Runners ready for first big test of year

PALMER — Between the Bartlett Invitational last weekend and the Twilight fun run at Colony High earlier in the week, local prep cross-country runners have had a chance to get their legs under them.

But most will say, the real season starts Saturday as all of the Valley programs make the trek south to Soldotna to compete in the Tslateshi Invitational.

“This week all the competition will be there,” Palmer head coach John Bishop said recently.

More than two-dozen teams are slated to compete in the meet, which replaces the old Skyview Invite on the schedule. Valley teams will see Region III rivals such as Kodiak, Soldotna and Kenai for the first time. A number of Anchorage programs and a handful of small schools are also slated to attend.

The following is a look at the local running squads.

Wasilla Warriors

Wasilla boats the four-time defending Region III girls champions, but there has been a shift of strength within the program. The Warriors do return veteran Riley Burroughs, who finished ninth in the region meet last season. But Wasilla graduated its senior leader, Mariah Burroughs (fourth in regions, fifth at state). The Warriors also lost two varsity runners to transfer, Alex Mathis and Peggy Mathis.

Wasilla did not field a complete girls team at the Bartlett Invite.

The Warriors may be rebuilding on the girls side, but the boys’ team could be the strongest squad Wasilla has boasted in years, assistant coach Gary Howell said recently.

“This is the best boys team I’ve coached,” said Howell, a part of the Wasilla cross-country running program since 2004.

Newcomer Quincy Fuller, a transfer from Kenai Central, led the Warriors with a sixth-place finish at Bartlett last week. Fuller finished 22nd in the region meet for the Kards last year. The Warriors also have Colton Pulver (29th in regions), Justin Gentz (28th in regions) Karl Greathouse (32nd in regions) and Lane Reed, a 2013 state qualifer, who placed 15th in

regions.

Following the Bartlett Invite, Howell said he was excited about not only how his athletes ran, but how close they were to each other.

“The boys have been running really well. They kind of packed up. The whole plan was to keep them together until about (3 kilometers), and then it was every man for himself after that. It worked out perfectly,” Howell said.

Five Warriors were separated by 42 seconds in the standings.

Colony Knights

The Colony Knights boast both veterans and newcomers who could help the Knights be in the running for a girls’ team title. Elisabeth Bowker is back, a year after she posted an eighth-place finish at the region meet.

The newcomers include freshman Jill Bowker and a pair of transfers from Wasilla High, sophomore Alex Mathis and senior Peggy Mathis.

“We have a lot of new runners this year, a lot of new freshmen,” Colony coach Rhonda Knopp said recently.

Alex Mathis finished as the state runner-up in the 4A girls’ race as a freshman last fall. Peggy Mathis is a veteran of two state team titles at Wasilla.

Colony won the girls team title at the Bartlett Invite. While the win came very early in the season, Knopp said she is excited about her team’s potential.

“It was a good performance,” Knopp said of the Bartlett Invite. “Really solid running. Everyone felt good about their races.”

On the boys’ side, Colony is working to replace three runners who placed in the top eight at regions last season — Brandon Schafer (fourth), Boaz Sessom (fifth) and Lyon Kopsack (eighth).

Sophomores Tracen Knopp and Dawson Knopp are in a group of young runners eager to fill the void. Dawson Knopp finished 26th in regions. Tracen Knopp missed the season due to injury.

Veterans Dakota Peterson-Thompson (12th in regions), Robert Haan (31st in regions) and Kamber Lucas (16th in regions) also return.

Palmer Moose

A pair of sophomores are leading the Palmer Moose early in the season.

On the girls’ side, Ruby Woodings leads the way. Woodings posted a team-best 14th-place finish at the state meet last year. Josiah Alverts is emerging as a leader for the boys. Alverts (30th in regions) led the Moose with a 14th-place finish at Bartlett.

The Palmer boys also return senior Hayden Foster (14th in regions). After that there is competition for the varsity spots.

“There are four guys in the solid 18’s,” Bishop said of a group of runners, posting times between the 18 and 19-minute marks.

In addition to Woodings, the Palmer girls also have Sami Contreras (13th in regions) back. Similar to the boys, the Palmer girls also have a pack of runners battling for varsity spots.

Houston Hawks

Houston head coach Chad Rice said the Hawks boys’ team is looking as good as it has during his three years as head coach.

The boys roster has doubled since last year, Rice said, and the Hawks return a 2013 state qualifier, Andrew Spencer.

“He did fairly well,” Rice said of Spencer in the state meet. “We’ll be building on that.”

Rice said he also expects good things from Etienne Kinney, Jens Knutson and Kade Taylor.

Rice said Houston does not have runners for a girls team this year.

2014 schedule

Prep cross-country running has a short season that lasts until only Oct. 4.

Following the Tsalteshi Invite, Valley programs will host meets in back-to-back weeks. The Colony Invitational is slated for Aug. 30 and the Palmer Invitational is Sept. 6.

The Region III meet is Sept. 27 at Kodiak, and state is Oct. 4 at Bartlett.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.