Runners brave wet Colony Invite

PALMER — Spectators blanketed in raingear and under umbrellas lined portions of the Colony High Trails Saturday morning. Those clinging to their Starbucks to keep warm probably wouldn’t call a day with temperatures hovering in the low 50s and steady rain the ideal time to run in a cross-country race.

But for the cross-country faithful, it’s the exact opposite.

“Cross kids are tough. We kind of like to run in this instead of the heat,” Wasilla head coach Leslie Varys said. “The cross-country kids enjoy the elements. I think we feel a little more in the element in the rain.”

With regional and state championship meets typically scheduled during weeks when the Alaska weather often turns from wet to white, Varys said racing on days like Saturday can be used as a nice training program for her athletes.

“There’s a lesson in every single workout, every single race we do. The weather definitely plays a part of it,” Varys said. “You have do adapt to what you think is good, what you think is bad.”

Wasilla, the three-time defending 4A state champions, placed a pair of runners in the top three of the girls’ race. Warrior freshman Alex Mathis finished second, with a mark of 19 minutes of 18 seconds, and junior Riley Burroughs was third at 20:20.

Mathis, who has placed in the top 2 in each of the first three races of her WHS career, finished as the runner-up behind Briahna Gerlach of Glennallen. Gerlach crossed the finish line at the 18:58 mark.

“I thought it was fantastic,” Varys said of Mathis’ race. “It was nice for her to have some competition, have somebody to run with. I know they have a history in middle school.”

Gerlanch is also a freshman.

Burroughs finished as the No. 2 runner for Wasilla, which is missing two of its top athletes. Senior Mariah Burroughs and junior Peggy Mathis, a pair of top-11 finishers in the state last year, both missed the race.

“It was nice to see someone, especially a junior, step it up and step into her role,” Varys said of Mathis.

Colony also featured a pair of freshmen in the top 7 of a race loaded with young talent. Cathleen Powers finished fourth for the Knights and Elisabeth Bowker was seventh.

Another freshman, Palmer’s Ruby Woodings, led the Moose with a fifth-place finish.

While youth was the theme in the girls’ race, a pair of Colony upperclassmen led the Knights with top 3 finishes in the boys’ race. Seniors Brandon Schafer (16:54) and Lyon Kopsack (16:55) sprinted to the finish line, placing second and third respectively. Both runners spent the race chasing Grace Christian senior Daniel Serventi, who finished third in the 123A state championships as a junior.

Boaz Sessom (seventh) and Dakota Peterson-Thompson (eighth) also finished in the top 10 for CHS.

Brendon Lee led Wasilla with a sixth-place finish. Hayden Foster used his time of 18:13 to lead Palmer runners. Andrew Spencer led Houston with a mark of 18:23.

The Valley programs are among 26 schools currently registered to participate in the annual Palmer Invitational, which is slated for Saturday at the Michael Janecek Trails at PHS.

Colony Invitational

Saturday, Colony High

Girls individual results:

1. B. Gerlach, Glen 18:58; 2. A. Mathis, Was 19:18; 3. R. Burroughs, Was 20:20; 4. C. Powers, Col 20:30; 5. R. Woodings, Pal 20:36; 6. K. Bowe, Grace 20:42; 7. E. Bowker, Col 20:43; 8. J. Davis, Grace 20:44; 9. E. Arnold, Grace 20:45; 10. H. Wayner, Grace 20:58; 11. S. Contreras, Pal 21:04; 12. T. Spaic, Col 21:21; 13. B. Meier, Col 21:55; 14. T. Haan, Col 22:05; 15. C. Gerhaghty, Col 22:07; 16. C. VanDenHoogen, Grace 22:17; 17. D. Ingersoll, Was 22:20; 18. A. Qualls, Pal 22:23; 19. H. Bohman, Pal 22:27; 20. E. Cusick, Grace 22:30; 21. J. Kopsack, Col 22:40; 22. J. Braun, Sew 22:48; 23. A. Wilson, Pal 23:04; 24. E. Wright, Pal 23:07; 25. R. McLellan, Was 23:08; 26. T. Wygant, KL 23:17; 27. S. Schmidt, Was 23:51; 28. L. Maxwell, KL 27:54; 29. A. Brown, KL 28:14.

Boys’ individual results:

1. D. Serventi, Grace 16:46; 2. B. Schafer, Col 16:54; 3. L. Kopsack, Col 16:55; 4. M. Moore, Sew 17:16; 5. M. Marshall, Sew 17:24; 6. B. Lee, Was 17:28; 7. B. Sessom, Col 17:30; 8. D. Peterson-Thompson, Col 17:31; 9. G. Sorenson, Grace 17:35; 10. H. Karlberg, Grace 17:32; 11. I. Isaacs, Trace 17:45; 12. J. Gentz, Was 17:47; 13. J. Laker, Grace 17:47; 14. R. Steiner, Was 17:56; 15. C. Pulver, Was 17:59; 16. L. McLaughlin, Grace 18:08; 17. H. Kratz, Sew 18:09; 18. K. Greathouse, Was 18:10; 19. H. Foster, Pal 18:13; 20. K. Frick, Was 18:14; 21. K. Lucas, Col 18:17; 22. C. Wheeles, Grace 18:20; 23. T. Berry, Sew 18:22; 24. A. Spencer, Hou 189:23; 25. D. Knopp, Col 18:35; 26. T. Marshall, Was 18:52; 27. B. Moore, Sew 19:13; 28. J. Kingsland, Sew 19:17; 29. J. Alverts, Pal 19:20; 30. Z. Zmuda, Col 19:31; 31. S. Hermann, Pal 19:32; 32. J. Klina, Pal 19:37; 33. R. Kavalok, Pal 1939; 34. E. Kinne, Hou 19:41; 35. T. Zweifel, Sew 20:00; 36. I. Bingham, Pal 20:34; 37. J. Burton, Pal 20:39.