Skiers returned to Kincaid Park on Friday for the second day of the state Nordic ski meet. While Thursday was marked by blustery winds and an interval start classic race, skiers Friday enjoyed more pleasant weather and a mass start for the freestyle races.
Soldotna’s Tania Boonstra again led the Kenai Peninsula girls with a 15th place finish in the girls 7.5-kilometer mass start freestyle at 21 minutes, 26.9 seconds. Boonstra hit the finish chute around 1 minute and 40 seconds after first place finishing Olivia Soderstrom, of Service High School. Joining Boonstra in the top 20 was teammate Ariana Cannava, who secured the 19th slot with a time of 21:42.7.
For Division II, which includes Homer, Kenai, Seward and Valdez, the top three girls were Kenai’s Emily Moss and Homer’s Daisy Walker and Eryn Field, who finished at 22nd, 45th and 46th overall, respectively. The three filled the same top three Division II finishes in Thursday’s race.
“The same exact result,” Goodrich said of the top three Division II finishes. “They had a great day,”
On the boys side, Kenai Central’s Jack Laker delivered the top peninsula finish and the top Division II finish with a time of 26:37.8, good for 22nd place overall. Filling out the Division II top three were Homer’s Garrett Briscoe and Ethan Styvar, who came in at 26th and 31st.
Laker’s finish came around two minutes after top overall finisher Hatcher Menkens, of West High School.
Briscoe, who claimed the top spot in the division on Thursday, came in fewer than 30 seconds behind Laker.
Goodrich said the Homer boys worked hard, but underestimated Laker, and that the Kenai skier, who won last year’s Division II race, wanted the win more.
When it comes to combined team times, which are used to assign titles to the state champions and the Division II leaders, the Homer boys lead their division, as well as the Kenai Peninsula, going into the final day of competition at the eight position. Over on the girls side, Soldotna leads the Peninsula in the eight slot, followed by Kenai at 10th and and at the top of Division II.
With only one day of skiing left ahead of them, Goodrich said the Mariners are feeling good, and enjoying the opportunity to ski on an unfamiliar course.
Kincaid Park, far north of the courses in Homer that the Mariners are used to, is “very firm,” Goodrich said. That requires an approach they aren’t used to.
“You ski that a little different,” she said.
Clear skies are forecast for Saturday, the final day of competition, featuring mixed technique relays. Goodrich said that would make it easier for the teams to get out and support one another. In Thursday’s wind, she said everyone was just rushing to get back inside.
ASAA State Ski Championships at Kincaid Park
Friday
Team Times
Girls
1. West, 2 hours, 42 minutes and 22.4 seconds; 2. Service, 2:46:00.2; 3. East, 2:50:28.4; 4. Dimond, 2:51:22.2; 5. South, 2:52:42.8; 6. West Valley, 2:54:02.6; 7. Colony, 3:03:02.2; 8. Soldotna, 3:08:47.1; 9. Chugiak, 3:09:50.5; 10. Kenai, 3:21:55.5; 11. Eagle River, 3:23:22.7; 12. Palmer, 3:28:38.8; 13. Bartlett, 3:32:53.3; 14. Homer, 3:34:27.5; 15. Lathrop, 3:43:23.4; 16. North Pole, 5:19:52.9
Seward, Grace Christian, Valdez, Monroe Catholic, Glennallen and Sleetmute were incomplete.
Boys
1. West, 3:14:23.1; 2. Service, 3:16:16.4; 3. South, 3:25:25.3; 4. Colony, 3:28:14.7; 5. West Valley, 3:31:12.3; 6. East, 3:34:13.7; 7. Dimond, 3:36:29.7; 8. Homer, 3:40:52.9; 9. Eagle River, 3:47:42.8; 10. Palmer, 3:51:42.0; 11. Soldotna, 3:51:51.7; 12. Chugiak, 3:51:53.3; 13. Kenai, 4:00:31.7; 14. Grace Christian, 4:14:12.6; 15. Lathrop, 4:24:59.3; 16. Valdez, 4:42:11.9; 17. Bartlett, 4:45:20.0; 18. North Pole, 5:19:45.2
Seward, Hutchison, Monroe Catholic and Glennallen were incomplete.
Peninsula Results
Girls 7.5-kilometer mass start freestyle
15. Tania Boonstra, Soldotna 21:26.6; 19. Ariana Cannava, Sol 21:42.7; 22. Emily Moss, Kenai 21:45.5; 45. Daisy Walker, Homer 24:03.0; 46. Eryn Field, Hom 24:13.8; 48. Leanne Gordon, Sol 25:02.7; 55. Madison McDonald, Ken 25:17.4; 60. Mya Taylor, Ken 26:17.7; 64. Avery Ciufo, Sol 26:29.7; 65. Kathryn Van Buskirk, Seward 26:53.6; 67. Lynnea Hack, Ken 27:07.8; 73. Danika Winslow, Sol 27:38.5; 74. Aly Guernsey, Sew 27:52.3; 75. Xinlan Tanner, Ken 28:07.9; 82. Beatrix McDonough, Hom 28:58.8; 85. McKenna Black, Hom 29:19.6; 87. Audrey McDonald, Ken 29:44.3; 88. Leah Dunn, Hom 29:46.6
Boys 10-kilometer mass start freestyle
22. Jack Laker, Ken 26:37.8; 26. Garrett Briscoe, Hom 27:05.6; 31. Ethan Styvar, Hom 27:41.8; 39. Jody Goodrich, Hom 28:30.5; 40. Andrew Cox, Sol 28:34.4; 47. Jonathan Gordon, Sol 29:05.1; 49. Zane Tews, Ken 29:19.6; 51. Levi Mickelson, Sol 29:22.7; 62. Bennjamin Abel, Sol 30:07.4; 63. Johannes Bynagle, Hom 30:11.3; 64. Carter Cannava, Sol 30:14.8; 65. Michael Davidson, 30:16.5; 68. Seamus McDonough, Hom 30:40.5; 72. Leif Jaworski, Hom 31:06.6; 74. Owen Smith, Ken 31:44.1; 75. Trevor Guernsey, Sew 31:44.8; 82. Logan Cartwright, Ken 33:00.7; 84. Robert Carson, Ken 33:36.0; 86. Oliver Trobaugh, Sew 34:03.3
