Runners converge on Palmer

Palmer high school was the Mecca of cross-country running for the state Saturday. Runners from 38 schools throughout Alaska and one from Washington converged on the school to compete in the 2001 Palmer Invitational cross country race.

The invitational included races for all regions of junior high school up through varsity boys and girls. It also included boys' and girls' open events and invitational men's and women's events.

The 5-kilometer course began in a large clearing behind the school, then quickly narrowed as runners ran three laps through a trail in the woods. The race culminated with a partial lap around the football field to reach the finish line.

"I thought the course was pretty easy," Colony freshman Calvin Romines said. "The hills were pretty hard, making the course seem longer."

Taz Mannix of Su Valley finished fourth in the girls' region 1, 2, 3A varsity race, helping Su Valley finish second behind Grace Christian in the event.

East High School won the girls' 4A varsity event, with Colony finishing 11th and Wasilla finishing 16th. Colony's Dominique Colberg led the majority of the race but couldn't hold off the tremendous kick of West's Kris Smith down the stretch.

Palmer finished fourth in the boys' 4A varsity event behind Soldotna, Kodiak, and Dimond. Palmer's Aaron Dickson finished third and brother Drew Dickson finished sixth in the race. Colony boys finished 12th and Wasilla finished 17th in the event.

The layout of the track provided many areas for spectators to watch and cheer for the runners. Cross country is one of the few events in which all spectators cheer and support all competitors, regardless of their school.

The grounds behind Palmer High School resembled a scene from Woodstock as school tents and awnings were pitched everywhere to serve as a haven for gear and supplies.

The majority of the out-of-town runners camped in the Palmer High School gym Friday night.

The accommodations didn't seem to bother the runners, who came to compete against the best cross-country runners in Alaska. The look of complete exhaustion as runners crossed the finish line demonstrated they had given everything in the race.

The event not only gave runners an opportunity to gauge themselves against the state's best runners, but also a chance to experience the course. Palmer will host the state meet Sept. 29.

"Hosting this event in the first week of school is a logistical nightmare," said Palmer guidance counselor Joe Irvine, who helps coordinate and run the event. "But it is a lot of fun and a way of life."

According to Irvine, the invitational started in the '60s by the late Ron Larson, a longtime Palmer teacher and track coach. It was originally at Barry's Resort by Finger Lake. In 1984, Mike Janecek and Irvine set up the current course and moved the event to the high school.

"Moving the course to the high school made sense," said Irvine. "All of the facilities to support such an event were already here."

Valley runners fared well against the state's best runners.

Results of the top five finishers for each race and Valley runners' results can be found on Page C2.