Valley athletes win region track and field titles

The Colony Knights earned the Division I boys team title during the Region III Championships track and field meet at Palmer High School.

Senior Matthew Rongitsch won three events to help the Knights win the team title. Rongitsch used a personal record time of 2 minutes, 0.87 seconds to finish first in the 800 meters. Rongitsch was also first in the 1,600 and 3,200.

Jayce Underwood and Jack Nash also won gold. Underwood was first in the high jump, and Nash had a personal record leap of 21 feet, 3 inches to win the long jump.

Colony finished second in the girls team standings.

Ella Hopkins also won three events for the Knights, leading the girls with victories in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 races. Her weekend included a season record of 5:22 in the 1,600.

Kathleen Riese (200) and Calista Ousley (shot put) were also crowned champions. Ousley had a personal best throw of 37-4 ¾ in the shot put.

Wasilla seniors Timothy Grisso and Deshawn Campbell each won a pair of events for the Warriors boys. Grisso was first in the 100 and 200. Campbell used a personal record time of 15.38 to win the 110 hurdles, and was also first in the triple jump.

Eric Kolomeychuk had a personal best throw of 53-8 and won the boys shot put for Wasilla.

Parker Glastetter led the Palmer boys with a first-place finish in the discus, thanks to a personal record of 149-11.

Layla Hays led the Wasila girls with a first-place finish in the discus, after a personal record of 119-5.

Lydia Alverts won the girls triple jump for Palmer, with a personal record of 33-6.

Redington junior Mya Campbell led Valley athletes with four top-two finishes in the Division II meet. Campbell won region titles in the high jump and long jump. She was also second in the triple jump and the 200.

Underwood (high jump), Tobias Buchanan (1,600 and 3,200), Christopher Cayson (high jump and triple jump) and Ethan McNulty (discus) finished as a runner-up for the Colony boys, and Ben Holladay (shot put), Cayson (long jump) and Nash (triple jump) were third.

Palmer’s Arthur Merritt was second in the 100 and 200, and third in the 300 hurdles for the boys. Nolan Garner was third in the high jump.

In the girls class, Colony’s Caroline Mitchell (100), Morgan Ainsworth (1,600) and Rylee McIntosh (high jump) placed second, and Riese (100) and Ainsworth (800) were third.

Alverts was second in the girls long jump for Palmer, and Abby Pettit was third.

Hays (shot put), Makayla Compton (200) and Caelynn Carter (300 hurdles) were second for the Wasilla girls, and Dominique Bodle (discus) was third.

In the Division II meet, Redington’s Alexia Pike was second in the girls discus and triple jump, and Saydi Cardodo was second in the 3,200.

Contact the Frontiersman at sports@frontiersman.com.