Palmer seniors lead Moose to second-place finish

FAIRBANKS — Palmer head coach Darin Markwardt has been optimistic about the potential of his girls cross country ski team this season.

And after the first race of the season, Markwardt is even more excited.

Seniors Kimberly and Amanda DelFrate claimed the top two spots of the girls’ 5-kilometer during the Flint Hills Resources Town Race Series at the Birch Hill Ski Trails in Fairbanks on Saturday.

The DelFrate twins were the only skiers to break the 20-minute mark during the race, and helped Palmer finish second in the girls team standings.

“I wasn’t certain what to expect,” Markwardt said of the finish that he called, “a wonderful surprise.”

Kimberly DelFrate finished with a time of 19:12.8, while Amanda finished at 19:22.8.

“That was incredible,” Markwardt said. “They’ve really been consistent over the last four years. (This year) they’ve made a real jump.”

Markwardt also raved about the work of sophomore Meagan Lynn, who finished 16th with a time of 23:51.5.

“With the DelFrates stepping it up to a new level and Meagan Lynn, they blew me away with how much potential (they have),” Markwardt said.

Palmer finished five minutes behind first-place West Valley, a traditional Nordic ski power in Alaska, and edged third-place Lathrop by just less than a minute.

“West Valley and Lathrop are very strong,” Markwardt said. “Honestly, to be only five minutes behind West Valley and to beat Lathrop is huge.”

Markwardt said he can’t recall a Palmer team that beat Lathrop.

Colony finished fourth in the girls’ team standings.

Senior Caitlin Skvorc was the first Knight to cross the finish line, posting a time of 23:09.3 and 16th-place finish. Abby Nagel (25th, 25:29.5) and Shannon Van Bavel (26th, 25:30.7) also finished in the top-30 for the Knights.

Katherine Parker led the Wasilla Warriors with a 24th-place finish in the girls standings. Parker finished with a time of 25:28.6.

Palmer senior Davis Dunlap led Valley skiers in the boys’ 7.5-K with a second-place finish. Dunlap crossed the finish line at the 22:24.0 mark, about 90 seconds behind first-place Logan Hanneman, of Lathrop.

Another Palmer senior, Dunedin Strickland, also posted a top-five finish, placing fifth with a time of 23:07.1.

The Palmer seniors helped the third-place Moose edge Colony by just eight seconds in the team standings.

A pair of Knights, junior Samuli Harju and sophomore Schyler Knopp, finished in the top-six in the boys race. Harju was fourth with a time of 22:59.6, while Knopp was sixth at 23:10.1.

Senior Gunner Williams was 12th at 26:38.6.

Conner Mattson led the Wasilla boys with a 37th-place finish.

Temperatures reportedly approached 20 degrees below zero on race day. Many athletes wore several layers of clothing.

One skier, Palmer’s Ted Hoople, donned a lion costume.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Flint Hills Resources Town Race Series

Saturday, Birch Hill, Fairbanks

Girls team scores:

1. West Valley 1:21:53.7; 2. Palmer 1:26:31.7; 3. Lathrop 1:27:20.9; 4. Colony 1:40:49.8.

Girls individual results (Top-10):

1. K. DelFrate, Pal 19:12.8; 2. A. DelFrate, Pal 19:22.7; 3. H. Boyer, WV 20:08.2; 4. E. Mayo, WV 20:27.8; 5. S. Jackson, WV 20:36.5; 6. E. Rorabaugh, WV 20:41.2; 7. M. Edic, Lat 20:46.9; 8. M. Hamlin, Lat 21:25.1; 9. B. Noon, WV 22:04.6; 10. C. Ferree, Lat 22:39.2.

Other Mat-Su Valley finishers:

16. C. Skvorc, Col 23:09.3; 17. M. Lynn, Pal 23:51.5; 18. M. Shones, Pal 24:04.7; 19. S. Stough, Pal 24:19.6; 21. H. Smith, Pal 24:42.4; 24. K. Parker, Was 25:26.8; 25. A. Nagel, Col 25:29.5; 26. S. VanBavel, Col 25:30.7; 28. Z. Fuller, Pal 26:03.5; 32. L. Dreese, Col 26:40.3; 33. R. Hall, Was 26:43.3; 34. A. Jahn, Col 26:57.4; 35. E. Lutz, Pal 27:10.6; 36. C. Murray, Col 27:42.4; 38. K. Sworts, Pal 28:04.8; 39. C. Hull, Pal 29:02.8; 41. M. Thompson, Col 29:37.2; 43. L. Frohling, Pal 30:31.9; 44. K. Powell, Col 31:11.3; 45. M. Keefe, Pal 31:20.5; 46. J. Johnson, Pal 32:14.6; 47. E. Keefe, Pal 33:16.0; 48. A. Oksoktaruk, Was 34:01.9; 50. K. Jenkins, Col 36:05.7; 51. M. Shones, Pal 36:23.0; 52. D. Cummings, Pal 36:33.6; 53. M. Nagel, Col 37:09.8; 56. K. McPhail, Col 42:27.8; 57. N. Caole, Col 44:59.0; 59. N. Vinzant, Col 46:54.8; 60. R. Partlow, Col 47:10.1; 61. W. Nagel, Col 47:10.7

Boys team scores:

1. Lathrop 1:36:02.4; 2. West Valley 1:40:26.7; 3. Palmer 1:40:51.0; 4. Colony 1:40:59.7; 5. Wasilla 2:42:59.9.

Boys individual results (Top-10):

1. L. Hanneman, Lat 20:51.3; 2. D. Dunlap, Pal 22:24.0; 3. V. Rybkin, WV 22:52.4; 4. S. Harju, Col 22:59.6; 5. D. Strickland, Pal 23:07.1; 6. S. Knopp, Col 23:10.1; 7. P. Nugent, Lat 24:17.8; 8. K. Hanson, Lat 25:01.3; 9. R. Troyer, WV 25:17.9; 10. J. Leder, WV 25:36.3.

Other Mat-Su Valley finishers:

12. G. Williams, Col 26:38.6; 14. A. Strickland, Pal 26:58.0; 18. A. Meyerhofer, Col 28:11.4; 19. T. Hoople, Pal 28:21.9; 21. A. McConnell, Pal 30:16.1; 27. C. Osiensky, Pal 32:50.5; 28. K. Holladay, Pal 33:01.7; 32. J. Dahms, Pal 33:27.3; 36. M. Dallas, 33:57.9; 37. C. Mattson, Was 34:18.1; 38. J. Hausman, Col 34:41.3; 39. D. VanHoomissen, Pal 34:52.1; 41. F. Bean, Pal 35:58.1; 42. A. Liebing, Pal 35:58.4; 44. R. Loveless, Was 36:30.5; 46. J. Buck, Col 37:06.9; 47. M. Ketchum, Pal 37:15.4; 48. C. Winter, Pal 37:41.4; 50. T. Harris, Col 38:38.9; 51. F. Lamb, Pal 39:27.1; 52. K. Mayeske, Was 39:31.4; 54. D. Sinnett, Col 41:40.9; 55. D. Banse, Pal 43:41.2; 57. E. Grazulis, Col 44:42.8; 58. J. Meaney, Col 45:14.4; 59. E. Morris, Col 45:59.6; 60. D. Pfister, Col 46:17.9; 61. B. TenBroeke, Col 46:22.3; 62. A. Mahan, Pal 46:27.5; 63. D. Kagel, Col 46:54.4; 64. C. White, Pal 51:27.1; 65. A. Oliver, Was 52:39.9; 66. Z. Marsh, Pal 55:16.8; 67. S. Larue, Pal 56:22.8;