Warriors run to 4-peat

SEWARD — Mariah Burroughs had no idea what was ahead for her.

Four years ago, Burroughs joined the Wasilla High girls’ cross-country running team as a freshman fighting for a spot on the varsity roster. Saturday, Burroughs, now a senior, helped her team win its fourth straight region title in her four years as a varsity runner at WHS.

Burroughs was one of four Warriors to place in the top 9, and five to place in the top 15, and Wasilla clinched the four-peat with a meet-low 38 points during the Region III Championships in Seward.

“It’s really quite amazing,” Burroughs said by cellphone from Seward Saturday evening. “I’m the only one in my grade to be on varsity all four years. It’s all pretty exciting.”

Burroughs has also helped her team win three straight 4A state titles.

“I had no clue what was in store,” Burroughs said. “I had no clue what was going to happen.”

Burroughs’ fourth opportunity to celebrate a region team title comes during a season in which things didn’t always go Wasilla’s way. Burroughs and junior standout Peggy Mathis missed significant time during the season hampered by injuries. The Warriors were also working to fill the void left by graduated seniors Jenna Ford, Mandi Ringgenberg and Alysha Devine — three of their top 5 scores from the 2012 region and state championship team.

“This is very sweet. It’s amazing to be able to do it,” Burroughs said of the accomplishment. “It was hard losing those other amazing girls. We had to work so much harder. We really didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Wasilla first-year head coach Leslie Varys echoed her senior’s sentiments.

“It’s pretty awesome. I’m just really proud of each and every one of them,” Varys said. “Each had a job to do, and they did it.”

Standout freshman Alex Mathis was the first of four Warriors in the top 9 and five in the top 18. Mathis, who has finished in the top 3 in every 5-kilometer race she’s competed in this year, was the runner-up with a mark of 19:17.

Kenai junior Allie Ostrander won her third straight individual title with a mark of 18:06.

Burroughs finished fourth in the race with a time of 19:54. Peggy Mathis was fifth at 20:06, and junior Riley Burroughs finished ninth at 20:30.

Varys praised the work for all of her athletes, particularly Danika Ingersoll, her fifth runner.

“It helped solidify (the title) for us,” Varys said of Ingersoll, who placed 18th. “For Danika to step up like that is huge. That five runner is the unsung hero of many, many teams.”

Ingersoll, a sophomore, posted a career-best time of 21:54 to help Wasilla finish with an 11-point lead over runner-up Soldotna in the team standings.

“She did so amazing,” Burroughs said of Ingersoll. “It was an all-time P.R., it was awesome.”

Valley teams dominated the girls’ top 10, with seven runners placing in that group.

Palmer freshman Ruby Woodings led the Moose with a time of 20:16, and a sixth-place finish.

Colony freshmen Elisabeth Bowker (20:27) and Cathelyne Powers (20:31) finished eight and 10th respectively. Bowker and Powers also helped CHS finish third in the girls’ team standings, and the Knights earned an automatic bid to the state championships.

Palmer’s Samantha Contreras also earned an individual spot in the girls’ 4A race of the state championships with her 12th-place finish.

Now with the region four-peat in the bag, Burroughs and the Warriors now set their sights on a fourth straight state title.

“It’s so amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing how we do,” Burroughs said. “I’m scared, nervous, excited; ready to jump right in it.”

Colony boys enjoy runner-up finish

Many expected a tight pack at the top of the boys standings, and Region III teams delivered. Only six points separated the top 3 teams, but it was Kodiak that came out on top and continued its run as the Region III boys champions.

Kodiak finished with 42 total points edging Colony (45) and Kenai (48). The top 3 teams in the region combined to boast the top 7 runners in the standings, and 12 of the top 15.

Colony seniors Brandon Schafer (fourth), Boaz Sessom (fifth) and Lyon Kopsack (eighth) all finished in the top 8 for the Knights. Dakota Peterson-Thompson was 12th.

The Colony team earned a bid to the state championships with its runner-up finish.

A pair of Warriors and a Palmer runner also finished in the top 15 to earn individual spots in state. Brendon Lee (ninth) and Lane Reed (15th) will represent the Warriors. Palmer junior Hayden Foster also qualified with a 14th-place finish.

In the Region III-123A championships, also in Seward, Houston junior Andrew Spencer earned a trip to the small-schools state championships with a 12th-place finish in the boys’ race.

Region III Championships

Saturday, Seward

4A Girls team scores:

1. Wasilla 38, 2. Soldotna 49, 3. Colony 76, 4. Palmer 86, 5. Kodiak 117, 6. Kenai 124.

4A Girls individual results:

1. A. Ostrander, Ken 18:06; 2. A. Mathis, Was 19:17; 3. O. Hutchings, Sol 19:37; 4. M. Burroughs, Was 19:54; 5. P. Mathis, Was 20:06; 6. R. Woodings, Pal 20:16; 7. D. McCormick, Sol 20:22; 8. E. Bowker, Col 20:27; 9. R. Burroughs, Was 20:30; 10. C. Powers, Col 20:31; 11. S. Fox, Sol 20:44; 12. D. Nelson, Sol 20:54; 13. S. Contreras, Pal 21:01; 14. Z. Bigley, Kod 21:19; 15. C. Geraghty, Col 21:24; 16. E. Werner, Sol 21:26; 17. A. Qualls, Pal 21:51; 18. D. Ingersoll, Was 21:54; 19. A. Horn, Kod 21:56; 20. H. Bohman, Pal 21:59; 21. T. Spaic, Col 22:01; 22. B. Meier, Col 22:14; 23. J. Wilson, Ken 22:17; 24. A. Himelbloom, Kod 22:17; 25. H. Barnett, Kod 22:30; 26. A. Berholtz, Ken 22:34; 27. M. Erickson, Sol 22:36; 28. J. Kopsack, Col 22:41; 29. T. Haan, Col 22:42; 30. A. Wilson, Pal 22:55; 31. R. McLellan, Was 22:57; 32. R. Berrigan, Pal 22:58; 33. H. Hanna, Pal, 23:03; 34. S. Schmidt, Was 23:05; 35. L. Deal, Kod 23:06; 36. B. Schindler, Ken 23:29; 37. C. Nelson, Kod 23:32; 38. A. Reilly, Ken 23:36; 39. A. Johnson, Sol 24:37; 40. S. Clark, Ken 24:44; 41. T. Bolyard, Kod 24:49.

4A boys team scores:

1. Kodiak 42; 2. Colony 45; 3. Kenai 48; 4. Wasilla 94; 5. Palmer 138; 6. Soldotna 160.

4A boys individual results:

1. L. Thomet, Kod 16:06; 2. Jon. Theisen, Ken 16:42; 3. Jor. Thiesen, Ken 16:52; 4. B. Schafer, Col 17:09; 5. B. Sessom, Col 17:26; 6. K. Osowski, Kod 17:30; 7. L. Fried, Kod 17:33; 8. L. Kopsack, Col 17:39; 9. B. Lee, Was 17:46; 10. T. Cooper, Ken 17:55; 11. A. Rubina, Kod 17:56; 12. D. Peterson-Thompson, Col 17:58; 13. F. Michaud, Ken 18:03; 14. H. Foster, Pal 18:04; 15. L. Reed, Was 18:05; 16. K. Lucas, Col 18:06; 17. A. Caballa, Kod 18:07; 18. K. Frick, Was 18:08; 19. R. Kavolok, Pal 18:08.75; 20. N. Mole, Ken 18:11; 21. A. Swedberg, Sol 18:13; 22. Q. Fuller, Ken 18:15; 23. M. Lee, Ken 18:17; 24. R. Steiner, Was 18:23; 25. J. Alwert, Kod 18:26; 26. D. Knopp, Col 18:32; 27. J. Hannah, Kod 18:35; 28. J. Gentz, Was 18:40; 29. C. Pulver, Was 18:42; 30. J. Alverts, Pal 18:51; 31. R. Haan, Col 18:54; 32. K. Greathouse, Was 19:06; 33. B. Dusek, Sol 19:25; 34. L. Michael, Sol 19:36; 35. C. Diehl, Sol 19:37; 36. J. Klina, Pal 19:52; 37. S. Larrow, Sol 19:58; 38. A. Downing, Sol 20:15; 39. S. Hermann, Pal 20:33; 40. J. Burton, Pal 20:39; 41. J. Godfrey, Sol 22:05; 42. I. Bingham, Pal 22:19.