (400); Emma Ushmann (shot put, discus); Ruby Woodings (800); Girls 3,200 relay, Boys 400 relay, Boys 1,600 relay, Boys 3,200 relay.

Redington: (three individual)

Nathan Ashworth (100); Tommi Crist (3,200); Hailey Holland (shot put, discus).

Susitna Valley (six individual, one relay)

Sienna Carey (400); Frauke Heuton (shot put, discus); Aiden Jolley (long jump); Haley Lopker (high jump, long jump, 400); Marshall Pinard (shot put, discus); McKenzie Richter (800); Girls 800 relay.

Wasilla (nine individual, one relay)

Jestine Burt (100 hurdles); Beau Cork (200); Ceil Dunleavy (high jump, triple jump); Ben Frick (shot put, discus)’ Quincy Fuller (800, 1,600); Demiana Glenn (shot put); Wyatt Helton (110 hurdles); Kaylyn Kelly (100, 200); Chantel LeBon (high jump); Boys 800 relay.