Wasilla’s fabulous freshman continues her winning ways

PALMER — Jenna Ford won her sixth race of the year on Saturday, and she did it in record-breaking fashion.

Ford, Wasilla’s standout freshman, used a time of 18 minutes and 49.5 seconds to not only capture first place in the Wasilla Invitational at Crevasse Moraine, but claim the record for the Palmer-area trail system’s 5-kilometer course.

Ford owned a healthy 19 second advantage over second-place Kailey Wilson, Kenny Lake’s defending 1-2-3A state champion, and helped the host Warriors claim the team title of the event.

Ford led a group of six Wasilla runners in the top-10 and nine in the top-15.

Fellow freshman Mandi Ringgenberg was fourth, Brooke Nelson was seventh, Keri Clump finished eighth and Morgan Dampier finished ninth for WHS.

Gretchen Wilson led Palmer with a 25th-place finish in the girls’ race.

Grace Christian placed three runners in the top-five to outrun Wasilla in the boys team standings.

Grace, led by individual winner Jacob Kirk, finished with a meet-low 28 total points. Like Ford, Kirk also broke a course record. The defending 1-2-3A state champion set the Crevasse Moraine 5-K mark with a time of 16:08.2.

Second-place Andrew Arnold and fourth-place John Weber also finished in the top-five for the Grizzlies.

Senior Alden Lee led the second-place Warriors with a sixth-place finish.

Noah Ripley (eighth), Drew Ford (11th) and Josh Pahkala (15th) also finished in the top-15 for the Warriors, who earned second with 59 total points.

Seventh-place Piers LaFrance led Palmer to a third-place finish in the team standings.

Mason Minturn was 10th for PHS.

Crevasse Moraine will also be the site of the Region III Championships, slated for Sept. 26.

Wasilla Invitational

Saturday, Crevasse Moraine

Boys team scores:

1. Grace Christian 28, 2. Wasilla 59, 3. Palmer 71, 4. Anchorage Christian 88, 5. Valdez 115.

Boys individual results (top-15)

1. J. Kirk, Gra 16:08.2; 2. A. Arnold, Gra 16:59.6; 3. M. Baker, ACS 17:13.2; 4. J. Weber, Gra 17:25.6; 5. G. Keeney, Val 17:33.9; 6. A. Lee, Was 17:34.9; 7. P. LaFrance, Pal 17:34.8; 8. N. Ripley, Was 17:36.9; 9. J. Klein, Gra 17:37.9; 10. M. Minturn, Pal 17:44.3; 11. D. Ford, Was 17:47.4; 12. J. Dillon, Grac 17:49.8; 13. L. Charters, ACS 17:51.1; 14. W. Peltier, Pal 17:54.6; 15. J. Pahkala, Was 17:54.9.

Girls team scores:

1. Wasilla 25, 2. Grace Christian 36, 3. Anchorage Christian 95, 4. Valdez 97.

Girls Individual results (top-15):

1. J. Ford, Was 18:49.5; 2. K. Wilson, KL 19:06.6; 3. M. Boyles, Gra 19:46.6; 4. M. Ringgenberg, Was 19:47.7; 5. M. Applegate, Gra 10:12.1; 6. B. Davis, Gra 20:41.1; 7. B. Nelson, Was 20:48.9; 8. K. Clump,l Was 20:50.5; 9. M. Dampier, Was 20:59.6; 10. C. Schleich, Was 21:07.9; 11. A. Kelley, Was 21:07.9; 12. L. Anderson, ACS 21:32.9; 13. C. Skvorc, Col 21:34.2; 14. J. Pahkala, Was 21:51.4; 15. K. Saiki, Was 21:52.1.