Wind sprints

WASILLA — Normally a track uniform is pretty standard — a light shirt, shorts and a pair of track shoes.

But on Wednesday, as the Wasilla Warriors hosted rivals Colony and Houston in an abbreviated tri-meet on a chilly and windy day at Wasilla High School, anything, short of a winter parka, was fair game.

Hooded sweatshirts, gloves, stocking caps and wind suits all suddenly became a part of the track and field garb.

There was plenty of fleece, while others were decked out in outerwear more suitable for the Nordic ski trails than the asphalt track.

Gear made by Columbia and North Face, and not Nike or Adidas, was the vogue.

Houston senior Chris Gardiner was one of the runners who favored the warmer clothing in the meet that included only distance events and the shot put.

Gardiner felt the sweatshirt was a must-have on the cold Alaska spring day.

“Ya, since it’s only a time trial,” Gardiner said after running the 400-meter in his gray Houston High School hooded sweatshirt.

Wasilla head coach Gary Howell couldn’t help but laugh as antsy runners paced, jogged and rubbed hands together, while trying to stay warm.

“Cold — check; wind — check; snow — check,” Howell said just before the first event of the meet.

Howell admitted it was fairly odd to see a group of runners in fleece and sweatshirts circling the track in an organized meet.

“I don’t know what’s the better strategy,” Howell said. “The times weren’t real fast. It didn’t matter if you were warm or cold.

“I didn’t expect anyone to be setting (personal records),” Howell said.

The three Valley programs competed in the afternoon meet just days after participating in a two-day indoor event held at The Dome in Anchorage.

“It’s a little bit of a contrast compared to last weekend,” Howell said.

But for Howell’s Warriors and their Valley counterparts, running in the cold is better than not competing at all.

“If you don’t get out there, can’t compete, then [competition] becomes a foreign entity,” Howell said. “We should do this every week, regardless. Duals, tris — get together for some friendly competition. It’ll help improve all our times.”

The mini-meet at WHS helped break apart a two-week stretch between major invitationals. Teams hit The Dome on April 11-12, and Howell’s team is now stuck in practice mode until the Warriors head to Soldotna for the Skyview Invitational on April 25-26.

WHS staged only a handful of events during the tri-meet on Wednesday. Athletes competed in the shot put, 400,800, 1,600 and 3,200. There was also a medley relay in which co-ed teams of four raced around the track.

Team scores were not recorded, but a pair of Colony Knights were among the individual standouts on Wednesday.

Colony’s Heidi Doner and Cody Huggins each won a pair of events. Doner, a sophomore, and Huggins, a senior, finished first in the 800 and 1,600.

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

Wasilla Tri

Wednesday, Wasilla High School

Boys individual results:

400-meter — 1. B. Putnam, Houston 53.51 seconds; 2. M. Swan, Colony 54.31; 3. B. Truax, Colony 54.35; 4. Da. Gray, Colony 55.20; C. Huggins, Colony 55.80.

800 — 1. C. Huggins, Colony 2:06; 2. B. Truax, Colony 2:14; 3. C. Gardiner, Houston 2:19; 4. C. Ashland, Houston 2:24; 5. B. Wangenberg, Colony 2:34.

1,600 — 1. C. Huggins, Colony 4:51, 2. D. Styers, Houston 4:53; 3. B. Wangengerg, Colony 5:38; 4. A. Zagars, Colony 5:40; 5. C. Sholar, Wasilla 5:41.

3,200 — 1. A. Zagars, Colony 10:57; 2. B. Wangengerg, Colony 11:26.

Shot put — 1. J. Knowles, Wasilla 43 feet, 5 inches; 2. C. Lafe, Wasilla 40-5; 3. B. Russell, Wasilla 3-11; 4. T. Orr, Wasilla 35-9.

Girls individual results

400 — 1. K. Clump, Wasilla 1:06.4; 2. Me. Bowker, Colony 1:07.5; 3. R. Hoffman, Wasilla 1:09.6; 4. J. Larabee, Houston 1:09.89; 5. H. Doner, Colony 1:09.91.

800 — 1. H. Doner, Colony 2:38; 2. M. Wick, Colony 2:42; 3. S. Stewart, Colony 2:43; 4. Me. Bowker, Colony 2:44; 5. C. Bonn, Colony 3:03.

1,600 — 1. H. Doner, Colony 5:56; 2. S. Stewart, Colony 6:03; 3. M. Wick, Colony 6:04; 4. J. Larabee, Houston 6:35; 5. T. Laughlin, Colony 6:42.

3,200 — 1. E. Fuller, Wasilla 13:18; 2. T. Laughlin, Colony 13:56.

Shot put — 1. S. Irwin, Colony 30 feet; 2. A. Coon, Colony 28-6; 3. G. Johanson 27-8; 4. C. Ward, Wasilla 27-8; 5. K. Troxel, Colony 26-9.

Co-ed results:

Medley relay (boys and girls) — 1. Houston 3:06, 2. Colony 3:09, 4. Wasilla 3:21.