Valley runners ready for state meet

PALMER — After recording a personal-best time of 16 minutes and 7 seconds at the Palmer Invitational in early September, Colony senior Tracen Knopp said he really didn’t have a goal, in terms of time, for the state meet.

Knopp’s just going to go for it, and leaving nothing left in the tank.

Saturday, Knopp will have his chance to run for a top spot during the ASAA/First National Bank State Cross-Country Championships at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

“Tracen’s got unlimited potential,” Colony co-head coach Norm Rousey said of Knopp, who finished second in the 4A varsity boys race during the Region III Championships last week in Soldotna. “Really, on any given day he could be right in the mix. He has been in the mix throughout the entire season, right in the top 3.”

Knopp, who finished 16th at state last year, is one of a handful of Valley runners with their sights set on the lead pack of their respective races.

Palmer senior Ruby Woodings used a career day to win the 4A varsity girls race at the Region III meet last week.

“Ruby had the best race of her life,” Palmer head coach John Bishop said of Woodings, who became the first Palmer runner to win the Region III girls’ individual title since Julia Meneghelli captured her third straight crown in 1989.

Woodings used a final sprint to pass a trio of runners during the final 200 yards and record a personal-record time of 19:20.6. Bishop said he expects Woodings to take the momentum gained from her win in regions, right into state. And if Woodings sticks with the strategy, she has the potential to do something special at state as well, Bishop said.

Woodings has three top-14 finishes at state in her career, and has improved each season. As a freshman she was 14th, Woodings finished 12th as a sophomore and was 10th last year.

Houston sophomore Allison VanPelt will also be gunning for a spot in the lead pack during the girls’ 123A race. VanPelt finished fifth in the 123A race of the Region III Championships, with a time of 19:54. Her mark was four seconds off her personal-best time of 19:50 that she clocked at the Palmer Invitational.

Throughout the season, Houston head coach Bob Knutson has lauded VanPelt’s potential and ability.

“I think the sky’s the limit,” Knutson said.

Four Valley teams also received automatic berths to state, based on their finishes at the Region III Championships. Colony will have both teams in state.

“It was a really good day for both teams,” Colony co-head coach Rhonda Knopp said by cellphone last week after both teams qualified for state. “That was our goal. Both teams did awesome.”

Both the Colony girls and boys finished second in the team standings.

Junior Jill Bowker was the first of three Knights in the top 7, and five in the top 18. Seniors Coleen Geraghty and Elisabeth Bowker followed at sixth and seventh, senior Cathelyne Powers was 16th and sophomore Geneva Highley finished 18th.

Tracen Knopp, the region runner-up, was among three Knights in the boys’ top 10. Freshman Gavin Block followed in fifth place, and sophomore Jackson Peters was 10th. Senior Jeff Lautrup was also in the top 20, placing 17th.

The Wasilla boys also qualified for state, with a third-place finish in the region team standings. Freshman Hunter Hayes led the Warriors with a fourth-place finish at regions. Junior Isaak Bell (14th), senior Thorsten Warhus (16th) and senior Eliasson VanPelt (19th) also found themselves in the top 20 for the Warriors.

With a blend of two seniors and four freshmen, the Palmer girls qualified for state for the first time since 2005. The Moose finished third in the team standings. The Moose placed six runners in the top 20. In addition to the winner, Woodings, another Moose veteran, senior Rya Berrigan, finished 13th. Four Palmer freshmen — Sophia Nowers (12th), Nina Kalytiak (17th), Lydia Ortiz (19th) and Rosemary Toro (20th) — placed in the top 20.

Four Valley runners also qualified as individuals. In addition to VanPelt in the girls’ 123A race, Wasilla freshman Brynn Steiner will run in the girls’ 4A race and Palmer sophomores Leif Mumma and Conner Owens are part of the boys’ 4A race.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.