Prep running preview: Rams eager to run back to the top of Region II

Aug. 21, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - When fire destroyed Susitna Valley High School this past June, one sport team's facilities remained untouched by the flames.

&#8220We still have our trails,” Su Valley boys cross country coach Larry Buskirk said last week following the Bartlett Relays.

Indeed, the school will host both an invitational meet on September 15, but also the Mat-Su Borough and Region II meets later that month at its trails.

And with a strong contingent of both male and female athletes out for the team this year, it's a strong possibility that the Rams could continue running all the way to state.

Larry Buskirk said the boys squad has been looking very good in early season workouts.

&#8220They're a real competitive group among each other,” he said.

Ten boys turned out for the first day of practice, a number that could inch a bit higher now that school has started.

Leading the way for the boys will be seniors Matthew Krepel and Riley Foster, along with a solid group of sophomores that includes Tyler Figley, Paxton Matthews and Skyler Hamler. Buskirk said there are also a couple freshmen that could contribute as well for a team that appears quite deep.

&#8220They're all going to be really close together,” he said.

Buskirk's co-head coach - and wife, Jane - said she's also expecting good results from the girls team.

&#8220They're looking really strong,” she said.

Typically a Region II powerhouse, the Su Valley girls will be looking to reclaim a region title that before last year had been theirs for over a decade. Buskirk said getting the region title is the team's goal this year.

&#8220We're focused on our region,” she said.

With a solid group of returning runners and newcomers, she said that goal is well within the squad's reach.

&#8220I definitely think it is,” she said.

Seniors Paris White and Krystjana Timmers will provide leadership for a group that also includes several underclassmen.

&#8220Both of them are good runners,” she said. &#8220I think they'll both be faster than they were last year.”

Newcomer Missy Scott, a sophomore, gave the team a big boost of talent when she decided to run this fall.

&#8220She adds a lot to the team,” Buskirk said.

Scott is one of three sophomores in a group that also includes Brittany Langham and Teslin Matthews. Also joining the team this season was freshman Ashley Evans, who Buskirk said is a youngster with tons of potential.

&#8220She needs a couple more races to realize how fast she really is,” Buskirk said.

Overall, both the boys and girls teams will rely both on a good turnout and solid team chemistry that Jane Buskirk said makes coaching the team a pleasure.

&#8220It's a really close knit bunch of kids,” she said.

The team has been preparing for the season by going on long runs in the hilly terrain around Christensen Lake, near Talkeetna which she said should be a big help as the season progresses.

&#8220I tell them, ‘no matter what, you're not going to run on anything harder than you've trained on,'” she said.

Despite having to go on difficult training runs early in the season, she said the team seems to be taking an overwhelmingly optimistic outlook into the season.

&#8220They're just really nice kids.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com