Valley runners appear to be ready for the challenge

MAT-SU — There may not be many local cross-country runners who relish the idea of tackling the Bartlett High School cross-country running trails, an nearly notorious 5-kilometer loop fixed with an assortment of challenging hills.

But there’s at least one Valley runner who likes this course, the venue for Saturday’s ASAA/First National Bank State Championships, a trail that literally presents runners with an uphill battle.

“It’s tough for all runners,” Palmer senior Mason Minturn said. “It’s very hilly, not a lot of straights. But I like it.”

It doesn’t hurt Minturn’s opinion of the course that he posted a third-place finish on that trail during the Bartlett Invitational earlier this year. Minturn’s time of 16 minutes and 52 seconds was only four seconds off the pace of second-place Max Romey of Service. Lathrop senior Kyle Hanson won handedly, at 16:27. Minturn was 16th during the state meet’s 4A boys race at Bartlett last year.

Colony junior Audrey Michaelson has enjoyed a pair of top-6 finishes on the Bartlett trail during the last calendar year. Michaelson finished fourth in the state meet and was sixth at the Bartlett Invite this season. Michaelson admitted, the course isn’t exactly her favorite.

“It’s not favorable. The main reason it’s extremely tough,” Michaelson said after racing to a runner-up finish during the Region III Championships at the more friendly Michael Janecek Trails at Palmer High School last week. “I can’t say it’s a bad course. So much of it, it’s just tough. It takes the most out of you. You have to work super hard to just get a normal time.”

But Michaelson said she’s certainly not going to make excuses.

“It’s the state race, you’ve still got to treat it as the state race,” Michaelson said.

Wasilla head coach Gary Howell said it’s a hard course to prepare for, because it’s so unique.

“It’s one of those things as a coach, should we have done more hill work?” Howell said. “But Bartlett is the only really hilly course that we run on. We’re focusing more on getting speed and lungs. Get to the state meet and you rely on fitness. I think we’re pretty fit.”

Howell said his athletes have embraced the challenge.

“I think we’re ready to tackle it,” Howell said. “They’re glad it’s a hard course. A lesser runner can’t fake speed (on that course). They’re confident in their own abilities.”

Howell’s girls squad, will try to continue its run that includes four region titles in the last six years and the 4A state championship last year. Howell said he feels his defending state champions are among about three teams that should be pushing for the 2011 crown, along with Cook Inlet Conference champions West Anchorage and Region III runner-up Kenai Central.

The Warriors placed a pair of runners — sophomore Mariah Burroughs and freshman Peggy Mathis — in the top 4 at the region meet last weekend, but Howell said it may not come down to how many runners the Warriors can place in the top 5 or the top 10 of the state meet. Wasilla’s depth could be the real key to winning a second straight title.

“The pressure’s not on our front-runners,” Howell said.

Howell said the Warriors could realistically place all five of their scoring runners in the top 30.

Wasilla placed its five scores in the top 37 last year, and each of those five will race for Wasilla on Saturday.

Junior Jenna Ford led the Warriors at state last year, finishing fifth. Burroughs was sixth and senior Morgan Dampier finished 15th. Mandi Ringgenberg was 17th and senior Jessica Pahkala was 37th last year.

Wasilla placed all five scoring runners in the top 16 of the region race last weekend. In addition to the top 4 runs by Burroughs and Mathis, Ford was eighth at regions, Dampier finished 12th and Pahkala was 16th.

Dampier, a two-sport standout who helped lead Wasilla to cross-country and track and field state team titles as a junior, returned from an injury to race for the first time at the region meet.

Before regions, Dampier had not raced since Aug. 17. To help return for the region meet, Dampier was receiving physical therapy in Wasilla. She also consulted a specialist in Anchorage.

Despite missing the entire regular season, Dampier posted a 12th-place finish in regions for the second straight year and clocked a 20:12, five seconds faster than her finish as a junior. Dampier ran so hard, she collapsed in a state of exhaustion at the finish line as she edged another runner.

Dampier was up walking within 20 minutes of her finish.

“I ran until I had nothing left. I just gave it my all,” Dampier said.

On Wednesday, Howell said Dampier was doing well.

“She ran with us at practice and said she’s feeling good,” Howell said.

Dampier was one of at least three runners to fall on Saturday at the region meet. While she finished the race, runners from Kenai and Palmer withdrew after passing out during the competition.

Palmer’s Deanna Cummings passed out because dehydration, Moose coach John Bishop said. Kenai Central standout Bailey Beeson collapsed heading into the third kilometer of the race, and was taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center by ambulance. Howell said the Warriors do not know if Beeson — a certain threat for a top-5 finish — will be available to run, but urged his athletes to expect the possibility that the Beeson will be ready.

“We’re planning on her running,” Howell said.

Beeson’s teammate, freshman Allie Ostrander, will be running for her first state title. Ostrander, who has dominated this year, won the region title with a time of 18:07 at Palmer High.

Michaelson should compete for her second straight top-5 finish, but will have to contend with runners such as Region IV champion Megan Edic of Lathrop and Cook Inlet champ Lydia Blanchet of West. Service’s Jenette Northey, who placed second in a photo finish at the state meet last year, is always in the mix.

Palmer captured one of Region III’s four team berths to the state championships for the first time in 12 years with its fourth-place finish last week.

“I’m very happy,” Bishop said. “I knew we’d have girls who would qualify. But I didn’t expect (the team) to make it.”

Palmer placed three runners in the region’s top 20 — Ellen Jorgenson (ninth), Hana Bohman (13th) and Heidi Hanna (20th). But Bishop gave much of the credit to Molly Osiensky and Megin Southwick, who stepped up and placed 24th and 37th respectively.

Both earned key points after Cummings withdrew from the region race.

“The main thing that sticks out is those two girls,” Bishop said. “When a teammate stepped out, they stepped up.”

On the boys side, Bishop likes the chances of Minturn capping his prep running career with a solid finish at state. Bishop said the Moose are not only gunning for a high finish for Minturn, but targeting Region III champion Cole Christiansen, a rival Minturn has battled throughout the season. Christiansen won the race at region championships, but Minturn did beat Christiansen at the Bartlett Invite.

“We’ve been working really hard on the hills because that course is so hilly,” Bishop said. “That’s one of his strong suits, he should have a better shot at Cole. Whether or not that means a top-5 finish, that depends on Mason. But we’re still looking at Cole as his goal.”

Minturn used his runner-up finish at regions to help Palmer send a team to the state championships. Seniors Schyler Knopp (17th) and Andrew Liebing (18th) also finished in the top 20 for Palmer.

“Andrew just had an amazing race,” said Bishop, who also noted the work of 24th-place Clarence Ess.

Palmer is one of three Valley squads to earn team berths on the boys’ side. Third-place Colony and fourth-place Wasilla also advanced.

Colony was paced by a pair of top-15 finishes; sophomore Brandon Schafer in ninth and senior Abe Meyerhofer in 13th.

Senior Noah Ripley led Wasilla with a fourth-place finish. Ripley beat Skyview’s Micah Hilbish in a sprint to the finish line to notch the top-4 finish.

Senior Josh Pahkala (10th) and sophomore Brendon Lee (14th) also finished in the top 15 for Wasilla. Howell said Wasilla accomplished its goal of placing three boys in the top 15 of the region race, but it’s a little harder to set goals for the state meet, thanks to unpredictable Bartlett course. Howell said he’d like to see Ripley in the top 10, and Pahkala and Lee in the top 30.

The state championships start with the boys 1-2-3A race at noon. The 4A boys race is at 12:45 p.m. Saturday and the 4A girls race is slated for 2:15 p.m.

The 1-2-3A girls race is at 1:30 p.m. An awards ceremony will follow at 3 p.m. in the Bartlett High School gymnasium.

ASAA/First National Bank State Cross-Country Championships

Valley qualifiers

Girls:

Wasilla:

Mariah Burroughs (3rd, 18:53); Peggy Mathis (4th, 19:11); Jenna Ford (8th, 19:52); Morgan Dampier (12th, 20:12); Jessica Pahkala (16th, 20:28); Mandi Ringgenberg (18th, 20:47); Riley Burroughs (25th, 21:37).

Palmer:

Ellen Jorgenson (9th, 20:00), Hana Bohman (20th, 20:13); Heidi Hanna (20th, 20:59); Molly Osiensky (24th, 21:26); Megin Southwick (37th, 23:00); Anne Woodings (42nd, 23:29); Deanna Cummings (NA).

Colony:

Audrey Michaelson (2nd, 18:41); Makenzie Thompson (11th, 20:08).

Boys:

Palmer:

Mason Minturn (2nd, 16:19); Schyler Knopp (17th, 17:27); Andrew Liebing (18th, 17:27); Clarence Ess (24th, 17:46); Joe Day (26th, 17:46); Brice Muniz (32nd, 18:06); Chris Smith (50th, 19:13).

Colony:

Brandon Schafer (9th, 17:05); Abe Meyerhofer (13th, 17:19); Darien Sinnett (21st, 17:34); Kamber Lucas (22nd, 17:42); Benjamin Atikinson (25th, 17:47); Boaz Sessom (27th, 17:52); Lane Reed (37th, 18:21).

Wasilla:

Noah Ripley (4th, 16:46); Josh Pahkala (10th, 17:10); Brnedon Lee (14th, 17:20); Keith Thompson (30th, 17:58); Kenneth Frick (34th, 18:12); Blake Carricaburu (39th, 18:29); Ryker Steiner (42nd, 18:35).