Anchorage’s Zuber, Flagstad capture junior Mount Marathon races

The junior boys winner was no surprise, while the junior girls winner was a complete surprise, Friday at the Mount Marathon Race in Seward.

After finishing second to Palmer’s Coby Marvin the past two years, Anchorage’s Vebjorn Flagstad, an incoming senior at South High, cruised to victory when Marvin aged up to the men’s race.

In the junior girls race, Calista Zuber, 14, of Anchorage took down a stacked field. The incoming South freshman said she hadn’t gotten into the race in two or three years of trying. Zuber’s mother successfully petitioned to get her daughter in, and Calista won with the very last bib number of all the racers.

Flagstad, 17, took 27 minutes, 31 seconds, to get halfway up and down the mountain course overlooking Seward. That was much slower than the 25:52 Flagstad put up in pursuit of Marvin last year, but still more than enough to top the 28:15 of Blaze Rubeo, 15, of Wasilla.

With the temperatures in the 50s and the course set up to be fast, Flagstad said it was hard to pace without Marvin there.

“My only goal last year was just hanging with Coby, and he’s just fast,” said Flagstad, who won in his final junior appearance. “I knew it was going to be a hard time to beat.

“I’m just happy with the win.”

Flagstad’s father, Trond, is a two-time men’s champion. Vebjorn added this win to a state skimeister title and a sophomore and a 3,200-meter crown at this spring’s Division I state track meet.

“This is up there,” said Flagstad, when asked where this victory ranks. “It’s so unique. It’s just an Alaskan race.”

The top Kenai Peninsula finisher was Seward’s Luke Elhard, 15. Elhard was 18th in 32:01. Last year, Elhard hit personal bests by finishing 13th in 31:17, but he said an injured ankle slowed him down this year.

“It’s amazing to see all these people here,” Elhard said of the crowds that swarmed the streets of Seward. “I’m glad to see that Seward is a good town and that people like to come here and race.”

The girls race had three former champions eligible to race, but last year’s champ, Olive Jordan, 15, of Seward did not start due to illness.

That still left 2023 champ Tania Boonstra, 17, of Kenai and 2022 champ Rosie Conway, 17, of Anchorage.

Also, Eagle River’s Hannah Bodkin, 17, had led at halfway last year, while Wren Spangler, 13, of Palmer was ready to progress to the top after finishing third in 2023 and second in 2024.

“You’ve got to look out for everyone, because you know there’s always going to be someone fast,” Boonstra said.

Boonstra said she got off to a good start and avoided a traffic jam going up the cliffs. She then was able to pull away from everyone except Zuber.

Zuber tracked Boonstra to the turnaround pole then passed her for good shortly after the downhill began.

Although she said this was her first race with a downhill like that, Zuber said practice with her father paid off.

“This is the biggest race I’ve won,” she said. “I won all of my middle school cross-country races.”

Zuber finished at 32:14, taking a minute out of Boonstra on the downhill. That’s the fastest junior girls winning time since Molly Gellert ran 31:55 in 2016.

Boonstra finished at 33:10, a 30-second personal record. She said the race felt good after taking spring track season off to rest her legs and have fun with family.

Mount Marathon Race

Friday in Seward

GIRLS

1. Calista Zuber, Anchorage, AK 32:14 2. Tania Boonstra, Kenai, AK 33:10 3. Wren Spangler, Palmer, AK 34:01 4. Nina Varnell, Anchorage, AK 35:20 5. Rylee Ruggles, Eagle River, AK 35:40 6. Juniper Ingalls, Seward, AK 35:48 7. Ellie Abrahamson, Fairbanks, AK 36:38 8. Sadie Haas, Seward, AK 36:52 9. Alise Elliott, Anchorage, AK 36:54 10. Clara Sensabaugh, Palmer, AK 37:20 11. Aubrey Virgin, Palmer, AK 38:10 12. Hana Varnell, Anchorage, AK 38:35 13. Chloe Shaha, Eagle River, AK 38:37 14. Hannah Shaha, Eagle River, AK 38:46 15. Beatrix Brogan, Anchorage, AK 38:50 16. Ellie Stull, Anchorage, AK 39:05 17. Elliot Sensabaugh, Palmer, AK 39:10 18. Grace Fleming, Seward, AK 39:14 19. Colette Leveque, Anchorage, AK 39:30 20. Lily Poray, Eagle River, AK 39:45 21. Hannah Bodkin, Eagle River, AK 39:57 22. Melody Mleschnitza, Wasilla, AK 40:00 23. Sylvie Kastning, Anchorage, AK 40:05 24. Emersyn Knopp, Fairbanks, AK 40:08 25. Lia Shank, Seward, AK 40:55.

26. Tirzah Brueckner, Seward, AK 41:03 27. Robin Beesley, Anchorage, AK 41:09 28. Blakeley Norvell, Seward, AK 41:14 29. Rain Rubeo, Wasilla, AK 41:30 30. Addison Bailey, Anchorage, AK 41:36 31. Lilian Coy, Anchorage, AK 41:58 32. Sienna Himes, Chugiak, AK 42:12 33. Karley Tichenor, Palmer, AK 42:55 34. Brooklyn Mauger, Eagle River, AK 43:02 35. Brynn Rathert, Anchorage, AK 43:11 36. Payton Nelson, Eagle River, AK 43:17 37. Lucy Bamford, Seward, AK 43:27 38. Svea Kastning, Anchorage, AK 43:34 39. Hailee Stepetin, Eagle River, AK 43:36 40. June Poray, Eagle River, AK 43:42 41. Gigi Leonetti, Anchorage, AK 43:49 42. Alder Deal, Palmer, AK 44:09 43. Audra Burrill, Eagle River, AK 44:54 44. Ellie Trevithick, Anchorage, AK 45:07 45. Sophie Novakovich, Anchorage, AK 45:21 46. Briony Stewart, Eagle River, AK 45:26 47. Kathryn Shaha, Eagle River, AK 45:48 48. Maggie Lints, Homer, AK 45:57 49. Aurora Johnson, Chugiak, AK 46:02 50. Annabelle Conant, Seward, AK 46:05.

51. Adele Matthews, Anchorage, AK 46:08 52. Ruby Willman, Anchorage, AK 46:50 53. Marcelle Shasby, Anchorage, AK 47:04 54. Kohl Lang, Eagle River, AK 47:10 55. Hannah Stepetin, Eagle River, AK 47:43 56. Peja Skinner, Anchorage, AK 47:50 57. Teresa Fallon, Kenai, AK 48:05 58. Ada Burrup, Eagle River, AK 48:11 59. Emma Seavey, Seward, AK 48:11 60. Ruby Davis, Soldotna, AK 48:16 61. Lilly Stewart, Eagle River, AK 48:19 62. Anna Burrup, Eagle River, AK 48:50 63. Casey Bland, Anchorage, AK 48:57 64. Thalia Peter, Homer, AK 49:06 65. Maeli Weaver, Anchorage, AK 49:46 66. Eliza Heimerl, Anchorage, AK 49:54 67. Tui Stanbury, Anchorage, AK 49:55 68. Alana Varys, Wasilla, AK 49:59 69. Lelaina Trembath, JBER, AK 50:25 70. Sienna Glazier, Eagle River, AK 50:38 71. Nonie Mucha, Girdwood, AK 50:43 72. Holly Rogness, Anchorage, AK 51:10 73. Kate Norvell, Seward, AK 51:10 74. Crimson Rose Townsend, Chugiak, AK 51:31 75. Elise Davis, Seward, AK 51:39.

76. Margaret Adams, Anchorage, AK 51:46 77. Emily Anger, Seward, AK 51:47 78. Kylee Newman, Anchorage, AK 52:09 79. Anneliese Holsing, North Pole, AK 52:24 80. Macey Harper, Anchorage, AK 53:02 81. Brianna Bailey, Anchorage, AK 53:15 82. Kinley Best, Anchorage, AK 53:46 83. Adeleine Robson, Eagle River, AK 53:50 84. Zoey Stone, Kenai, AK 53:56 85. Alayna Naylor, Palmer, AK 53:57 86. Bernadette Maixner, Big Lake, AK 54:00 87. Jane Jacko, Anchorage, AK 54:01 88. Jazz Solstice, Anchorage, AK 54:18 89. Ramona Knier, Anchorage, AK 54:21 90. Avery Newell, Eagle River, AK 54:22 91. Claire Shaha, Eagle River, AK 54:31 92. Kyla Palin, Homer, AK 54:55 93. Taylor-Jane Ingalls, Seward, AK 54:58 94. Taylor Pennington, Palmer, AK 55:01 95. Aly Andersen, Anchorage, AK 55:13 96. Abigail Leathers, Anchorage, AK 55:41 97. Arielle Fleming, Seward, AK 55:42 98. Alta Liljemark, Seward, AK 55:54 99. Eden Rinner, Anchorage, AK 55:56.

100. Elsie Conant, Seward, AK 56:11 101. Rosemary Maixner, Big Lake, AK 56:12 102. Molly Sullivan, Moose Pass, AK 56:25 103. Mackenzie Kogl, Valparaiso, IN 56:26 104. Rosie Conway, Anchorage, AK 56:36 105. Ayla Simonson, Silver Bay, MN 57:11 106. Olivia Tidlow-Tranel, Yellowstone Nation, WY 57:23 107. Orla Ulman, Seward, AK 57:33 108. Kendall Humbert, Seward, AK 58:32 109. Cora Seavey, Seward, AK 58:35 110. Locksely Krulish, Anchorage, AK 58:41 111. Charly Harper, Arroyo Grande, CA 59:16 112. Makenna Klingen, Seward, AK 1:00:01 113. Journey Cournoyer, Seward, AK 1:00:06 114. Elsa Bardarson, Seward, AK 1:00:18 115. Harper Willman, Anchorage, AK 1:00:45 116. Brooklyn Klingen, Seward, AK 1:01:01 117. Emery Miotke, Homer, AK 1:01:20 118. Freja Bardarson, Seward, AK 1:01:33 119. Allie Zellmer, Girdwood, AK 1:02:26 120. Amara Ransom, Seward, AK 1:03:21 121. Teigan Hegna, Eagle River, AK 1:03:31 122. Esme Wilder, Seward, AK 1:04:56 123. Aubrey Wilder, Seward, AK 1:09:14 124. Eliana Taylor, Anchorage, AK 1:11:58 125. Audrey Bird, Seward, AK 1:19:05.

126. Rowen Glazier, Eagle River, AK 1:19:36 127. Annabel Uffenbeck, Anchorage, AK 1:19:36 128. Stella Schwartz, Eagle River, AK 1:21:52.

BOYS

1. Vebjorn Flagstad, Anchorage, AK 27:31 2. Blaze Rubeo, Wasilla, AK 28:15 3. Gabe Black, Palmer, AK 28:51 4. Zane Griffis, Anchorage, AK 29:11 5. Raven Spangler, Palmer, AK 29:35 6. Nathan Vanderlugt, Fort Wainwright, AK 29:50 7. Ethan Elliott, Anchorage, AK 29:50 8. Thale Randall, Willow, AK 29:54 9. Theodore Stamoolis, Wasilla, AK 30:09 10. Breyden Nottingham, Eagle River, AK 30:16 11. Aksel Flagstad, Anchorage, AK 30:28 12. Easton Roads, Anchorage, AK 30:46 13. Jaxon Henrie, Anchorage, AK 30:53 14. Elliott Beals, Anchorage, AK 31:43 15. Thijs Lloyd, Ketchum, ID 31:54 16. Elias Williams, Anchorage, AK 31:56 17. Micah King, Bend, OR 31:58 18. Luke Elhard, Seward, AK 32:01 19. Ethan Styvar, Anchorage, AK 32:07 20. Logan Fellman, Juneau, AK 32:36 21. Ole Reese, Anchorage, AK 32:38 22. Kohen Galloway, Eagle River, AK 32:39 23. Ridge Conant, Seward, AK 32:40 24. Alex Casurella, Anchorage, AK 32:55 25. Britton Bethard, Anchorage, AK 33:00.

26. Cody Lloyd, Ketchum, ID 33:02 27. Storm Rubeo, Wasilla, AK 33:42 28. Elijah Lang, Eagle River, AK 33:50 29. Oliver Casurella, Anchorage, AK 33:53 30. Axel Kiskaddon, Anchorage, AK 34:05 31. Austin Murphy, Bird Creek, AK 34:17 32. Banyan Smyth, Willow, AK 34:20 33. Victor Sparrs, Palmer, AK 34:29 34. Ice Rubeo, Wasilla, AK 34:34 35. Tate Skinner, Anchorage, AK 34:55 36. Quinn Humbert, Seward, AK 34:58 37. Micah Brueckner, Seward, AK 35:18 38. Teigan Copp, Palmer, AK 35:21 39. Jake Black, Palmer, AK 35:22 40. Creed Cvancara, Anchorage, AK 35:36 41. Nash Paprocki, Anchorage, AK 35:53 42. Holden Aquino, Anchorage, AK 36:01 43. Van Angel, Anchorage, AK 36:10 44. Merik Rinner, Anchorage, AK 36:11 45. Payden Henrie, Anchorage, AK 36:13 46. Isaac Marvin, Palmer, AK 36:28 47. Fenn Reese, Anchorage, AK 36:32 48. Huck Bushatz, Palmer, AK 36:33 49. Ian Naylor, Palmer, AK 36:33.

50. Aiden Lawson, Eagle River, AK 36:35 51. Nathan Momblow, Eagle River, AK 36:36 52. Patrick McSharry, Anchorage, AK 36:38 53. Jeb Marvin, Palmer, AK 36:38 54. Russell Adams, Anchorage, AK 36:47 55. Walter Holt, Velva, ND 36:48 56. Reyce Lee, Anchorage, AK 37:05 57. Harlow Wilson, Palmer, AK 37:10 58. Vanin Sensabaugh, Palmer, AK 37:16 59. Alexander Green, Anchorage, AK 37:18 60. Lane Petersen, Seward, AK 37:33 61. Logan Williams, Anchorage, AK 37:52 62. Blake Parker, Wasilla, AK 38:04 63. Zion Tichenor, Palmer, AK 38:05 64. Andrew Mehl, Eagle River, AK 38:39 65. Nathen Lawson, Eagle River, AK 38:41 66. Cedar Ruckel, Indian, AK 38:42 67. Olin Liljemark, Seward, AK 38:45 68. Clark Brownson, Anchorage, AK 38:45 69. Kai Reed, Seward, AK 39:00 70. Tyson Ruckel, Indian, AK 39:19 71. Taysom Weaver, Anchorage, AK 39:22 72. Joshua Varland, Palmer, AK 39:27 73. Rhett Jones, Monument, CO 39:28 74. Nash Smedley, Eagle River, AK 39:36 75. Lewis Knier, Anchorage, AK 39:39.

76. Bensen Sensabaugh, Palmer, AK 39:39 77. Jesse Dickson, Palmer, AK 39:59 78. Parker Hadley, Eagle River, AK 40:04 79. Everett Labenski, Seward, AK 40:10 80. Charles Moore, Kasilof, AK 40:15 81. Elias Ryan, Skagway, AK 40:25 82. Atlin Ryan, Seward, AK 40:32 83. Charlie Daugherty, Eagle River, AK 40:58 84. Gus Reimer, Anchorage, AK 41:01 85. Vendelin Maixner, Big Lake, AK 41:30 86. Dane Sieminski, Seward, AK 41:53 87. Landon Hannah, Wasilla, AK 42:19 88. Reed Ruggles, Eagle River, AK 42:21 89. Jack Merrell, Anchorage, AK 42:24 90. Lee Bawtinhimer, Moose Pass, AK 42:32 91. Odin Rydberg, Seward, AK 42:44 92. Zachary Taylor, Anchorage, AK 43:05 93. Nicholas Fleming, Seward, AK 43:25 94. Tucker Whittingham, Anchorage, AK 43:47 95. Micah Strickland, Anchorage, AK 43:49 96. Maxim Macy, Chugiak, AK 44:25 97. Jack Whittingham, Anchorage, AK 45:16 98. Ethan Zogas, Anchorage, AK 45:26 99. Oliver Banse, Seward, AK 45:32 100. Noah Logan, Anchorage, AK 45:42.

101. Kai Finch, Anchorage, AK 46:00 102. James Mauger, Eagle River, AK 46:04 103. Bryson Adkins, Eagle River, AK 46:56 104. Charlie Vachowski, Seward, AK 47:04 105. Silas Pastorek, Anchorage, AK 47:28 106. Kanon Galloway, Eagle River, AK 47:38 107. Nathan Reitmeier, Anchorage, AK 48:08 108. Maxwell Jones, Anchorage, AK 48:21 109. Kelton Reed, Seward, AK 48:22 110. Matthew Moore, Kasilof, AK 48:25 111. Leif Laker, Kasilof, AK 48:31 112. Moxey Stone, Anchorage, AK 48:36 113. Legend Kopsack, Palmer, AK 48:42 114. Miles Hadley, Eagle River, AK 48:56 115. Julian Salao, Anchorage, AK 49:16 116. Tell Madosik, Seward, AK 49:20 117. Thorsten Simpson, Seward, AK 49:54 118. Leo Wood, Anchorage, AK 50:16 119. Cason Thrall, Seward, AK 50:25 120. Lucas Craytor, Seward, AK 50:56 121. Colton Hegna Bailie, Eagle River, AK 51:01 122. Bjorn Bardarson, Seward, AK 51:20 123. Jude Ingalls, Seward, AK 52:33 124. Brandton Boulden, Seward, AK 53:21 125. Nicholas Petrosius, Seward, AK 53:30.

126. Hudson Hegna, Eagle River, AK 53:39 127. River Jackson, Seward, AK 54:07 128. Matthew Mayer, Anchorage, AK 54:46 129. Alex Burrill, Eagle River, AK 55:19 130. Austin Mehl, Eagle River, AK 55:28 131. Titus Bird, Seward, AK 55:34 132. Titus Sullivan, Moose Pass, AK 56:05 133. Dean Baldridge, Wasilla, AK 57:05 134. Finn Bird, Seward, AK 57:29 135. Easton Hadley, Eagle River, AK 58:53 136. Shiloh Schulman, Anchorage, AK 58:54 137. Leif Stanbury, Anchorage, AK 59:48 138. Sage Hegna, Eagle River, AK 1:05:12 139. Adam Mehl, Eagle River, AK 1:11:39 140. Liam Stark, Seward, AK 1:17:06.