Valley squads sweep team titles at Colony Invite

PALMER — A young Houston runner is picking up as a sophomore, right where she left off as a freshman.

Running in the top five on the course at Colony High School.

Houston sophomore Allison VanPelt notched a third-place finish to lead all Valley runners during the Colony Invitational Saturday at Colony High School. It’s the same place VanPelt ran to a fourth-place finish during the girls’ 123A race of the Region III Championships last season.

Saturday, VanPelt clocked a time of 20 minutes, 33 seconds on the 5-kilometer course. It wasn’t a personal record, but it did mark the third time in her career that she finished a race in less than 21 minutes. Her personal best, 20:04, came at the Susitna Valley Invitational in September of 2015.

Valley teams swept the team titles.

On the boys side, Wasilla finished first in the team standings, at the top of a field that also included region power Kodiak. The Warriors placed three runners in the top 10, including freshman Hunter Hayes, who used a time of 17:38 to place fourth. Juniors Kaleb Greathouse (18:11) and Isaak Bell (18:14) finished ninth and 10th respectively for the Warriors. Wasilla’s top five runners finished in the top 18.

Wasilla finished with 41 points in the standings. Kodiak was second with 55.

Host Colony used three runners in the top 6 to win the girls’ team title. Junior Jill Bowker was the first Knight to cross the finish line, placing fourth with a time of 20:46. Teammates, seniors Coleen Geraghty (20:50) and Elisabeth Bowker (20:51), followed to finish fifth and sixth respectively. Senior Cathelyne Powers also finished 11th to help the Knights edge Grace Christian in the team standings. Colony finished with 38 overall points. Despite featuring the top 2 runners in the girls race, winner Grace Gannon and runner-up Mazzy Jackson, the Grizzlies finished second with 43 points.

The Palmer Moose placed a runner in the top 10 of each varsity race. Senior Ruby Woodings was seventh for the Palmer girls, with a time of 21:06. Sophomore Leif Mumma finished eighth in the boys’ race, with a time of 17:56.

Freshman Gavin Block led the Colony boys with a seventh-place finish, and time of 17:51.

Freshman Brynn Steiner (23:41) led the Wasilla girls.

Colony Invitational

Saturday, Colony High School

Girls team scores:

1. Colony 38, 2. Grace Christian 45, 3. Palmer 69, 4. Kodiak 80, 5. Soldotna 110.

Boys team scores:

1. Wasilla 41, 2. Kodiak 55, 3. Soldotna 71, 4. Palmer 85, 5. Colony 91.

Girls’ individual results:

1. G. Gannon, Gra 20:09; 2. M. Jackson, Gra 20:28; 3. A. VanPelt, Hou 20:33; 4. J. Bowker, Col 20:46; 5. C. Geraghty, Col 20:50; 6. E. Bowker, Col 20:51; 7. R. Woodings, Pal 21:06; 8. A. Himelbloom, Kod 21:18; 9. H. Macutuno, Kod 21:18; 10. C. Demientieff, Gra 21:21; 11. C. Powers, Col 21:33; 12. K. Arthur, Sol 21:41; 13. L. Ortiz, Pal 21:42; 14. G. Annett, Gra 22:01; 15. R. Berrigan, Pal 22:07; 16. S. Nowers, Pal 22:12; 17. A. Mayer, Col 22:14; 18. T. O’Hara, ACS 22:15; 19. M. Christiansen, Kod 22:28; 20. L. Ellis, Gra 22:34; 21. M. Erickson, Sol 23:49; 22. C. Glover, Kod 23:00; 23. C. Blackwell, Sol 23:06; 24. R. Toro, Pal 23:21; 25. M. Morgan, Gra 23:23; 26. A. McLaughlin, Gra 23:29; 27. H. Hanson, Pal 23:31; 28. B. Steiner, Was 23:41; 29. C. Vasquez, Was 23:47; 30. I. Block, Col 24:24; 31. A. Miles, Col 24:34; 32. K. Lopez, Was 25:08; 33. K. Parnell, Kod 25:16; 34. F. Boze, Sol 25:50; 35. S. Thomas, Sol 25:50; 36. E. Lisenby, Sol 29:04.

Boys’ individual results:

1. H. Kratz, Sew 16:49; 2. K. Osowski, Kod 16:50; 3. B. Bennett, ACS 17:38; 4. H. Hayes, Was 17:38; 5. J. Shuler, Sol 17:41; 6. J. Hannah, Kod 17:51 7. G. Block, Col 17:51; 8. L. Mumma, Pal 17:56; 9. K. Greathouse, Was 18:11; 10. I. Bell, Was 18:14; 11. J. Pothas, Sol 18:31; 12. J. Knutson, Hou 18:36; 13. G. Martin, Gra 18:38; 14. D. Waitman, Was 18:44 15. A. Maghupoy, Kod 18:49; 16. C. Owens, Pal 18:52; 17. J. Taylor, Col 18:53 18. H. Steiner, Was 18:55 19. J. Kupferschmid, Sol 18:59; 20. G. Nummer, Kod 19:00; 21. E. VanPelt, Was 19:06; 22. M. Larson, Was 19:12; 23. A. Maclean, Pal 19:13; 24. L. Chilton, Sol 19:14; 25. B. Sobek, ACS 19:17; 26. J. Burton, Pal 19:18; 27. S. Deering, Col 19:26; 28. S. Burnett, Kod 19:27; 29. B. Walters, Sol 19:27; 30. M. Bersin, Kod 19:28; 31. L Arthur, Col 19:35; 32. L. Gionet, Gra 19:37; 33. J. DSavis, Pal 19:38; 34. L. Robertson, Pal 19:41; 35. C. Yurbe, Kod 19:47; 36. R. Haan, Col 19:49; 37. C. Rosenberg, Pal 20:06; 38. A. Edwards, Col 20:27; 39. J. Whit, Gra 20:42; 40. A. Gannon, Gra 20:55; 41. R. Kirn, Red 21:43.