Tight-knit Warriors earn second straight Region III running title

WASILLA — A gritty, tight-knit Wasilla girls team added a Region III cross country title to what’s becoming a dream season for the Warriors.

“This is the best group of kids I’ve ever coached,” an ecstatic coach Gary Howell said at the finish line, moments after watching his team place six runners in the top-17 finishers.

Paced by an unexpected second-place finish by Heidi Doner, the Colony Knights placed second overall, while Kodiak was third. Colony’s Sydney Stewart placed ninth for the Knights, while Maria Wick was 14th.

Skyview edged Palmer for the region’s final berth in next week’s state meet at Palmer.

Kodiak’s Abby Reed was first in a time of 20 minutes, 15.21 seconds.

In addition to the top four teams, the top 15 runners at the meet also advanced to the state meet. While Palmer won’t be going as a team, the Moose did get two runners into state, as Jacquie Lutz finished eighth and Sarah Houchen was 10th.

Houston’s Ashley McDougal was the top Hawks finisher in 52nd place overall.

Kendra Nelson was the top Wasilla finisher in fourth place, leading a pack of Wasilla runners that included Katie Bialka (seventh), Brooke Nelson (11th), Jessica Gross (12th), Elle Fuller (16th) and Alison Kelley (17th).

All season long, the Warriors have used exceptional depth to dominate the competition, and Saturday’s meet was no different. Running as a pack, the Warriors started relatively slow, but quietly moved up the standings as the race wore on.

Fuller said the tight-knit team tries to rely on each other for support, and running as a group helps each individual stay focused on the ultimate goal.

“It’s easier to run when you know your teammate — your sister — is hurting, too,” Fuller said.

Kendra Nelson admitted the hilly Colony course was “tougher than I thought,” but said she felt like Wasilla’s difficult training regimen gave the Warriors an edge over the competition.

“No team works as hard as we do,” she said.

The team relies on grit and determination, and Elle Fuller said the Warriors have adopted the words of 1964 Olympic 10,000 meter gold medalist Billy Mills as a team motto.

“He said, ‘Every passion has its destiny,’” Fuller said.

Coach Howell said that every time he’s challenged his team in practice, the girls have always responded.

“And they’re asking for more,” he said.

Howell said the region title proves that all the miles Wasilla has put in this year have been worth it.

“Hard work pays off,” he said.

The Wasilla coach said he’s now looking toward the state meet, where he predicted his team has the talent to potentially challenge for finish among the top three teams in the state.

“You never know,” he said.

While the Wasilla girls were busy running away with the team title, Doner was grabbing a bit of the spotlight for herself. Trailing Skyview’s Ivy O’Guinn for most of the race, Doner and Reed, Kodiak’s top runner, surged ahead over the final kilometer of the trail, with Reed pulling away at the end.

Finishing second, Doner said, was a bit of a surprise.

“I was aiming for top seven, maybe top four,” Doner said.

The sophomore said her goals have always been to become one of the top runners in the region, though she admitted she didn’t think she’d have such a good finish so early in her career.

“Maybe I can keep getting faster,” she said.

Doner said she’s now setting her sights on running well at state next week.

“It definitely gives me a lot of confidence,” she said.

While Doner was happy with her performance, she wasn’t nearly as excited as her father, Colony coach Mark Doner. Doner said he got chills when he saw Heidi moving toward the front of the pack.

“Both coach and dad were welling up,” he said.

See the Frontiersman Web site, www.frontiersman.com, for complete results of the Region III Championships.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com

2007 REGION III CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday, Colony High School

5 Kilometers

(Top-4 teams and top-15 individuals advance to state)

4A BOYS

TEAM SCORES: 1. Kodiak, 41; 2. Palmer, 61; 3. Colony, 68; 4. Skyview, 70; 5. Wasilla, 108; 6. Soldotna, 188; 7. Homer, 202; 8. Kenai Central, 217.

INDIVIDUAL FINISHERS: 1. Trevor Dunbar, Kodiak, 16 minutes, 6.12 seconds (new course record); 2. Jake Parisien, Pal, 16:50.55; 3. Sam Salus, Kod, 16:56.61; 4. Mason Wick, Col, 17:00.66; 5. Dylan Anthony, Kod, 17:19.88; 6. Mike Moerlein, Sky, 17:22.12; 7. Tommy Honer, Sky, 17:22.55; 8. Jimmy Sliwa, Was, 17:24.83; 9. Jeff Ford, Col, 17:30.07; 10. Benny Garcia, Kod, 17:31.47; 11. Baruch Chamberlain, Was, 17:45.92; 12. Kevin Smith, Pal, 17:50.60; 13. Willie Mangelsdorf, Pal, 17:50.92; 14. Lauri Husa, Pal, 17:51.91; 15. Dave Gray, Col, 17:55.47; 16. Tanner Enloe, Col, 17:58.09; 17. Anthony Silva, Sky, 18:05.89; 18. Benjamin Widman, Sol, 18:10.70; 19. Keith Clancy, Sky, 18:17.14; 20. Piers LaFrance, Pal, 18:20.35.

OTHER MAT-SU FINISHERS: 24. John Jensen, Col, 18:33.43; 26. Kevin Montgomery, Pal, 18:39.23; 27. Josiah Stewart, Was, 18:39.86; 30. Drew Ford, Was, 18:58.87; 32. David Muzechuk, Was, 19:13.74; 34. Alex Reimer, Col, 19:20.60; 36. Lance Larue, Pal, 19:22.07; 37. Rick Peshel, Col, 19:22.39; 40. Paul Sliwa, Was, 19:29.42; 41. Chris Ashland, Hou, 19:35.38; 43. Rohn Buser, Was, 19:36.77; 51. Joe Warner, Hou, 20:47.30; 58. Halvor Norris, Hou, 22:14.66.

4A GIRLS

TEAM SCORES: 1. Wasilla, 50; 2. Colony, 69; 3. Kodiak, 84; 4. Skyview, 101; 5. Palmer, 138; 6. Soldotna, 148; 7. Homer, 161; 8. Kenai Central, 167.

TOP-20 INDIVIDUAL FINISHERS: 1. Abby Reed, Kod, 20:15.21; 2. Heidi Doner, Col, 20:24.03; 3. Ivy O’Guinn, Sky, 20:36.38; 4. Kendra Nelson, Was, 20:41.40; 5. Molly Watkins, KCHS, 20:44.28; 6. Chloe Ivanoff, Kod, 20:45.25; 7. Katie Bialka, Was, 20:48.50; 8. Jacquie Lutz, Pal, 20:54.78; 9. Sydney Stewart, Col, 21:18.04; 10. Sarah Houchen, Pal, 21:22.04; 11. Brooke Nelson, Was, 21:27.67; 12. Jessica Gross, Was, 21:28.23; 13. Marquee Lucas, Sky, 21:30.82; 14. Maria Wick, Col, 21:35.56; 15. Brianna Gibbs, Kod, 21:39.18; 16. Elle Fuller, Was, 21:47.22; 17. Alison Kelley, Was, 21:57.03; 18. Jenna Jensen, Sol, 22:07.62; 19. Kailey Hucha, Sol, 22:16.35; 20. Maggie McCarron, Hom, 22:19.17.

OTHER MAT-SU FINISHERS: 21. Caitlin Skvorc, Col, 22:23.55; 23. Liza Laughlin, Col, 22:29.88; 27. Abby Jahn, Col, 22:34.20; 28. Megan Bowker, Col, 22:36.99; 32. Emily Ripley, Was, 22:59.60; 33. Kim Del Frate, Pal, 23:07.24; 40. Lisa Stockton, Pal, 23:42.72; 47. Kiersten Dahms, Pal, 24:45.77; 48. Amanda Stricker, Pal, 24:46.44; 50. Morgan Lundt, Pal, 24:59.92; 52. Ashley McDougal, Hou, 26:47.05.