Palmer skier leads Valley athletes during first day of state ski meet

ANCHORAGE — Kiersten Johnson led all Valley skiers during the first day of the ASAA/First National Bank State Cross-Country Skiing Championships at Kincaid Park in Anchorage.

Johnson posted a 13th-place finish in the girls’ 5-kilometer freestyle. Johnson, who finished seventh overall during the Region III Championships in Soldotna last week, posting a time of 16 minutes and 19 seconds in the race. She was three seconds behind Soldotna’s Hannah Pothast, who finished 12th, and 1:32 off the pace of Chugiak’s Sarissa Lammers, the winner of Thursday’s freestyle.

Johnson was one of four Region III skiers to finish in the top 20. Soldotna’s Sadie Fox was second and Grace Christian’s Kayla Rowe finished 20th.

Johnson’s finish helped the Palmer girls end Day 1 in seventh place among 16 full squads in the team standings.

Rya Berrigan was the second member of the Palmer squad to cross the finish line, and placed 40th with a time of 17:26. Jonna Latinen (42nd) finished four seconds later for the Moose, and Anne Woodings (48th) also secured a top-50 finish.

Tatjana Spaic led a group of three Colony Knights in the top 50 of the freestyle race. Spaic finished 39th with a time of 17:25. Greta Jenkins was 41st and Jordyn Block finished 47th. The Knights finished Day 1 11th in the team standings.

Freshman Tracen Knopp was the fastest Valley skier in the boys 7.5-K freestyle, finishing 26th with a time of 21:42. Knopp helped the Knights finish ninth in the team standings after the freestyle race. Fellow freshman Dawson Knopp was 37th and Lyon Kopsack finished 39th. Dawson Knopp (22:17) edged Kopsack (22:18) by about a second in the standings.

John Snelders was the fastest Palmer skier in the boys’ race. Snelders placed 28th with a time of 21:46. Tobin Sworts (48th) also finished in the top 50 for PHS.

Colton Pulver led the Wasilla boys with a time of 24:55. Danika Ingersoll led the Wasilla girls with a time of 20:28.

Racing continues Friday at Kincaid with the boys 10-K interval start classic technique race at 11 a.m. The girls 7.5-K classic race is slated to begin at noon.

The three-day meet concludes with the girls and boys relay events at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

ASAA/First National Bank State Cross-Country Ski Championships

Friday, Kincaid Park

Girls team standings:

1. South 1:03:19; 2. West 1:04:29; 3. Service 1:05:35; 4. Chugiak 1:06:05; 5. Soldotna 1:06:26; 6. East 1:06:30; 7. Palmer 1:09:05; 8. Dimond 1:09:28; 9. West Valley 1:09:58; 10. Grace 1:10:47; 11. Colony 1:11:17; 12. Kenai 1:11:25; 13. Homer 1:11:55; 14. Lathrop 1:16:04; 15. Eagle River 1:18:10; 16. Skyview 1:19:31.

Girls 5-K freestyle (top 20):

1. S. Lammers, Chu 14:43; 2. S. Fox, Sol 15;05; 3. A. Darnell, Sou 15:20; 4. A. Flynn, Sou 15:34; 5. E. Tarbath, Ser 15:35; 6. M. Flynn, East 15:36.6; 7. M. York, West 15:38.8; 8. B. Hirsch, West 15:48; 9. J. DiFolco, WV 15:57; 10. J. Hoefler, Sou 16:01; 11. R. Terry, Ser 16:15; 12. H. Pothast, Sol 16:16; 13. K. Johnson, Pal 16:19; 14. N. Kiekintveld, Sou 16:23; 15. A. Jager, East 16:24; 16. K. Denton, Dim 16:31; 17. C. Gellert, West 16:32; 18. A. Legate, West 16:32.1; 19. M. Fink, East 16:33; 20. K. Rowe, Gra 16:34.

Other Valley finishers:

39. T. Spaic, Col 17:25; 40. R. Berrigan, Pal 17:26; 41. G. Jenkins, Col 17:29; 42. J. Laitinen, Pal 17:30; 47. J. Block, Col 17:46; 48. A. Woodings, Pal 17:49; 64. R. Woodings, Pal 18:32; 65. T. Haan, Col 18:35; 66. M. Lundin, Pal 18:41; 70. M. Meyerhofer, Col 18:55; 76. L. Olsen, Col 19:23; 92. D. Ingersoll, Was 20:28.

Boys team standings:

1. West Valley 1:20:58; 2. South 1:21:05; 3. West 1:24:42; 4. Service 1:26:54; 5. Grace 1:27:00; 6. Chugiak 1:28:19; 7. East 1:28:29; 8. Dimond 1:29:10; 9. Colony 1:29:38; 11. Lathrop 1:32:18; 12. Palmer 1:32:28; 13. Soldotna 1:34:04; 14. Skyview 1:38:01; 15. Homer 1:40:18; 16. Eagle River 1:41:46; 17. Wasilla 1:47:39; 18. Bartlett 1:56:58; 19. North Pole 2:15:36.

Boys 7.5-K freestyle (top 20):

1. M. Donaldson, WV 19:14; 2. S. Takagi, Sou 19:29; 3. T. O’Harra, East 19:57; 4. H. Wonders, Sou 20:05; 5. D. Serventi, Gra 20:08; 6. T. Ramey, Sou 20:16; 7. J. Volz, Wes 20:22; 8. J. Koenig, WV 20:24; 9. J. Bue, WV 20:28; 10. B. Koenig, WV 20:50; 11. T. Sayre, WV 20:55; 12. J. Farr, East 20:56; 13. J. Mayo, WV 20:57; 14. J. Bassett, Ser 21:02; 15. M. Wise, West 21:07; 16. L. McLaughlin, Gra 21:10; 17. D. McPheters, Chu 21:13; 18. M. Hoefler, Cou 21:14; 19. R. Hall, Chu 21:17; 20. C. Truskowski, Ser 21:21.

Other Valley finishers:

26. T. Knopp, Col 21:42; 28. J. Snelders, Pal 21:46; 37. D. Knopp, Col 22:17; 39. L. Kopsack, Col 22:18; 48. T. Sworts, Pal 22:57; 52. B. Schafer, Col 23:20; 54. C. Hand, Pal 23:25; 62. N. Harrison, Col 23:49; 69. J. Alverts, Pal 24:19; 71. J. Lynn, Pal 24:26; 76. A. Nelson, Col 24:40; 77. D. Dahms, Pal 24:40; 80. C. Pulver, Was 24:55; 95. L. Parks, Was 26:03; 108. M. Wieliczkiewicz, Was 28:06; 109. F. Quincy, Was 26:33.