Wasilla, two-time defending state champs, aims for another crown

WASILLA — During each of the past two seasons, the Wasilla Warriors girls’ squad has been the talk of Alaska high school cross-country running.

The Warriors are the two-time defending Region III and Alaska state champions.

But this season, can the Warriors post the three-peat?

“We’ll be in the conversation, without a doubt,” Wasilla head coach Gary Howell said.

After graduating only two scoring runners — Morgan Dampier and Jessica Pahkala — Wasilla returns the bulk of a squad that helped the Warriors win region and state titles for the second straight year in 2011.

Wasilla returns its top-3 runners from the 2011 meet. Seniors Mariah Burroughs and Jenna Ford finished eighth and 20th as juniors. Peggy Mathis scored an 11th-place finish as a freshman.

Sophomore Riley Burroughs (42nd in state last year) and senior Mandi Rinngenberg (58th) also return, along with Wasilla’s top junior varsity runner from last season, senior Alysha Devine.

“We’re really tough through Alysha,” Howell said. “The top-6 are all the same names.”

Howell said the return of Devine, a Wasilla basketball standout who has won a pair of state title with the Warriors girls hoops team, is key.

“Getting Alysha back was huge. She was the top JV runner and has stepped up to the varsity,” Howell said.

Wasilla is already off to a fast start, winning the Bartlett Invitational in Anchorage last Saturday. Mariah Burroughs and Jenna Ford finished seventh and eighth respectively, while Riley Burroughs was 16th.

Mathis (32nd), Rinngenberg (33rd) and Devine (39th) all posted top-40 finishes at Bartlett.

Howell said he expects Mathis’ times to continue to improve. The sophomore suffered a broken collarbone during the offseason and hasn’t yet hit her running stride.

“She’s only been cleared to run in the last week or so,” Howell said.

Howell said he also sees potential for big improvement in the times of Riley Burroughs, another sophomore.

“Riley put in a ton of miles over the summer,” Howell said.

Wasilla has about 35 runners on the roster, but only about 15 veterans, Howell said. Howell and assistant coach Leslie Varys are working to develop the younger runners on the girls’ squad, as well as build the boys’ team.

“We’re having a lot of fun this year,” Howell said. “It’s kind of a cliché term, but we’re just building. We’re teaching what cross-country is all about, and we’re having fun.”

Junior Brenden Lee returns to help lead the Wasilla boys. Lee, who finished 14th in the Region III Championships last fall, was 32nd at the Bartlett Invite.

Ken Frick (34th at regions last year), Blake Carricaburu (39th) and Ryker Steiner (42nd) also return.

Steiner is one of a number of Wasilla High wrestlers on the Warriors running team.

Howell also noted sophomore Ty Marshall, who could add depth to the boys’ team.

Colony Knights

Last season, Audrey Michaelson capped an outstanding junior year of cross-country with a runner-up finish in the Region III Championships and a third-place finish at state.

This year, Colony head coach Mark Strabel said Michaelson, now a senior, has the potential to be standing at the top of the podium.

“We want to challenge Allie Ostrander,” Strabel said, referring to the defending Region III champion.

Strabel said that this year, the Knights are taking a different approach with Michaelson, who is also a two-time state champion in track.

“She really learned a lot about racing,” Strabel said of Michaelson. “She’s looking good (this year).”

So far, Michaelson is off to a good start. She won the Colony Twilight at Colony High on Aug. 14, and finished fourth at the Bartlett Invite last Saturday.

Michaelson leads what Strabel expects to be a very strong girls squad. Joining Michaelson are senior Makenzie Thompson, junior Bailey Meier, junior Tracie Haan and sophomore Joceyln Kopsack.

Strabel said Thompson has spent some time in Michaelson’s shadow, but is ready to break out. Meier is returning after missing the final half of the 2011 season with injury.

Strabel also noted a newcomer, sophomore Tatjana Spacic. Strabel said the Colony coaches saw her potential during the cross-country skiing season.

The Knights have another newcomer who could become one of the top athletes on the boys’ squad in junior Lyon Kopsack.

Kopsack had played football for Colony, but Strabel said the junior decided to join the running team this season. Kopsack comes from a notable family of mountain runners in the Valley.

“I’ve known him forever and always wanted him to come out for running, but he played football,” Strabel said. “I know he liked to play football and I respected that. The first day of practice (this year) he showed up, and I said, ‘wow.’ I know it was a really tough decision for him, but he’s enjoying it.”

Kopsack finished second among Valley runners at the Bartlett Invite, placing 23rd. In addition to Kopsack, the Knights also have a group of veterans that includes juniors Brandon Schafer and Boaz Sessom.

Strabel also noted freshman Dakota Peterson-Thompson.

Palmer Moose

The Palmer boys’ squad finished second in the Region III team standings last fall, but graduation hit the Moose hard.

The Moose lost region runner-up Mason Minturn and a pair of other top-20 runners, Andrew Liebing and Schyler Knopp. But Palmer returns senior Chris Osiensky, who missed the final stretch of his junior season due to injury.

This season, Osiensky is off to a great start. He won the Colony Twilight, was second in a race at Nikiski High last week and finished 12th at the Bartlett Invite.

“Chris is looking strong,” Palmer head coach John Bishop said. “He’s looking like he’ll have a good year.”

The Moose also have junior Sean Hermann, who was 25th at Bartlett.

Bishop said junior Hana Bohman is expected to lead the Palmer girls’ squad. Bohman finished 13th at regions last year. Sophomore Molly Osiensky is also expected to be among Palmer’s leaders, and Bishop also noted newcomer Samantha Contreras.

Houston Hawks

First-year head coach Tommy Pettit has taken over a small Houston Hawks program.

As of Monday, Pettit had only six runners (one girl and five boys) on his roster, but is hoping to add to his squad in the coming weeks.

“We’re hoping to get some more people out. We’d like to have a full varsity team to score beyond individuals,” Pettit said of the Hawks, who will compete at the 1-2-3A level this year.

Laurena Croslain is the lone runner on the girls’ squad. Brothers Ahanu and Etienne Kinney are among the runners on the boys’ team.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com, follow him @matsu_sports and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.