Sports briefs

Frontiersman staff

High school cross country begins

Monday, July 30, high school cross-country running begins in Mat-Su schools with practice on Valley tracks.

Palmer High cross-country coach Rhonda Knopp, Wasilla High cross-country coach Eric Victor and Colony High Coach Mark Doner said practice will take place at 6 p.m. at the Palmer, Wasilla and Colony tracks.

Runners need to make sure their $100 sports fee has been paid and they have completed physicals to ensure practice is a true practice and not a day of filling out paperwork.

For more information, Knopp can be reached at 373-3975or coachrousey@hotmail.com. Victor can be reached at 376-5111 or evictor@gci.net. And Colony co-coach Necia Engebrestsen can be reached at 746-3718.

Six of eight make it to the semi-finals

Eight teams from the Mat Valley Competitive Soccer Club took part in the 13th Annual Far North Soccer Tournament in Anchorage last weekend. Teams from the Valley, Fairbanks, Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula participated. Of the eight Valley teams, six advanced to the semifinals.

It was a rainy and cloudy weekend. Some of the highlights included a black bear sighting during the afternoon games at Bartlett Fields on Saturday, and a lone moose that decided to cross the field during a game at Dela Vega Fields. The club's next tournament will be the end-of-the season State Cup Tournament in Anchorage Aug. 8-12.

Kirk dominates the competition

Rich Kirk of Anchorage, in his alcohol dragster, won the Top Eliminator class Sunday at Alaska Raceway Park.

Kirk ran the quarter-mile track in 5.76 seconds and 237 mph, just .03 seconds off the track record. Mike Prockish of Anchorage took second in his pro mod Chevy, running a 7.38-second pass at 190.63 mph.

Results

Top Eliminator — 1) Rich Kirk; 2) Mike Prockish; Pro Sportsman — 1) Steve Reimann; 2) John Dixon. ET — 1) Joe Nilsson; 2) Don Petroze. Et Bike — 1) Steve Flournoy; 2) John Lackey. Top Sportsman — 1) Dean Cramer; 2) Charlie Johnnie. Snowmachine — 1) Mike Pederson; 2) Lenny Olson. Jr. Dragster — 1) Dustin Hattenberg; 2) Shelby Hattenberg. Trophy — 1) Robert Wissier; 2) Frank Roach.

Miners hold promo send off

The Mat-Su Miners are holding a promotional game against the Anchorage All Stars at 6 p.m. July 28. It will be the last game of the regular season. To send the team off in style, the Miners organization has arranged a picture and autograph session prior to game time. From 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. the Miners will be on the field to autograph balls, hats, gloves, children or anything else fans want to bring and have signed.

Fans can also have their picture taken with their favorite Miners. The promo ends another season of Miners' baseball.

Moore scores eight in bronze-medal game

The USA Basketball Women's Junior World Championships Team rebounded from its semifinal loss to host Czech Republic and inched out a win against Australia to win the bronze medal with a 77-72 victory.

Jessica Moore, a Colony High graduate now attending the University of Connecticut, scored eight points in the bronze-medal game. She went 2-2 from the line and scored three field goals in six attempts.

Lacosta takes checkered flag

Corey Lacosta, in his Dodge Intrepid that he calls "Baby Doll," held off six other drivers to take top spot in the Late Models at North Star Speedway last weekend. Lacosta bought the car not long before this year's race season began. It came with a $100,000 price tag, not including the spare engine and parts.

Results

Late Models — 1) Corey LaCosta; 2) Kevin Patrick; 3) John Hecht; 4) J.P. Hoff; 5) Bud Black; 6) Mike Hansen; 7) Patrick Campbell. Sportsman/Truck Combination — 1) Dean Thompson; 2) Troy Craig; 3) Al Ulman; 4) Alan Braden; 5) Tom Russell; 6) Aaron Creech; 7) Ron Harvey; 8) R.D. Mandell. Baby Grands — 1) Willie Creech; 2) Squeaks O'Connor; 3) Larry Theobald; 4) Mike Thomas; 5) Lash Lerew; 6) David Houston; 7) John Klayum; 8) Larry Hutchins. Legends — 1) Doug Sheldon; 2) Doug Johnstone; 3) Eric Johnson; 4) Mike Braddock; 5) Michelle "Mitch" Kyte; 6) Ken Johnstone. JAGS (Just All Girls) — 1) Cathy Johnstone; 2) Angie Hoppe; 3) Martha Quark; 4) Kitty McKeown.