Running strong

MAT-SU — The Wasilla Warriors cross country running squad acheived a program milestone last week, and all they had to do was step into the bus — or two busses actually.

The Wasilla cross country squad, a program that has steadily grown in recent years, took 58 athletes to the Skyview Invitational in Soldotna.

“I always had the goal of needing two busses,” Wasilla head coach Gary Howell said earlier this week. “When I told the administrators we needed two busses, they said it’s the first time they can remember needing two busses for a travel team.”

Now all Howell has to do is determine which of those 58 runners will be on the Wasilla varsity boys and girls squad.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Howell said.

Even though the Wasilla girls graduated a glut of talent, Howell feels the Warriors will contend for a third straight region title.

The Warriors lost three runners who finished in the top 20 of the region meet — Kendra Nelson (fourth), Jessica Gross (12th) and Elle Fuller (16th). But Wasilla returns three others who also finished in the top 20 — Katie Bialka (seventh), Brooke Nelson (11th) and Alison Kelley (17th).

Bialka, Nelson and Kelley also posted top 50 finishes at the state meet last year to lead the Wasilla girls to help lead the Warriors to fourth place in the team standings.

Howell believes, Bialka, now a junior, can improve on her 26th-place finish in state last year.

“This is the best that I’ve seen her look,” Howell said, noting that Bialka could potentially fill the void left by Kendra Nelson, who finished a team-best 11th at the state meet. “She’s the runner on our team who we look for low numbers from. If she gets the low number, we’re in the hunt for the team title.”

The Warriors also have a pair of first-year runners who Howell believes will make an impact. Sophomore Kendra Miner and junior Rachel Kennedy, both WHS soccer standouts, are in the program for the first time.

“That’s a nice score,” Howell said.

Bialka finished a team-high 23rd at the Skyview Invite with a time of 20 minutes and 59 seconds, but Miner (21:46) and Kennedy (21:48) finished less than a minute behind.

Howell also noted senior Rachel Hoffman, who finished 50th in the Skyview Invite with a time of 21:47.

On the boys’ side, junior Baruch Chamberlin leads a Wasilla team that features a bevy of young talent.

Chamberlin, who finished 11th in regions, will be joined by a group of freshman who Howell expects to make an immediate impact.

“We’ve got four freshman on varsity,” Howell said. “Four fast freshman.”

Leading the group is Simon Fischer, who finished third in the Colony Twilight Meet during the preseason and 36th at the Skyview Invite last week.

“He’s turned out to be a diamond in the ruff,” Howell said of Fischer, noting the freshman finished only seven seconds behind Chamberlin at Skyview. “He’s legit.”

Joining Fischer are fellow freshmen Michael Johnston, Noah Ripley and Josh Pahkala.

“Chamberlin’s the top guy, but those freshman are knocking on the door,” Howell said.

Wasilla continues the season at the Homer Invitational today. The race is scheduled to start at 4:45 p.m.

Colony Knights

Like Wasilla, rival Colony is also boasting tremendous numbers, with 55 runners on the Knights squad.

“It’s about 10 more than we’ve ever had,” Colony co-head coach Mark Strabel said earlier this season.

The larger numbers are thanks in part to a big freshman class. Strabel said the Knights have about a dozen ninth-graders, and normally Colony can expect about half that. But not only do the Knights have an abundance of freshman, Colony also has a number of sophomores, juniors and seniors who are first-year runners.

“Almost half our team is new this year,” Strabel said.

That youth is very much apparent on the Colony boys’ squad. The squad that finished third in regions last year will feature an assortment of young talent.

Among the young runners is freshman Schyler Knopp, who finished 39th at the Skyview Invite.

“We knew Schyler would be a pick-up for us,” Strabel said.

The Knights also have Abe Meyerhofer, another strong freshman who the Knights are excited about.

Leading the veterans are Senior Jeff Ford (41st at Skyview) sophomore Tanner Enloe (22nd at Skyview) and junior Alex Reimer (73rd at Skvyiew).

Ford finished ninth in regions last year.

Strabel also noted junior Dylan Crawford, a first-year runner who finished 38th at Skyview.

While youth is central to the boys’ team, the Colony girls are built around an experienced group of juniors.

Heidi Doner, the runner-up at the 2007 region meet, leads a group of five strong juniors who eached finished in the to 30 of the region championships.

“It’s a tough group of girls,” Strabel said.

Also in that group are Sydney Stewart (ninth in regions), Maria Wick (14th in regions), Caitlin Skvorc (21st in regions) and Megan Bowker (28th in regions).

That group is strong, but Strabel stressed the Knights are better than five-deep.

Strabel noted a pair of freshman who are making an impact, Alyssa Hutchins and Taylor Stewart.

Hutchins finished a team-high 22nd at the Skyview Invite.

The Knights also have sophomore Abby Jahn who finished 31st at the Skyview meet.

New to the team is senior Kristen Gronlund, a transfer from Wrangell High School.

Colony is competing at the Interior Invitational, a meet hosted by Lathrop High School in Fairbanks on Saturday.

Palmer Moose

Palmer head coach Tim Lundt said about 28 runners have hit cross country running trails for the Moose, and like other schools in the Valley, Palmer had seen an influx of new talent.

“Our numbers are not nearly what Colony and Wasilla’s are, but on the bright side we have 10 freshmen,” Lundt said. “That’s a positive.”

Last season the Palmer boys finished second in the region championships, but that finish was thanks to a strong senior class that included region runner-up Jake Parisien, who is now running at UAA.

Palmer did lose Parisien, Kevin Smith (12th in regions) and Lauri Husa (14th in regions), but return junior Wylie Manglesdorf, who finished 13th in the region meet as a sophomore.

Manglesdorf has already had success this year, winning the Colony Twilight Meet and finishing 13th at the Skyview Invite last week.

Lundt said Manglesdorf was running in seventh place at Skyview until the final 600 yards, but fell back after feeling a pain in his side. Regardless, Lundt is excited about the junior runner.

“He should be in the top 10 at state,” Lundt said. “He’s running that good.”

Joining Manglesdorf on the boys side is junior Patrick Wise, who is returning to the team after a year hiatus. Wise finished 62nd at the Skyview Invite.

Lundt also noted senior Lance LaRue, sophomore Kevin Montgomery, sophomore Ben Ballard, freshman Clarence Ess, freshman Brandon Walsterman and freshman Jacob Simon.

Lundt said the Moose are very young on the girls side and have already lost a key runner due to injury. Sophomore Sarah Houchen, who qualified for state last season, has been lost for the season due to a hip injury, Lundt said.

Even though they are young, Lundt believes he has a group of girls with good potential.

Palmer has sophomore Morgan Lundt, sophomore Gretchen Winter and freshman Hannah Smith.

Lundt also noted senior Kiersten Dahms and junior Lizzie Lutz.

Winter (96th) and Morgan Lundt (97th) each finished in the top 100 at Skyview.

Palmer is also competing in the Homer Invitational today, and next week the Moose will host the Palmer Invitational.

Lundt said he expects as many as 50 programs to participate in what could be the largest meet of the year.

“We’re also hosting state, so everybody and anybody who has a chance of running in the state meet will be there,” Lundt said. “It should be a mini state meet with twice as many kids.”

The Palmer Invite is Sept. 6.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.