Perfect Season

ANCHORAGE — Just a few short years ago, a sentence with the words “Wasilla” and “cross country championship” would’ve been part of a Valley fairy tale. But throughout the 2010 season, Wasilla head coach Gary Howell thought his girls team should, at least, be included in a conversation about title contenders.

On Saturday, the Warriors were the talk of the state meet.

Wasilla capped a perfect season by winning the school’s first cross country running title at the ASAA/First National Bank State Cross Country Running Championships at Bartlett High School.

“I thought about this for a long time and I thought I’d have a perfect thing to say and I don’t, because you can’t describe this,” Howell said, nearly at a loss for words as he watched his runners exchange hugs and wipe away tears. “A lot of hard work, years of building went into this. These girls, they deserve it.”

Wasilla placed a pair of runners in the top six and four in the top 17 en route to making history.

“I knew if we could put two in the top 10 we’d be in the hunt,” Howell said.

As Howell ran back and forth between about seven spots on Bartlett High’s 5-kilometer course, the head coach knew his athletes would be in the running for the title. When he finally saw confirmation, a sheet of results handed to him by Kodiak head coach Marcus Dunbar, he was visibly elated, but also shocked by the margin of victory.

Wasilla finished with 71 total points, a dozen better than second-place South Anchorage.

“I thought it was going to be an absolute war,” Howell said.

Sophomore Jenna Ford led the Warriors, finishing fifth with a time of 19 minutes and 32 seconds. Freshman Mariah Burroughs was close behind, finishing sixth at 19:39.

“It feels pretty good,” Ford said. “It’s pretty fun to have everyone do well.”

Junior Morgan Dampier and sophomore Mandi Ringgenberg also finished in the top 20. Dampier was 15th at 20:09 and Rinngenberg was 17th at 20:13.

“The animal in Morgan and Mandi came unleashed today,” Howell said. “That’s just absolute guts.”

Junior Jessica Pahkala finished 37th for the Warriors at 21:05.

All five of Wasilla point-scorers return next year, but Cori Schleich — the Warriors’ No. 6 runner — is one of two Wasilla seniors who capped their prep cross country career with a state title.

“This is the best thing I could ask for,” Schleich said. “It’s awesome. I don’t even know how to describe how it feels.”

Alice Strick was also able to end her senior season as a state champion.

The state title completed a perfect season for the Warriors. Wasilla captured the team title in every invitational it entered this season. Last week, the Warriors won their first Region III championship since 2007. The success made it hard for the Warriors not to think about their state title potential.

“We thought about it, hoped for it,” Schleich said. “But it’s different when it’s here and now.”

Howell repeatedly praised the work of his team.

“They’ve put in so much sweat and aches and pains,” said Howell, who was also quick to give his assistant, Leslie Varys, much of the credit.

Colony sophomore Audrey Michaelson was the top Valley runner in the 4A girls’ race, finishing fourth with a time of 19:26.

“I’m satisfied, very satisfied. I think everything we worked on really paid off,” Michaelson said, also noting she never expected to finish her sophomore season with a top four finish.

Michaelson ran with Ford, a fellow Valley sophomore, toward the end of the race and was able to pass the Wasilla runner during the final stretch of the finish chute. Michaelson said she doesn’t see the competition as a rivalry.

“I think of her more as a teammate,” Michaelson said of Ford. “She really helps push me. I kind of think we’re working together.”

Michaelson gave credit to her Colony teammates and coaches as well.

“All of my teammates were very supportive of me, especially my coaches,” Michaelson said. “They’re so knowledgeable and they give me the best advice.”

Kodiak’s Jaymi Bethea was the 4A girls individual champion, edging Service’s Jenette Northey by a fraction of a second.

Palmer junior Mason Minturn was the top Valley runner in the 4A boys race, finishing 16th with a time of 17:10. Palmer sophomore Chris Osiensky was 29th at 17:35.

Junior Noah Ripley led Wasilla with a 34th-place finish and junior Josh Pahkala finished 35th for the Warriors.

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