Hopkins, Annett capture Ted McKenney Invite

Colony junior Ella Hopkins and Grace Christian junior Robbie Annett won the individual titles Saturday at the Ted McKenney XC Invitational at the sun-splashed and warm Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna.

Hopkins finished the five-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 34 seconds, while Annett was at 16:06 on a day Chugiak swept the girls and boys team titles.

The event, which had 728 finishers in the open and varsity races, traditionally serves as the grand kickoff to the Alaska prep cross-country season, drawing most of the state’s big schools except for those in the Fairbanks area.

The race went by Skyview Invitational and then Tsalteshi Invitational before being renamed in 2021 for McKenney, the former Soldotna and Cook Inlet Academy cross-country coach who formed bonds with runners from around the state before dying at 64 in 2020 due to brain cancer.

Hopkins, who was 10th in the Division I race last year at state, surprised herself by taking a lead early in the race and sustaining it to the finish line. Soldotna sophomore Tania Boonstra was second at 19:41.

“I just run with the girls I’m comfortable with and who are really good runners,” Hopkins said. “When I felt like I could make a move, I did. But they were still right there, pushing me.”

Hopkins said she didn’t have a lot of expectations going into the race because she spends the summers commercial fishing, running on the beach when she could.

“I was just hoping to get sub 20,” she said. “I was trusting in God and his strength, and whatever the outcome was going to be, it was going to be.

“I really wasn’t expecting a top place. I was just expecting to run hard.”

Boonstra, who was fifth at the Division I state meet last season, was coming off a summer in which she won the girls junior title at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4 in Seward.

“Second is amazing,” she said. “I’m super happy with that. Coming in, I was like top 10 would be great.”

Boonstra said she is looking forward to competing with Hopkins this season, as both are in the same region.

“She’s really strong the whole race, but I don’t think I could beat her in the sprint,” Boonstra said. “I’d have to go earlier in the race.”

Hopkins led the Knights as they claimed three of the top four spots in the race. However, Chugiak put its five scoring runners in the top 12 to win with 38 points, while the Knights were next with 71.

“I’m super excited because we have a lot of incoming freshmen and a lot of strong runners from last year,” Hopkins said.

The Stars finished fifth, while Kenai Central was 14th.

Homer junior Daisy MossWalker also snared a top-20 finish for the Kenai Peninsula by taking 17th in 20:59.

After taking some time off from training this summer due to injury issues, MossWalker said her goal Saturday was to have some fun on a hilly, nature-packed course that she adores.

“Sometimes, I think the best thing to do is to go out and have fun with it,” she said. “I think sometimes people get a little bit into putting a lot of pressure on themselves.

“Some pressure is good, but you really just want to have fun because every race I’ve tried to have a good time and go with the flow, I’ve had way better races.”

Annett led an impressive showing by Division II runners, who took three of the top four spots. Fellow Grace sophomore Simon Nelson was second at 16:16, while Kenai Central senior Greg Fallon was fourth in 16:28.

Palmer’s Fischer Adams, a Division I runner, was third in 16:22.

“I think it’s mentality,” Annett said of the showing by the smaller schools. “I think that we just want it more at the end of the day. We’re from smaller schools, so we’ve got to prove ourselves.”

Annett also credited mentality for his victory. He was third in the Division II state cross-country meet last season, but then beat stacked fields in both the 800 and 1,600 meters at the Division II state track and field meet. Annett said he defeated runners he’d never defeated before in those races.

So Annett had the confidence to separate from the lead pack of four with about a kilometer left Saturday.

“I kept my training pretty similar to what I had done the summer before,” Annett said. “I think it was just confidence that came into place.”

Fallon, who was sixth at Division II state last season, was able to stick with the leaders for half of the race.

“After halfway, they started pulling away,” he said. “I started feeling it. I feel like I’ll come back. I’ll try to stick with them longer next time.”

Fallon put in a solid summer of training because he said he wants to redeem himself after disappointing performances at state cross-country and track last season.

By running 16:28 so early on a tough course like Tsalteshi, Fallon said he’s happy with where he is at. Both Annett and Nelson are in the same division and region as Fallon.

“It’ll be fun,” Fallon said. “We’ll push each other.”

Chugiak won the boys team title with 108 points, while South was next with 116. Homer led the peninsula at 11th, while Soldotna was 14th and Kenai was 15th.

Ted McKenney XC Invitational

Saturday at Tsalteshi Trails

GIRLS

Team scores: 1. Chugiak, 38; 2. Colony, 71; 3. South, 87; 4. East, 133; 5. Soldotna, 141; 6. Dimond, 149; 7. West, 205; 8. Eagle River, 247; 9. Grace Christian, 285; 10. Service, 285; 11. Wasilla, 312; 12. Palmer, 348; 13. Redington, 392; 14. Kenai, 402; 15. Bethel, 429; 16. Thunder Mountain, 436.

Top 10 individual five-kilometer finishers

1. Ella Hopkins, Col, 19 minutes, 34 seconds; 2. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 19:41; 3. Morgan Ainsworth, Col, 19:53; 4. Aubrey Virgin, Col, 20:03; 5. Skyler Belmear, Chu, 20:09; 6. Alliyah Fields, Chu, 20:09; 7. Hannah Shaha, Chu, 20:11; 8. Hannah Bodkin, Chu, 20:16; 9. Hailee Giacobbe, Was, 20:17; 10. Rosie Conway, Eas, 20:19.

Other Kenai Peninsula finishers

17. Daisy MossWalker, Hom, 20:59; 29. Kathryn DeBardelaben, Sol, 21:39; 39. Sophia Jedlicki, Sol, 22:00; 41. Annie Burns, Sol, 22:01; 54. Sasha Brott, Sol, 22:31; 56. Adelyn McCorison, Ninilchik, 22:38; 64. Claira Booz, Hom, 22:59; 65. Kaytlin McAnelly, Sol, 23:01; 72. Katie Van Buskirk, Sew, 23:19; 76. Shelby Burman, Nikiski, 23:23; 77. Juniper Ingalls, Sew, 23:25; 80. Kathryn Cox, Sol, 23:31; 82. Valarie McAnelly, Sol, 23:35; 85. Stella Dow, Sew, 23:44; 87. Emily Moss, Ken, 23:49; 91. Bea McDonough, Hom, 23:55; 92. Delanie Wagers, Sol, 24:00; 99. Teresa Fallon, Ken, 24:12; 100. Ruby Davis, Ken, 24:12; 101. Kylie Dickson, Sol, 24:23; 128. Dianna Wright, Ken, 27:08; 135. Maddie Haas, Sew, 27:44; 137. Lucia Carson, Ken, 27:53; 143. Mya Taylor, Ken, 28:46; 147. Cassidy Carroll, Hom, 30:07; 149. Fox Coyle, Ken, 30:21.

BOYS

Team scores: 1. Chugiak, 108; 2. South, 116; 3. West, 129; 4. Kodiak, 135; 5. Colony, 139; 6. Grace Christian, 155; 7. Service, 176; 8. Dimond, 180; 9. Wasilla, 254; 10. East, 302; 11. Homer, 326; 12. Thunder Mountain, 331; 13. Bethel, 356; 14. Soldotna, 365; 15. Kenai, 380; 16. Eagle River, 417; 17. Nome-Beltz, 423; 18. Cordova, 565; 19. Redington, 572.

Top 10 individual five-kilometer finishers

1. Robbie Annett, Gra, 16:06; 2. Simon Nelson, Gra, 16:16; 3. Fischer Adams, Pal, 16:22; 4. Greg Fallon, Ken, 16:28; 5. Blaise Boyer, Sou, 16:45; 6. Elias Litzow, Kod, 16:53; 7. Blake Hanley, Wes, 16:57; 8. Dylan Soberay, Wes, 17:06; 9. Colton Merriner, Gra, 17:07; 10. Jarrett Jackson, Dim, 17:09.

Other peninsula finishers

50. Ethan Styvar, Hom, 18:20; 64. Ellis Lorentz, Hom, 18:42; 67. Jai Badajos, Hom, 18:46; 71. Noble Cassidy, Sol, 18:50; 73. Jack Laker, Ken, 18:52; 78. Caleb Bunker, Hom, 19:02; 80. Elijah Jedlicki, Sol, 19:02; 81. James Innes, Sol, 19:02; 84. Isaiah Dickson, Sol, 19:07; 85. Finnley Loop, Sol, 19:07; 87. Tom Schwartz, Sol, 19:14; 95. Tait Ostrom, Hom, 19:27; 101. Levi Mickelson, Sol, 19:34; 107. Lukas Renner, Hom, 19:48; 108. Chase Laker, Ken, 19:49; 115. Zane Tews, Ken, 20:14; 117. Wesley Johnson, Sol, 20:19; 129. JJ Abel, Sol, 20:44; 132. Landon Tinsley, Hom, 20:58; 138. Parker Richards, Sol, 21:31; 143. Logan Cartwright, Ken, 22:09; 146. Robert Carson, Ken, 22:39; 148. Joel Moss, Ken, 22:42; 149. Elliot Hanson, Ken, 22:54; 150. William Roberts, Ken, 23:08.