Palmer athletes run to titles, Knights finish first in team standings

Longtime running power Kodiak hosted regions, but a pair of Palmer area programs were highlights of the meet.

Colony swept the Division I team titles and a pair of Palmer runners ran to individual wins during the Region III Cross-Country Running Championships Oct. 2 in Kodiak.

Palmer senior Katey Houser won her second career title, winning the Region III Division I girls race with a time of 20 minutes, 27 seconds. Houser also earned an individual championship as a freshman.

Palmer sophomore Fischer Adams edged Kodiak senior Micah Fields to win the Division I boys title, with a time of 17:24.

Colony finished with 32 total points to win the Division I girls team title, and 40 to win the boys team crown. Colony mentor Rhonda Knopp was named the region coach of the year.

Freshman Ella Hopkins led the Colony girls with a runner-up finish and time of 20:39. Hopkins was one of six Knights to finish in the top 10, a group that included junior Shea Alaniva (sixth), senior Monica Bustillos (seventh), freshman Rachel Danz (eighth), senior Abby Novak (ninth) and junior Lucy Shea (10th).

Sophomore Gracie Martin was 17th to lead the Wasilla girls.

Colony placed three in the top 10 of the Division I boys race. Sophomore Tobias Buchanan led the Knights with a third-place finish and time of 17:36. Junior Zac Cheyette was fourth and junior Jayden Rice placed seventh.

Sophomore Tobin Miller also placed in the top 10 for Palmer, with a fifth-place finish and time of 17:47. Seniors Landon Hayes and Brennan Lackey placed eighth and ninth to lead Wasilla in the race.

Redington sophomore Mya Campbell led Valley runners with a 12th-place finish in the Division II girls race. Houston junior Samuel Stapley was 20th to lead the Valley in the Division II boys race.

The Palmer boys finished third in the team standings, and received automatic team berths to the state meet along with the Colony boys and girls. The top 15 runners in each varsity race also qualify for state.

The ASAA/First National Bank State Cross-Country Running Championships are Saturday at Bartlett High School.

Contact the Frontiersman at sports@frontiersman.com.