Wasilla girls pace field at Palmer Invitational

PALMER — Mason Minturn couldn’t believe he could do that.

“I was hoping to break 17 (minutes), but that was crazy,” said Minturn, a Palmer High School junior and the first Mat-Su runner to cross the finish line during the boys’ 4A varsity race of the Palmer Invitational at Palmer High School Saturday.

Minturn clocked a personal best time of 16 minutes and 45 seconds to finish ninth in the 5-kilometer race on the Michael Janecek Running Trails.

“I usually start out slow, so I tried to push it to top-four for the first (kilometer),” said Minturn, who finished about 34 seconds off the pace of first-place James Osowski of Kodiak.

Wasilla sophomore Jenna Ford won the girls’ 4A varsity race and helped the Warriors win a team title for the fifth time this season. Ford, who finished third at Skyview and second at Colony last week, posted her third individual win of the season with a time of 18:48.64. Ford, one of three Warriors in the top-10, crossed the finish line 17 seconds ahead of second-place Megan Edic of Lathrop.

Ford stayed at the front of the pack for the first two laps of the race and made a move during the third lap to create a cushion between herself and Edic.

One of Ford’s top competitors, Kenny Lake’s Kailey Wilson, ran in the 1-2-3A varsity race. Wilson finished in 19:17, just a second ahead of second-place Mariah Applegate of Grace Christian. The dueling runners often compete against each other. But like the state championships, the Palmer Invitational — the largest cross country event in the state — is split into large- and small-schools classes. Ford said it didn’t bother her that she didn’t have Wilson to run against.

“There’s other fast girls,” Ford said. “My teammates are fast.”

And the Warriors proved Ford right on Saturday.

Freshman Marriah Burroughs (seventh) and junior Morgan Dampier (ninth) also posted top-10 finishes for the Warriors. Sophomore Mandi Ringgenberg (14th) and junior Jessica Pahkala (15th) were in the top-15. Wasilla finished with 46 team points, less than half the total of second-place West Valley.

Sophomore Audrey Michaelson scored a third-place finish to lead the Colony Knights. Michaelson, who also finished third last week at the Colony Invite, finished with a time of 19:13.49. Fellow sophomore Makenzie Thompson was 16th for the Knights.

Hanna Bohman led host Palmer with a 21st-place finish.

Minturn was one of two Palmer runners to finish in the top-15 of the boys’ 4A varsity race. Sophomore Chris Osiensky was 14th, and the duo helped the Moose finish sixth in the team standings.

Junior Simon Fischer was 10th to lead Wasilla to a fourth-place finish in the team standings. Josh Pahkala (19th) and Keith Thompson (20th) posted top-20 times for the Warriors.

Senior Tanner Enloe led Colony with a 28th-place finish.

Tim Rockey contributed to this story.

PALMER INVITATIONAL

Saturday, Palmer High School

Girls’ 4A varsity:

1. Wasilla 46; 2. West Valley 111; 3. West Anchorage 11; 4. Lathrop 120; 5. Kodiak 127.

Girls’ 4A individual results (top-50):

1. J. Ford, Was 18:48.64; 2. M. Edic, Lat 19:05.68; 3. A. Michaelson, Col 19:13.49; 4. M. Callahan, WV 19:16.17; 5. E. Rorabaugh, WV 19:17.23; 6. J. Bethea, Kod 19:19.70; 7. M. Burroughs, Was 19:2868; 8. B. Mucha, Sol 19:43.0; 9. M. Dampier, Was 19:48.47; 10. A. Liotta, West 20:04.03; 11. H. Steffensen, Ken 20:10.46; 12. S. Ng, Kod 20:11.01; 13. K. Fitzgerald, Lat 20:12.63; 14. M. Ringgenberg, Was 20:14.24; 15. J. Pahkala, Was 20:18.89; 16. M. Thompson, Col 20:21.09; 17. M. Smith, Sol 20:29.82; 18. K. Weddleton, West 20:40.18; 19. T. Ostrander, Ken 20:45.97; 20. B. Lizotte, Lat 20:50.54; 21. H. Bohman, Pal 20:51.11; 22. M. Merkes, Sol 20:51.77; 23. B. Desaussure, Bar 20:4.57; 24. M. Simpson, West 20:55.41; 25. K. Schmitz, NP 20:6.87; 26. M. Weimer, West 20:9.46; 27. C. Cox, Col 21:05.65; 28. C. Beaugard, West 21:07.69; 29. A. Smith, Kod 21:09.15; 30. R. DeVito, Ken 21:09.72; 31. M. barnett, Kod 21:10.82; 32. G. Winter, Pal 21:13.78; 33. R. Pierce, West 21:19.09; 34. A. Roelle, West 21:19.58; 35. S. Stone, Lat 21:21.66; 36. K. Phillips, WV 21:21.89; 37. B. Meier, Col 21:26.07; 38. M. Lundt, Pal 21:26.51; 39. H. Hanna, Pal 21:37.86; 40. M. Klaben, Ken 21:41.75; 41. F. Chay, Ken 212:47.75; 42. E. Whisenhant, West 21:49.36; 43. M. Wright, Was 21:51.58; 44. D. Cummings, Pal 22:00.28; 45. M. Conrow, NP 22:04.49; 46. J. Sherman, WV 22:08.67; 47. S. Lamb, Bar 22:11.10; 48. A. Strick, Was 22:16.73; 49. T. Bolyard, Kod 22:20.01; 50. C. Davis, Lat 22:24.00.

Other Valley finishers:

53. D. Salmon, Pal 22:39.04; 5. A. Saxon, Col 22:46.44; 57. R. Diotte, Col 22:51.32; 59. J. Krediet, Col 23:02.51; 64. A. Woodings, Pal 23:42.82.

Girls’ 1-2-3A team scores:

1. Grace Christian 25; 2. Seward 64; 3. Kenny Lake 101; 4. Bethel 133; 5. ACS 144.

Girls’ 1-2-3A individual results (top-20):

1. K. Wilson, KL 19:17.83; 2. M. Applegate, Grace 19:18.54; 3. E. Arnold, Grace 20:00.73; 4. B. Davis, Grace 20:13.90; 5. K. Strong, PL 20:32.32; 6. T. Wygant, KL 20:37.95; 7. M. Fifled, Mon 21:01.46; 8. L. Anderson, ACS 21:07.12; 9. A. Trujillo, Grace 21:16.99; 10. M. Murtiff, Eie 21:22.64; 11. K. Maslen, Glen 21:25.29; 12. M. Barnwell, Sew 21:30.02; 13. B. Winkle, Grace 21:33.33; 14. E. Burt, ACS 21:42.27; 15. K. Atherton, Sew 21:47.88; 16. I. Barnwell, Sew 21:57.75; 17. J. Davis, Grace 22:04.30; 18. A. Heer, Grace 22:21.38; 19. L. Dyer, Sew 22:23.22; 20. K. Mills, Del 22:26.21.

Boys’ 4A team scores:

1. Kodiak 4; 2. Lathrop 59; 3. West Valley 76; 4. Wasilla 83; 5. Kenai 174; 6. Palmer 168; 7. Colony 228.

Boys’ 4A individual results (top-50):

1. J. Osowski, Kod 16:11.82; 2. J. Leder, WV 16:20.39; 3. K. Hanson, Lat 16:26.71; 4. P. Nugent, Lat 16:29.61; 5. K. Grezede, WV 16:30.0; 6. N. Deer, Kod 16:34.99; 7. S. Wheeler, West 16:36.34; 8. C. Christiansen, Kod 16:1.65; 9. M. Minturn, Pal 16:45.33; 10. S. Fischer, Was 16:5.23; 11. R. Karnkeven, Lat 17:03.35; 12. J. Fogle, Kod 17:03.94; 13. N. Ripley, Was 17:05.07; 14. C. Osiensky, Pal 17:07.68; 15. D. Nixon-Helms, Lat 17:16.74; 16. G. DeWilde, NP 17:18.16; 17. P. Noon, WV 17:23.36; 18. C. Nymeyer, Kod 17:24.39; 19. J. Pahkala, Was 17:25.29; 20. K. Thompson, Was 17:29.4; 21. A. Keller, Was 17:30.76; 22. T. Seemen, Ken 17:31.03; 23. J. Salus, Kod 17:32.57; 24. F. Machaud, Ken 17:32.64; 25. N. Toelle, WV 17:34.47; 26. K. Wilkinson, Lat 17:40.20; 27. M. Sayre, WV 17:42.07; 28. T. Enloe, Col 17:44.43; 29. M. Johnston, Was 17:44.90; 30. E. Hoefler, WV 17:50.55; 31. B. Sparks, Sky 17:1.34; 32. D. Deal, Kod 17:51.79; 33. E. Atchley, Ken 17:53.31; 34. K. Peterson, West 17:55.02; 35. A. Johnson, West 17:56.13; 36. A. Tenne, Bar 18:01.25; 37. L. Castellini, Lat 18:04.04; 38. Z. Keskinen, WV 18:04.39; 39. A. Gocke, Hou 18:08.39; 40. B. Holt, Sky 18:10.03; 41. S. Janarschke, Sky 18:11.74; 42. R. Tracy, Was 18:12.07; 43. A. Liebing, Pal 18:14.04; 44. E. Brayton, Col 18:15.92; 45. S. Butler, Bar 18:17.17; 46. A. Moel, Ken 18:18.51; 47. B. Atkinson, Col 18:21.64; 48. N. Gumminger, Col 18:24.59; 49. J. Watkins, Ken 18:26.76; 50. P. Sebastani, Bar 18:27.06.

Other Valley finishers:

53. J. Day, Pal 18:30.99; 63. B. Muniz, Pal 19:01.89; 64. L. Jaschek, Col 19:07.54; 66. D. Drake, Hou 19:10.88; 68. C. White, Pal 19:12.57; 72. J. Murak, Col 19:25.77; 74. T. Murray, Col 19:33.43; 84. L. Wright, Pal 20:40.71; 89. J. Richey, Hou 21:09.47; 91. A. Gardner, Hou 22:17.69.

Boys’ 1-2-3A team scores:

1. Grace Christian 28; 2. Seward 46; 3. Eielson 120; 4. ACS 126; 5. Bethel 134.

Boys’ 1-2-3A individual results (top 20):

1. A. Ionashku, Del 16:23.20; 2. J. Klein, Grace 16:48.91; 3. J. Weber, Grace 16:3.81; 4. J. Dillon, Grace 17:16.47; 5. M. Knotek, Sew 17:19.57; 6. B. Chase, Sew 17:29.81; 7. C. Brewer, Eie 17:29.44; 8. Q. Metcalf, Grace 17:32.12; 9. A. Weldon, Eie 17:39.36; 10. A. Gillespie, Sew 17:40.18; 11. J. Edwards, Grace 17:45.40; 12. M. Moore, Sew 17:51.58; 13. A. Buchanan, Sew 17:54.04; 14. M. Hatter, Grace 17:55.38; 15. J. Bukowski, Chev 18:00.45; 16. J.. Klejka, Bet 18:01.96; 17. S. Strickland, Nik 18:07.12; 18. M. Eller, Grace 18:08.48; 19. A. Monzon, ACS 18:17.19; 20. S. Stooksburg, ACS 18:20.08.