Prep track: Local athletes warm up for track season

WASILLA - Apart from the relay races, track and field is all about individual performance.

It's who can run faster, jump higher or farther and who has the best throw.

But Friday and Saturday as the high school season kicked off at the Wasilla Invitational, it took a team effort to get to their mark as temperatures hovered around 40 degrees with a stiff wind blowing at Wasilla High School.

But hey, it's Alaska, and for track and field athletes from Colony, Houston, Palmer, Susitna Valley and Wasilla High Schools it's time to lace up the spikes and get the season started.

&#8220It makes you run faster,” Wasilla freshman Ema Olsen joked as she sat bundled in a fleece blanket. &#8220You want to get the sweats before you get too cold -so you run.”

Olsen and teammate Kelly Mackenzie were using the most popular method of combating the weather, that was bitter cold, despite the crystal blue sky and sunshine.

&#8220Everyone's got a blanket,” Olsen said. &#8220It's just cold out here today.”

In addition to the blankets, there were a pair of Soldotna athletes who took extreme measures and bundled up in sleeping bags. Others used those winter wool caps and ski gloves they hadn't put away just yet.

Anchorage Christian School athletes remained in the warmth of the bus when they weren't competing.

&#8220You have to do what it takes to stay warm on days like today,” Wasilla head coach Kristila Gardner said. &#8220That is the reality of the high school track season in Alaska.”

&#8220Lots of layers,” Su Valley coach Jane Buskirk said. &#8220Most of them have thermals on under their uniforms and sweats..”

One of the things that Gardner made sure the Warrior athletes did do, that was different from their opposition, was to stay out of the sun.

&#8220The sun saps your energy,” Olsen said. &#8220Coach wants us to find a place away from the wind, but in the shade.”

The cool temperatures also meant longer warm-ups before each race.

&#8220I'd like to see them get in a good hour of warm up,” Buskirk said. &#8220The hard part is getting them to come out from under the blankets and get started. But for the most part the kids are good about it.”

While competing in the cold is not the ideal situation, it didn't seem to have much impact of the performances of the athletes during the meet.

Defending state long jump champion David Registe of Colony, matched the mark that won him state and region titles last year - 21 feet and 9.5 inches - on his first jump of the meet. He improved that mark by a quarter-inch in the finals.

&#8220That's a great way to get the season started,” Colony assistant coach Jeff Nelles said. &#8220It really sets the tone for David to have a good.”

Teammate Hallie Huggins was perhaps the busiest athlete of the meet, competing in three events which ran nearly simultaneously - the 100-meter hurdles, 100 and triple jump. She was up to the challenge of shuffling around the field rapidly as she won each of the events. After getting out of the blocks in the hurdles slowly, she ran past the field for a time of 16.52 seconds. She bolted to the front in the 100 to win in 13.2 seconds, and then used her speed to soar to a victory in the triple jump with a distance of 35-9.

Wasilla senior Suzanna Caldwell was impressive in running down the Grace Christian School girls 3,200- meter relay team. Grace had built a 200-meter lead on the strength of solid performances by sisters Case and Sarah Martinez. The sisters helped the Grizzlies win the state cross-country title during the fall.

&#8220I just took off as soon as I got the baton and caught their last runner,” Caldwell said. &#8220I think that surprised her. Then it was just a matter of running away from her.”

Caldwell later engaged n a duel with Nychele Fischetti of Anchorage Christian School. She let Fischetti lead for most of the race before taking the lead with 300 meters to go. But the ACS runner refused to go away and challenged her step-for- step over the final 50 meters.

In the end Fischetti squeezed past her with a lean at the line to win the race in 5:40.3. Caldwell was given the same time, but finished second.

The Colony and Kenai boys used their team depth to rack up 153 points each in a tie for first.

Host Wasilla finished with 11 points, while Houston had six and Su Valley ended with one.

The girls title went to Colony, which overcame a big Soldotna lead built up during Friday's field events, The Knights eventually finished with 114 points. Wasilla finished second with 88, and Houston earned one point.

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@

froniersman.com.