Up and running

PALMER — The Palmer Moose boys track and field squad finished four points ahead of rival Colony in the team standings of the 2007 Region III Track and Field Championships.

The Moose finished fourth, two points shy of a top-three finish, while the Knights were fifth.

Even though local track and field squads are still five days away from the first major meet of the season, early signs indicate the Moose and the Knights should be back fighting for a top-three spot in the region meet.

The Moose, winners of a dual meet against Colony on Friday, are expected to be paced by their mid-distance and distance athletes.

“The distance and mid-distance runners will probably do fairly well,” Palmer co-head coach Dale Ewart said on Friday.

Leading that group is senior Jake Parisien. A standout in both cross country and track, Parisien was plagued with nagging injuries throughout the track season last year. This year, Parisien — who finished third in the state cross country meet in September — is expected to greatly improve on his sixth-place finishes in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter races of the region meet.

“Jake is looking really good in the mile and 2-mile,” Ewart said.

Parisien has already clocked a time of 9 minutes and 24 seconds in the 2-mile at the Dome at ChangePoint in Anchorage.

“That’s better than our school record in the 2-mile,” Ewart said.

Parisien will have a chance to repeat that feat this weekend when the Moose compete in a meet at the Dome co-hosted by Anchorage Christian and Grace Christian.

Another set of standouts for Palmer is its 3,200-meter relay team. The relay squad — Rick LeCheminant, Thorton DePriest, Kevin Smith and Ryan Cunningham — advanced to the state meet last year and is back this season.

“They did really well last year,” Ewart said. “They’ll be tough in the four-by-eight.”

Senior Devin Konkler is the top sprinter for Palmer. Konkler, who finished second in the 200 and fifth in the 100 at the region meet last year, won both events during the Palmer-Colony dual.

Ewart also expects John Scoresby, third in the 100 on Friday, to also do well.

Palmer has a trio of athletes who should contend in the throwing events, Ewart said. Senior Everest Moore and junior J.D. Mitchell will lead the Moose in the shot put. Mitchell and sophomore David Zoerb should lead Palmer in the discus.

In the field events, Palmer also has junior Bryce Jacobson who won the high jump on Friday.

Ewart also noted a pair of athletes who are new to the team. First-year runners Anthony Anderson and Tony Guzman are expected to earn spots in the relay events.

Like Palmer, Colony is also expected to be strong in the mid-distance and distance events.

“I think we’re a little older on the boys side,” Colony head coach Tom Lincoln said Friday. “pretty heavy on the distance side.”

Among the leaders are seniors Brad Truax and Cody Huggins.

Truax, fifth in the 400 at the region meet, won the 400 on Friday. He also finished second in the 800. Huggins won the 1,600 for CHS.

The Knights also have junior Matt Swan, who will run in the 400 and 800.

Among the other veterans is the versatile Antone Zagars. As a junior, Zagars finished third in the 3,200 and fourth in the high jump.

Lincoln said Zagars is still dealing with some lingering injuries left over from the prep basketball season, but could be ready to compete Friday at the Dome.

Leading the Knights in the hurdle events are seniors Dave and Doug Gray. Dave Gray finished fifth in the 300 hurdles at the region meet. Doug Gray will compete in the 100 hurdles.

A young runner the Knights are excited about, Lincoln said, is sophomore Matt Jaronik.

“I think he’s going to be a guy who shines right off the bat,” Lincoln said.

Jaronik could compete in the high jump, long jump, relays or sprints.

While Palmer and Colony have a corps of veterans returning, Wasilla and Houston feature a host of new athletes.

“The boys, we’re young more than anything,” Wasilla head coach Gary Howell said on Saturday. “We’re just not as deep as we are on the girls’ side.”

Of any area, Wasilla probably has the most depth in the throwing events. Notables such as Senior Beebo Russell, junior Chris Lafe, junior Tim Orr and sophomore John Knowles are all back.

Lafe finished fifth in the shot put at the region meet last year.

Outside of the throwing events, Howell is hoping to tap into the Warriors’ potential. Among those who could surprise is Isiah Edwards, who joined the team after receiving special clearance from the Alaska Schools Activities Association, Howell said.

Edwards, who moved to the Valley from Germany, has shown promise in both running and jumping events.

“He has a ton of natural ability,” Howell said.

Howell has also lured Baruch Chamberlin and Josiah Stewart, a pair of athletes who compete on his cross country squad at WHS.

Among the other runners to note are Taylor Owens, who has shown a lot of promise according to Howell, and Robert Cliborn, who has done well in the high jump.

At Houston, the boys dominate the numbers on the Hawks track and field squad. Of the 25 athletes on the roster, 21 of them are boys, HHS assistant coach and activities director Norm Bouchard said on Saturday.

Like Wasilla, Houston also sports an assortment of young talent. But the Hawks do have a few veterans leading the way.

Senior Dillon Styers will be a top athlete for Houston in the 800, long jump and relay events.

Morales, who advanced to the state meet after placing fourth in the discus at regions, is the top thrower on the team.

Bouchard said Morales is already meeting the numbers he hit last year and should make a return trip to the final meet.

Bouchard is also excited about the progress of two other throwers, Garrett Mooney and Ben Crowley.

Other runners in the mid-distance events who could shine are Chris Gardner and Chris Ashland.

Bouchard said Ashland is a runner who has improved every year.

“Every year he takes off about 30 seconds,” Bouchard said, referring to Ashland’s time in the mile. “If he can take off another 30 seconds, he’ll be very competitive in the region.”

Among the younger athletes who could perform well, Bouchard said, are Aaron Reece, Garrett Elder and Scott Herman.

All of the Valley schools are slated to compete in the event at the Dome at ChangePoint. Events start Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

The remainder of the season is dominated by PHS-hosted events. After the Skyview Invitational, on April 25-26 in Soldotna, the Moose host events for three straight weeks.

Palmer hosts the Palmer Relays May 2-3, the Mat-Su Borough Championships May 6-7 and the Region III Championships May 16-17.

The state meet is May 23-24 at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks.

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