Rain can’t dampen field at Twilight cross-country run

PALMER — Rain that doused the Mat-Su Valley on Tuesday subsided just long enough for the high school cross-country season to kick off with the Twilight Meet at Colony High school.

Runners used the cool temperatures to take aim at course records as Wasilla Freshman Jenna Ford smashed the girl’s course record by about 30 seconds and Palmer senior Wylie Mangelsdorf fell just two seconds short of breaking the boy’s record on the 2.4-kilometer course.

Manglesdorf surged past Dylan Anthony of Kodiak with about 100 meters to go to take the boy’s crown with a time of 7:48.7, defeating Anthony by about a second. The palmer senior, who finished seventh in last year’s state meet, came within seconds of breaking recent Kodiak graduate Trevor Dunbar’s record, which was set on the course two years ago. Mangelsdorf said that strategy played a key role in defeating Anthony, who bested Manglesdorf in the state meet last year by placing third.

“I started out in front the first 100 meters then he passed me,” Mangelsdorf said. Anthony continued to hold the lead over Mangelsdorf until near the end of the race when Mangelsdorf kicked in an extra gear.

“I knew from racing him before that if I passed him early he would probably come back and pass me,” he said. “I felt a little extra energy the whole race, but I was afraid to waste it so I saved it for the end.”

Mangelsdorf and Anthony finished nearly 40 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Chaven Davidson of Kodiak.

On the girl’s side Ford, racing in her first career prep race, quickly served notice to the cross-country scene that she will be a force to reckon with.

Ford bested the field to clock in at 9:32.4 to destroy the 2-year-old record set by Abbey Reed of Kodiak.

“I’m still just taking it all in right now,” Ford said after the race.

After settling in with the lead pack of runners, Ford said that she made her move about halfway through the race.

“I was in about seventh or so, then after an uphill I made my move and started to pull away,” Ford said.

She then proceeded to put her horse blinders on and focus to the finish. “At the end I didn’t know where everyone else was. I just kept going straight forward until the end.”

Colony won the team title, besting Kodiak and Wasilla to claim top prize. Palmer and Houston did not qualify for the team title. Both schools had incomplete teams.

As the races ended, a vibrant rainbow arched high above Pioneer Peak in the distance, which seemed to bode well with the theme of the race. All of the runners, in lieu of their traditional school colors, were donning tie-dye from head to toe in memory of local cross-country staple Howie Powder.

Wasilla head coach Gary Howell said that Powder, who recently passed away after a motorcycle accident, was instrumental in the construction of local running and skiing trails.

“He was a really mellow and laid back guy,” Howell said. “You would always see him out here running in tie-dye.”

Colony head coach Mark Strabel said he and Howell came up with the idea for a fun way to honor Powder.

“He’d always show up here in tie-dye so what better way to remember him than to race in tie-dye?” Stabel said. “The kids got to make and keep the shirts. It’s a fun idea, why not do it?”

2009 Twilight Race

Tuesday

Colony High School

Boys Results

Name Time

Wylie Mangelsdorf, Palmer 7:48.7

Dylan Anthony, Kodiak 7:49.6

Chaven Davidson, Kodiak 8:27.8

James Osowski, Kodiak 8:29.3

Drew Ford, Wasilla 8:33.2

Michael Johnston, Wasilla 8:33.8

Tanner Enloe, Colony 8:34.2

Schyler Knopp, Colony 8:36.1

Alden Lee, Wasilla 8:39.1

Noah Ripley, Wasilla 8:42.9

Alex Reimer, Colony 8:46.7

Nathan Deer, Kodiak 8:49.1

Jacob Whipple, Palmer 8:51.7

Blake Wangberg, Colony 8:53.2

Gunner Williams, Colony 8:54.7

Joe Warner, Houston 8:55.0

Josh Pahkala, Wasilla 8:55.6

Abe Meyerhofer, Colony 8:55.9

Jaron Christainsen, Wasilla 8:56.3

Keith Thompson, Wasilla 9:05.8

Caleb Nymeyer, Kodiak 9:08.0

Jordan Fogle, Kodiak 9:08.9

Ryan Tracy, Wasilla 9:09.1

Jake Salus, Kodiak 9:14.6

Calvin Edward, Wasilla 9:16.7

Kenny Conaway, Colony 9:23.9

Karsten Schick, Kodiak 9:24.7

Joe Day, Palmer 9:25.0

Brandon Gilbert, Kodiak 9:27.6

Chris Osiensky, Palmer 9:29.2

Clarence Ess, Palmer 9:33.7

Robert Rodamer, Wasilla 9:37.9

Anthony Oliver, Wasilla 9:39.8

Taylor Owens, Wasilla 9:40.9

Darien Sinnett, Colony 9:41.3

Shane Trout, Kodiak 9:42.5

Jamison Ritchey, Houston 9:45.7

Nathan Gumminger, Colony 9:46.4

Tommy Rodamer, Wasilla 9:52.3

Brad Hoyt, Kodiak 9:52.8

Lee Bonderant, Kodiak 9:53.4

Stephen Pine, Wasilla 9:55.4

Drew Drake, Houston 9:56.2

Brice Muniz, Palmer 9:57.5

Charles Coisman, Colony 9:57.9

Jason Johnson, Wasilla 10:01.1

Chris Campbell, Wasilla 10:04.1

Jake Buck, Colony 10:04.4

Andrew Liebing, Palmer 10:06.3

Richard Abbott, Wasilla 10:21.0

Connor Mattson, Wasilla 10:23.8

Chase McCavit, Wasilla 10:26.0

Cole Christiansen, Kodiak 10:27.2

Erik Grazulis, Colony 10:27.5

Todd Taylor, Wasilla 10:27.9

Alex Fuller, Wasilla 10:29.4

Trenten Hall, Colony 10:36.6

Martin Foster, Wasilla 10:43.0

Aiden Ott, Kodiak 10:43.3

Arne Schick, Kodiak 10:56.7

Eli Morris, Colony 11:09.4

Keelan Mangus, Wasilla 11:13.6

Jared Martin, Kodiak 11:18.0

Ryan Worrell, Wasilla 12:11.4

Tyler Seims, Wasilla 14:16.2

Girl’s Results

Name Time

Jenna Ford, Wasilla 9:32.4

Chloe Ivanoff, Kodiak 9:35.3

Alyssa Hutchins, Colony 9:37.5

Abby Jahn, Colony 9:40.6

Morgan Dampier, Wasilla 9:52.3

Heidi Doner, Colony 9:57.8

Jaymi Bethea, Kodiak 9:58.9

Sydney Stewart, Colony 9:59.1

Sarah Ng, Kodiak 10:05.3

Keri Clump, Wasilla 10:07.1

Maria Wick, Colony 10:11.4

Audrey Michaelson, Colony 10:13.0

Allie Smith, Kodiak 10:13.2

Alison Kelley, Wasilla 10:23.0

Mandi Rinngenberg, Wasilla 10:24.1

Katie Strong, Kodiak 10:30.6

Caitlin Skvorc, Colony 10:33.5

Brooke Nelson, Wasilla 10:34.9

Taylor Stewart, Colony 10:47.1

Cori Schleich, Wasilla 10:57.4

Tessa Laughlin, Colony 11:03.6

Kassie Saiki, Wasilla 11:07.2

Christina Johnson, Wasilla 11:07.4

Selma Ernest, Kodiak 11:10.1

Samantha Haight, Kodiak 11:10.6

Gaby Serrano, Kodiak 11:11.8

Emily Ripley, Wasilla 11:12.4

Robyn Hall, Wasilla 11:18.3

Alysha Devine, Wasilla 11:25.7

Amelia Egle, Kodiak 11:27.8

Grace Bohman, Palmer 11:30.5

Haley Young, Wasilla 11:34.6

Tress Whitfiled, Palmer 11:36.6

Makenzie Thompson, Colony 11:42.9

Annalise DelosSantos, Kodiak 11:43.5

Jenni Fried, Kodiak 11:46.3

Alice Oksoktaruk, Wasilla 11:46.8

Hope Spargo, Wasilla 11:56.4

Lina Shadrach, Wasilla 12:02.4

Jessie Marman, Wasilla 12:17.1

Haley Dampier, Wasilla 12:23.9

Shelby Zehnder, Wasilla 12:34.4

Sonia Cortez, Kodiak 12:40.3

Erin Blott, Kodiak 12:40.9

Kirsten Sworts, Palmer 13:10.7

Elena Mayeur, Houston 13:30.3

Elisha Lennert, Kodiak 13:55.1

Kendra McPhail, Colony 14:36.5

Laurena Crosslin, Houston 14:40.7

Hannah Dunbar, Kodiak 15:14.1

Victoria Gruen, Houston 15:19.0

Alecia Kaer, Houston 15:20.4

Jessica Emmerson, Kodiak 15:46.1

Kristina Emmerson, Kodiak 16:19.2

Ashleigh Roe, Kodiak 18:06.0

Marilena Staudenmaier, Houston 20:21.3