This weekend Homer’s Nordic ski team hosted Colony, Soldotna, Kenai, Palmer, Seward and Grace Christian for the Region III cross-country ski meet at Lookout Mountain just outside of Homer.
Soldotna junior Tania Boonstra earned girls Skimeister for the third year in a row with a two-day total of 36 minutes, 23 seconds.
It was a close win. Colony’s Elliot Sensabaugh finished second at 36:28.
Colony’s Gabriel Black earned Skimeister for the boys with an overall time of 29:56, closely followed by Colony’s Coby Marvin at 30:00. Marvin had won Skimeister last season.
As a team, Colony won first place overall for both boys and girls with combined times of 2:06:10 for the boys and 2:37:02 for the girls.
The Homer boys were second overall at 2:18:33, and first for Division II teams. The Soldotna boys were third at 2:19:31, while the Kenai boys were fourth at 2:24:55.
The SoHi girls came up just short of defending their region crown, finishing second at 2:37:22.
Homer was fourth, and tops in Division II, at 3:01:29, while Kenai was fifth at 3:06:31.
Friday, skiers did a 5-kilometer classic race in the interval start format.
Black won at 13:59, with Marvin second at 14:12 and Colony’s Raven Spangler third at 14:34.
Kenai’s Chase Laker was fourth, while Homer put two in the top 10 with Jody Goodrich at fifth and Johannes Bynagle at ninth.
For Soldotna, Ollie Dahl was sixth, Michael Davidson was seventh and Parker Richards was 10th.
Oliver Trobaugh led the way for Seward in 40th.
Boonstra took the Friday victory at 17:14, while Sensabaugh was second at 17:21 and Colony’s Isela Austin was third at 17:29.
The Stars also had Kathryn Cox in fourth and Ariana Cannava in fifth.
Kenai’s Isla Crouse also cracked the top 10 by finishing eighth.
Homer’s top finisher was Cassidy Carroll in 13th, while Indigo Leslie was 20th for Seward.
Saturday, the technique was freestyle and the format was a 7.5K mass start.
Sensabaugh skied 19:07 to nip Boonstra by a second, by that was not enough to win the Skimeister. Austin was third at 19:27.
Cannava was fourth for SoHi, while Cox was fifth. Homer’s Myra Kalafut was 10th.
Ruby Davis led Kenai at 12th, while Leslie was 13th.
Marvin won the boys race at 15:49, but Black was second at 15:57 to hang on to the Skimeister. Spangler was third at 16:16.
Laker was fourth for Kenai, while Fletcher Darr was 10th.
SoHi also had two in the top 10 with Dahl at seventh and Richards at eighth.
For Homer, Goodrich was fifth, Bynagle was sixth and Rockwell Bates was ninth.
For Seward, Philip Trobaugh was 37th.
Jeff Helminiak contributed to this report.
Region III skiing championships
Friday, Saturday at Lookout Mountain
BOYS
Two-day team times: 1. Colony, 2 hours, 6 minutes, 10 seconds. 2. Homer, 2:18:33. 3. Soldotna, 2:19:31. 4. Kenai, 2:24:55. 5. Palmer, 2:34:06. 6. Grace, 2:34:40.
Two-day top 5 individual (Skimeister): 1. Gabriel Black, Col, 29:56. 2. Coby Marvin, Col, 30:00. 3. Raven Spangler, Col, 30:50. 4. Chase Laker, Ken, 31:28. 5. Jody Goodrich, Hom, 32:52.
GIRLS
Two-day team times: 1. Colony, 2:37:02. 2. Soldotna, 2:37:22. 3. Palmer, 2:51:18. 4. Homer, 3:01:29. 5. Kenai, 3:06:31. 6. Grace, 3:17:12.
Two-day top 5 individual (Skimeister): 1. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 36:23. 2. Elliot Sensabaugh, Col, 36:28. 3. Isela Austin, Col, 36:56. 4. Ariana Cannava, Sol, 37:59. 5. Kathryn Cox, Sol, 38:06.
Friday’s 5K interval start classic
BOYS
1. Gabriel Black, Col, 13:59; 2. Coby Marvin, Col, 14:12; 3. Raven Spangler, Col, 14:34; 4. Chase Laker, Ken, 14:56; 5. Jody Goodrich, Hom, 15:21; 6. Ollie Dahl, Sol, 15:59; 7. Michael Davidson, Sol, 16:06; 8. Teigan Copp, Pal, 16:20; 9. Johannes Bynagle, Hom, 16:30; 10. Parker Richards, Sol, 16:34; 11. Chandon Lutz, Col, 16:40; 12. Rockwell Bates, Hom, 16:46; 13. Noble Cassidy, Sol, 16:48; 14. Levi Strong, Ken, 17:08; 15. Fletcher Darr, Ken, 17:20; 16. Easton Markewich, Pal, 17:33; 17. Charlie Rustand, Hom, 17:36; 18. Grant Eldridge, Gra, 17:41; 19. Easton Roads, Gra, 17:46; 20. Leif Jaworski, Hom, 17:46; 21. Tait Ostrom, Hom, 17:52; 22. Trygve Thompson, Col, 17:56; 23. Oliver Parker, Pal, 18:07; 24. Colton Merriner, Gra, 18:10; 25. Jebediah Marvin, Col, 18:27.
26. Daniel Christ, Hom, 18:43; 27. Tracker Keller, Sol, 19:10; 28. Jacob Ries, Sol, 19:42; 29. Connor Gustafson, Pal, 19:51; 30. Elijah Pancoast, Ken, 19:58; 31. Finn Adams, Pal, 20:02; 32. Silvan Krieg, Ken, 20:02; 33. Jameson Hall, Sol, 20:13; 34. Xander Markewich, Pal, 20:24; 35. Caleb Miller, Gra, 20:47; 36. Olliver Boersma, Ken, 20:58; 37. Charles Thiede, Pal, 21:13; 38. Andrew Zingone, Gra, 21:16; 39. Isaac Verbrugge, Gra, 21:53; 40. Oliver Trobaugh, Sew, 21:57; 41. Philip Trobaugh, Sew, 21:59; 42. Cooper Martin, Gra, 22:02; 43. Marty Fink, Sew, 24:28.
GIRLS
1. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 17:14; 2. Elliot Sensabaugh, Col, 17:21; 3. Isela Austin, Col, 17:29; 4. Kathryn Cox, Sol, 17:50; 5. Ariana Cannava, Sol, 17:51; 6. Amelia Parker, Pal, 18:35; 7. Kyndle LaRousse, Pal, 19:01; 8. Isla Crouse, Ken, 19:30; 9. Adriana Ramirez, Col, 19:45; 10. Breeze Buchanan, Col, 20:11; 11. Ava Moore Smyth, Pal, 20:36; 12. Inga Smith, Sol, 20:45; 13. Cassidy Carroll, Hom, 21:04; 14. Teresa Fallon, Ken, 21:11; 15. Ruby Davis, Ken, 21:22; 16. Leanna Gordon, Sol, 21:26; 17. Luci Wright, Col, 21:27; 18. Alder Deal, Pal, 21:53; 19. Myra Kalafut, Hom, 21:59; 20. Indigo Leslie, Sew, 22:16; 21. Jaela Marchbanks, Hom, 22:22; 22. Katie Everett, Pal, 22:38; 23. Etta Bynagle, Hom, 22:46; 24. Sydney Mondeel, Gra, 22:54; 25. Adelaid Bell, Gra, 23:01.
26. McKenna Black, Hom, 23:26; 27. Sophie Adams, Pal, 23:30; 28. Avery Reger, Gra, 23:41; 29. Kylie Smith, Sol, 23:59; 30. Emily Taylor, Ken, 24:06; 31. Hannah Klima, Hom, 24:13; 32. Cate Merriner, Gra, 24:30; 33. Katie Van Buskirk, Sew, 24:46; 34. Chelsea Eldridge, Gra, 25:05; 35. Shayla Smith, Sol, 25:41; 36. Katherine Bruce, Pal, 25:46; 37. Abigail Bishop, Ken, 26:02; 38. Gracie Russell, Sew, 28:40; 39. Zara Chang, Gra, 29:22; 40. Olivia Tews, Ken, 29:31; 41. Aubrey Buck, Gra, 35:27.
Saturday’s 7.5K mass start freestyle
1. C. Marvin, 15:49; 2. G. Black, 15:57; 3. Spangler, 16:16; 4. Laker, 16:32; 5. Goodrich, 17:31; 6. Bynagle, 17:53; 7. Dahl, 17:56; 8. Richards, 18:14; 9. Bates, 18:15; 10. Darr, 18:15; 11. Davidson, 18:23; 12. Ostrom, 18:42; 13. J. Black, 18:43; 14. Jaworski, 18:46; 15. Rustand, 18:47; 16. Lutz, 18:52; 17. Roads, 18:53; 18. Merriner, 19:15; 19. Copp, 19:15; 20. Thompson, 19:19; 21. Strong, 19:21; 22. J. Marvin, 19:29; 23. Cassidy, 19:32; 24. Eldridge, 19:36; 25. Parker, 19:38.
26. Christ, 19:43; 27. E. Markewich, 21:03; 28. Krieg, 21:24; 29. Keller, 21:25; 30. Pancoast, 21:58; 31. Gustafson, 22:19; 32. O. Trobaugh, 22:22; 33. Ries, 22:29; 34. Boersma, 22:31; 35. Verbrugge, 22:32; 36. Adams, 22:54; 37. P. Trobaugh, 23:06; 38. Hall, 23:08; 39. Thiede, 23:26; 40. Martin, 23:30; 41. Miller, 23:42; 42. Zingone, 23:48; 43. X. Markewich, 24:13; 44. Fink, 25:53.
GIRLS
1. Sensabaugh, 19:07; 2. Boonstra, 19:08; 3. Austin, 19:27; 4. Cannava, 20:08; 5. Cox, 20:16; 6. LaRousse, 20:16; 7. Parker, 20:39; 8. Buchanan, 21:33; 9. Ramirez, 22:09; 10. Kalafut, 22:20; 11. Carroll, 22:36; 12. Davis, 22:39; 13. Leslie, 22:49; 14. Wright, 22:52; 15. Fallon, 23:49; 16. Bynagle, 24:00; 17. I. Smith, 24:10; 18. Klima, 24:23; 19. Gordon, 24:25; 20. Mondeel, 24:28; 21. Bell, 24:29; 22. K. Smith, 24:54; 23. Black, 24:55; 24. Van Buskirk, 24:56; 25. Marchbanks, 24:58.
26. Moore Smyth, 25:06; 27. Everett, 25:13; 28. Merriner, 25:54; 29. Deal, 25:57; 30. S. Smith, 26:49; 31. Crouse, 26:51; 32. Taylor, 27:02; 33. Adams, 27:51; 34. Reger, 28:16; 35. Eldridge, 28:39; 36. Tews, 29:04; 37. Russell, 30:46; 38. Bishop, 31:09; 39. Bruce, 31:31; 40. Chang, 33:09; 41. Buck, 39:16.
Varsity boys trek up the first hill at the Lookout Mountain Cross Country Ski Trails after starting their race on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer’s Cassidy Carroll skates on a beautiful, bluebird day at the Lookout Mountain XCS Trails on Ohlson Mountain. Carroll earned an 11th-place finish in the freestyle and 14th place in the classic skate over the weekend. (Photo courtesy of Jessie Goodrich)
Soldotna’s Tania Boonstra and Colony’s Elliot Sensabaugh collapse in exhaustion and adrenaline at the finish line on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. The girls placed 1st and 2nd overall for the weekend, with Boonstra winning the title of girl’s Skimeister with an overall time 5 seconds faster than Sensabaugh. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Family members, coaches, and friends cheer on the Varsity girls as they race up a hill on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 at the Lookout Mountain XCS Trails. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer’s Jody Goodrich skates towards his 5th place overall finish on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 at the Lookout Mountain XCS Trails on Ohlson Mountain. (Photo courtesy of Jessie Goodrich)
