Wasilla sophomore, Colony senior earn region cross-country running titles

If the Region III girls cross-country running season had a story arc, it was on full display Saturday afternoon.

Colony senior standout Ella Hopkins started strong in 2024, winning her first three races of the year. But Wasilla sophomore Hailee Giacobbe has emerged late with consecutive finishes atop the podium.

And on Saturday, Hopkins started fast with a healthy lead early. But Giacobbe continued her recent trend with another come-from-behind victory.

Giacobbe used a late push to win the Division I varsity girls race of the Region III Championships at the Maureen McCombs Equestrian Trails, part of the Bumpus Complex, in Wasilla.

“Third lap at the bottom of the hill, I caught her. I thought I’d stick with her, but I just went all out,” Giacobbe said after her win.

Giacobbe finished with a time of 18 minutes, 19.28 seconds, which smashed her previous best by about 30 seconds.

“It’s crazy,” she said of her time.

She used her career mark to best Hopkins, the defending region champion.

“It’s pretty tough. She’s a tough runner,” Giacobbe said of facing Hopkins.

Giacobbe has now won three straight — the Wasilla Trailblazer on the same course two weeks ago, the Mustang Smokin Stampede in Chugiak last week and now the Region III meet.

Hopkins now has four straight runner-up finishes after winning her first three races of the year. The senior was first at the Redington Top Dog Invite, Ted McKinley Invitational in Soldotna and the Colony Invite on her home course.

In four years, Hopkins has a title and three runner-up finishes in regions, and has never placed outside the top 10 at state.

Colony senior Coby Marvin earned his first region title of his career in the Division I boys races, and the Knights took home both DI team titles.

Marvin finished just ahead of his teammate, junior Trygve Vang-Thompson, in the DI boys race. Marvin clocked a time of 16:31, while Vang-Thompson was just behind at 16:33.

Marvin and Vang-Thompson ran in a pack that included the likes of Kodiak senior Miles Grimes early, but the Colony duo separated late. Grimes finished 14 seconds behind Vang-Thompson.

For Marvin, who has made a name for himself in the Alaska mountain running scene, he’d never finished higher than fourth in regions before Saturday.

The Colony girls won the DI team title with 37 total points. Sophomore Aubrey Virgin (fourth at 19:45) and senior Rachel Danz (sixth at 20:12) also finished in the top 10.

The Colony boys used 24 points to win their team title, finishing well ahead of runner-up Kodiak’s 45. Sophomore Thomas Coombs (fourth at 16:51), junior Gabriel Black (eighth at 17:03) and sophomore Theodore Stamoolis (ninth at 17:04) were all in the top 10.

Wasilla was second in the girls team standings with 52 points. Sophomore McKenzie Ray (eighth at 20:30) and junior Kinley Bruno (10th at 20:33) placed in the top 10.

Sophomore Blaze Rubeo led Wasilla with a sixth-place boys finish and time of 16:53.

Sophomore Karley Tichenor (fifth at 19:56) and junior Alder Deal (ninth at 20:31) led the Palmer girls.

Freshman Finn Adams was 10th at 17:04 to lead the Palmer boys.

Wasilla also finished third overall in the boys standings.

The top 15 runners of each race and the varsity members of the top three teams in the team standings advance to the ASAA championships, slated for Oct. 5 at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.