STRONG START

PALMER — Audrey Michaelson enjoyed quite the sophomore year.

The Colony High multisport athlete finished as the Northern Lights Conference runner-up in cross-country as a 10th-grader and fourth in the state championships. In the spring, Michaelson capped her sophomore year with an individual title in the 3,200 meters during the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Championships.

Now as a junior, Michaelson is picking up right where she left off.

Michaelson used a late kick to pass Wasilla’s Mariah Burroughs and Jenna Ford to win the Colony Twilight Tuesday at Colony High School. Michaelson finished the 2.4-mile event in 9 minutes and 55.9 seconds to win the first official race of the season. Burroughs was only four seconds behind at 9:59.9. Ford finished third, with a mark of 10:01.4.

“I was not expecting to feel as good as I did,” Michaelson said after her win.

The top three runners in the race each held a lead during the final mile. Michaelson and Ford traded leads. Burroughs stepped up and sprinted her way into first during the final 400 meters, but Michaelson was able to use a final burst to finish first.

“It’s like what (Colony head coach Mark) Strabel always reminds me. Every race, just think about who’s fastest that day, that race,” Michaelson said. “I always try to keep that mindset.”

Michaelson said she always tries to stay away from being overconfident, but the junior has a reason to be confident. She vaulted herself into Alaska prep running elite last season with top-4 cross-country finishes in regions and state, and the state championship in the 3,200-mile. Michaelson said the win in the 3,200 certainly helped her confidence.

“I don’t know how I did it, but it was very special,” Michaelson said. “It definitely boosted my confidence.”

Michaelson helped Colony finish second overall in the combined team standings. The Kodiak Bears won the meet, finishing a point ahead of the Knights. Wasilla was third with 105 combined points.

Michaelson was one of two Colony runners to finish in the top-4. Sophomore Bailey Meier was fourth with a time of 10:04.9. Tracie Haan was eighth.

Burroughs and Ford were among four Warriors to finish in the top 9. Senior Jessica Pahkala was sixth and junior Mandi Ringgenberg was ninth for the defending NLC and state champions.

Hana Bohman led the Palmer Moose with a fifth-place finish.

A pair of Palmer runners placed in the top 4 of the boys race. Mason Minturn edged teammate Chris Osiensky to place second in the 2.4-mile race. Minturn finished at the 8:13 mark and Osiensky finished two seconds behind to place third. Schyler Knopp (seventh) and Joe Day (eighth) also posted top 10 finishes for the Moose.

Senior Noah Ripley led Wasilla with a fifth-place finish.

Kodiak’s Cole Christiansen won the boys’ race.

Colony Twilight

Tuesday, Colony High

Combined team results:

1. Kodiak 100; 2. Colony 101; 3. Wasilla 105. Incomplete teams: Palmer and Houston.

Girls individual results:

1. A. Michaelson, Col 9:55.8; 2. M. Burroughs, Was 9:59.9; 3. J. Ford, Was 10:01.4; 4. B. Meier, Col 10:04.9; 5. H. Bohman, Pal 10:09.6; 6. J. Pahkala, Was 10:16.8; 7. T. Bolyard, Kod 10:17.3; 8. T. Haan, Col 10:21.4; 9. M. Ringgenberg, Was 10:24.9; 10. M. Barnett, Kod 10:28.5; 11. R. Burroughs, Was 10:33.3; 12. S. Ng, Kod 10:34.2; 13. M. Thompson, Col 10:36.9; 14. B. Anderson, Col 10:45.9; 15. K. Millstein, Kod 10:46.2; 16. A. Devine, Was 10:54.8; 17. J. Kopsack, Col 11:05.3; 18. S. Armstrong, Kod 11:21.2; 19. S. Schmidt, Was 11:38.3; 20. R. Diotte, Col 11:40.6; 21. I. Hiner, Kod 11:42.6; 22. M. Wright, Was 11:42.2; 23. J. Marmen, Was 11:46.3; 24. M. Moir, Kod 12:01.5; 25. E. Lenhert, Kod 12:05.4; 26. L. Kelley, Was 12:24.9; 27. A. Pell, Was 12:29.7; 28. L. Cortez, Kod 12:41.5; 29. M. Meyerhofer, Col 12:44; 30. A. Goyette, Col 12:55.2; 31. H. Spargo, Was 13:00.1; 32. I. Castro, Kod 13:05.1; 33. A. Stewart, Kod 13:14.7; 34. A. Hasse, Was 13:15.5; 35. M. Hill, Kod 13:48.4; 36. M. DeSantiego, Kod 13:49.4; 37. H. Valley, Kod 13:51.7; 38. H. Dunbar, Kod 14:01.0; 39. C. Forrest, Pal 14:02.8; 40. A. Blott, Kod 14:15.9; 41. T. Alwert, Kod 14:17.4; 42. K. Trolinger, Hou 14:30.8; 43. H. Michaelson, Col 16:21.2; 44. J. McLean, Pal 1:31.5.

Boys individual results:

1. C. Christiansen, Kod 8:09.0; 2. M. Minturn, Pal 8:13.5; 3. C. Osiensky, Pal 8:15.9; 4. J. Fogle, Kod 8:21.5; 5. N. Ripley, Was 8:22.9; 6. D. Deal, Kod 8:29.1; 7. S. Knopp, Pal 8:35.0; 8. J. Day 8:38.4; 9. B. Schaffer, Col 8:45.3; 10. E. Brayton, Col 8:45.6; 11. A. Meyehofer, 8:47.3; 12. K. Weaver, Pal 8:47.6; 13. B. Lee, Was 8:51.4; 14. K. Thompson, Was 8:57.0; 15. N. Sterns, Kod 9:00.5; 16. L. Reed, Col 9:07.5; 17. H. Foster, Kod 9:08.2; 18. D. Sinnett, Col 9:14.1; 19. R. Steiner, Was 9:20.0; 20. B. Muniz, Pal 9:25.1; 21. K. Lucas, Col 9:27.7; 22. Z. Zmuda, Col 9:29.0; 23. L. Boudurant, Kod 9:33.1; 24. J. McCarthy, Kod 9:33.3; 25. C. Portillo, Kod 9:34.1;26. S. Forrest, Pal 9:35.2; 27. R. Abbott, Was 9:50.7; 28. Z. Marsh, Pal 9:51.2; 29. J. Link, Col 9:55.1; 30. M. Manifo, Kod 9:56.7; 31. C. Mattson, Was 9:59.8; 32. A. Fuller, Was 10:09.7; 33. A. Oliver, Was 10:11.6; 34. T. Marshall, Was 10:13.3; 35. E. Grazulis, Col 10:14.5; 36. J. Buck, Col 10:17.7; 37. I. Cortez, Kod 10:20.2; 38. E. Morris, Col 10:20.8; 39. T. Hall, Col 10:21.1; 40. W. Goulding, Was 10:24.3; 41. A. Ott, Kod 10:32.9; 42. D. Gumminger, Col 10:34.5; 43. C. Pulver, Was 10:36.4; 44. J. Goyette, Col 10:40.1; 45. R. Lozanoff, Col 10:49.4; 46. H. Coldberg, Col 10:50.2; 47. R. Diotte, Col 10:50.7; 48. J. Smith, Kod 11:27.2; 49. C. Dodd, Was 11:39.0; 50. B. Ingersoll, Was 13:58.0.