The Kenai Central girls and Soldotna boys cross-country skiing teams swept the Region III ski championships Friday and Saturday in Valdez.
The Kardinals defended their title with a two-day time of 2 hours, 59 minutes, 20 seconds, with runner-up Colony finishing almost 10 minutes behind. The effort was led by sophomores Riana Boonstra and Addison Gibson, who finished first and second in the Skimeister standings, respectively.
“That was really fun,” Kenai head coach Brad Nyquist said. “Addison and Riana traded off both days. It was exciting to see them push each other.”
The Soldotna boys had a team time of 2:45:54 to defeat runner-up Colony by almost two minutes. Grace’s Trent Fritzel was the Skimeister on the boys side.
“We’re ecstatic about the result,” Soldotna coach Dan Harbison said. “I think everything came together perfectly.
“The guys, they’ve been working hard together all season, they like each other and they came in with focus. We got all the waxes correct, and they were able to take that and put it all together.”
On the first day, the girls did a 6.5-kilometer freestyle. Boonstra won at 20:01, while Gibson was second at 20:24. The Kards also took a team lead of over four minutes on Colony due to the effort.
Saturday, Gibson won the 6.5K classic race in 22:57, while Boonstra was right behind at 23:03. Nyquist said Katie Cooper and Mikaela Salzetti came up big. Cooper was ninth Friday and eighth Saturday, while Salzetti was 11th Friday and 10th Saturday.
“Katie Cooper crushed it today,” Nyquist said. “She had a really good race, and so did Mikaela.”
Due to low-snow winters, central Kenai Peninsula skiers haven’t gotten a lot of time in classical tracks on hills, but that didn’t stop the skiers from a good meet.
“We try and do as much as we can in workouts to double-pole so they have that strength, but it’s hard to imitate that technique unless you are doing the activity,” Nyquist said.
Nyquist said the skiers’ passion for the sport was shown by all the opportunities they took to ski the scenic, snowy trails to cool down after the races and when the competition was over.
The Soldotna girls were led by Hannah Pothast, who was sixth Friday and third Saturday, while Kellie Arthur was 10th Friday and 12th Saturday. For Seward, Ruby Lindquist was 8th on Friday and sixth on Saturday.
The Stars boys did not have a skier in the top four in the Skimeister standings, but depth carried the day. John-Mark Pothast was third Friday and seventh Saturday, Levi Michael was seventh Friday and fifth Saturday, Koby Vinson was eighth Friday and ninth Saturday, and Jeremy Kupferschmid was ninth Friday and 10th Saturday.
“I think all of our boys had great races,” Harbison said. “And we had some insurance in Addison Downing and even Josh Shuler.”
Kenai sophomore Karl Danielson led the peninsula boys in the Skimeister standings by taking fourth.
“Valdez was an outstanding host,” Harbison said. “They put on a great meet here.”
Region III Championships
Friday and Saturday, Valdez
BOYS
Final team standings (two-day combined): 1. Soldotna 2 hours, 45 minutes, 54 seconds; 2. Colony 2:47:36; 3. Grace Christian 2:49:29; 4. Kenai 2:59:42; 5. Homer 3:36:11.
8K classic team standings: 1. Soldotna 1:34:08; 2. Colony 1:35:23; 3. Grace Christian 1:36:48; 4. Kenai 1:43:43; 5. Palmer 1:46:55; 6. Homer 1:49:01.
6.5K freestyle team standings: 1. Soldotna 1:11:46; 2. Colony 1:12:13; 3. Grace Christian 1:12:41; 4. Kenai 1:15:59; 5. Homer 1:18:38.
Friday 6.5K freestyle: 1. T. Fritzel, Gra 17:09; 2. T. Knopp, Col 17:16; 3. J. Pothast, Sol 17:24; 4. D. Knopp, Col 17:26; 5. K. Danielson, Ken 17:44; 6. L. Fritzel, Gra 17:56.4; 7. L. Michael, Sol 17:56.9; 8. K. Vinson, Sol 17:58; 9. J. Kupferschmid, Sol 18:25; 10. D. Peterson-Thompson, Col 18:29; 11. J. Cosgrove, Gra 18:30 12. J Davis, Hom 19:00; 13. T. Farring, Col 19:01; 14. A. Johnson, Gra 19:05; 15. J. Butler, Ken 19:09; 16. J. Roach, Gra 19:12; 17. A. Downing, Sol 19:20; 18. J. Houston, Pal 19:21; 19. P. Michels, Ken 19:24; 20. J. Shuler, Sol 19:31; 21. T. Schulz, Hom 19:31; 22. E. Ickes, Was 19:35; 23. L. Floyd, Ken 19:40; 24. T. Mumford, Gra 19:49; 25. C. Rauch, Hom 19:56; 26. H. Parks, Hom 20:09; 27. B. Grover, Col 20:18; 28. E. Kempf, Ken 20:24; 29. B. Swalling, Pal 20:33; 30. N. Kristich, Col 20:53; 31. T. Debnam, Ken 20:57; 32. Q. Alward, Hom 20:59;; 33. J. Sparks, Sol 21:25; 33. M. Chapman, Col 21:25; 35. M. Singh, Pal 21:29; 36. A. Gannon, Gra 21:32; 37. M. Torkelson, Ken 21:46; 38. A. Estes, Sew 22:13; 39. J. Wisner, Hom 22:48; 40. L. Smith, Sew 23:21; 41. S. Relay, Val 24:06; 42. E. Super, Hom 24:12.
Satuday 8K Classic: 1. D. Knopp, Col 22:24; 2. T. Knopp, 22:34; 3. T. Fritzel, Gra 22:38; 4. K. Danielson, Ken 22:43; 5. L. Micheal, Sol 22:44; 6. J. Alverts, Pal 22:47; 7. J. Pothast, Sol 22:56; 8. L. Fritzel, Gra 23:54; 9. K. Vinson, Sol 24:05; 10. J. Kupferschmid, Sol 24:22; 11. D. Peterson-Thompson, Col 24:42; 12. J. Cosgrove, Gra 24:54; 13. A. Downing, Sol 25:13; 14. T. Mumford, Gra 25:21; 15. A. Johnson, Gra 25:23; 16. E. Ickes, Was 25:24; 17. J. Butler, Ken 25:26; 18. T. Farring, Col 25:42; 19. B. Grover, Col 26:35; 20. H. Parks, Hom 26:36; 21. J. Davis, Hom 26:44; 22. C. Rauch, Hom 26:46; 23. P. Michels, Ken 27:01; 24. B. Swalling, Pal 27:09; 25. J. Roach, Gra 27:22; 26. N. Kristich, Col 27:46; 27. J. Houston, Pal 27:55; 28. J. Shuler, Sol 27:56; 29. L. Floyd, Ken 28:31; 30. A. Gannon, Gra 28:36; 31. M. Torkelson, Ken 28:38; 32. T. Schulz, Hom 28:54; 33. E. Kempf, Ken 29:01; 34. M. Singh, Pal 29:03; 35. T. Debnam, Ken 29:05; 36. M. Chapman, Col 29:17; 37. Q. Alward, Hom 29:21; 38. J. Wisner, Hom 29:23; 39. L. Smith, Sew 30:51; 40. A. Estes, Sew 31:41; 41. J. Sparks, Sol 31:47; 42. S. Relay, Val 32:40; 43. E. Super, Hom 35:19.
GIRLS
Final team standings (two-day combined): 1. Kenai 2:59:20; 2. Colony 3:09:01; 3. Palmer 3:09:18; 4. Soldotna 3:18:03; 5. Homer 3:18:40.
6.5K classic team standings: 1. Kenai 1:35:27; 2. Colony 1:40:32; 3. Palmer 1:41:21; 4. Soldotna 1:46:42; 5. Homer 1:47:10.
6.5K freestyle team standings: 1. Kenai 1:23:53; 2. Palmer 1:27:57; 3. Colony 1:28:29; 4. Soldotna 1:31:21; 5. Homer 1:31:30.
Friday 6.5K freestyle: 1. R. Boonstra, Ken 20:01; 2. A. Gibson, Ken 20:24; 3. J. Block, Col 20:47; 4. R. Berrigan, Pal 20:54; 5. R. Woodings, Pal 20:58; 6. H. Pothast, Sol 21:01; 7. R. Norris, Val 21:15; 8. R. Lindquist, Sew 21:28; 9. K. Cooper, Ken 21:36; 10. K. Arthur, Sol 21:48; 11. M. Salzetti, Ken 21:50; 12. L. Olsen, Col 21:52; 13. C. Powers, Col 22:00; 14. R. Ellert, Hom 22:14; 15. S. Wolf, Hom 22:47; 16. A. Taylor, Pal 22:56; 17. E. Bingham, Pal 23:07; 18. K. Holmes, Hom 23:12; 19. A. Beveridge, Gra 23:15; 20. I. Bergholtz, Ken 23:17.1; 21. M. Vantrease, Hom 23:17.2; 22. C. Demintieff, Gra 23:22; 23. S. Lindquist, Sew 23.26; 24. K. Davis, Hom 23:33; 25. M. Alexson, Hom 23:34; 26. S. Feige, Pal 23:37; 27. A. Kopsack, Col 23:48; 28. L. Floyd, Ken 23:53; 29. M. Lundin, Pal 23:56; 30. A. Baxter, Pal 23:56; 31. I. Block, Col 23:57; 32. J. Jenkins, Col 23:58; 33. M. Chythlook, Sol 24:10; 34. H. Delker, Sol 24:21; 35. B. Bennett, Sol 24:23; 36. M. Salzetti, Ken 24:44; 37. S. Hill, Sol 25:17; 39. K. Hendricks, Sol 27:12; 39. J. McNelly, Val 27:43.
Girls 6.5K classic: 1. A. Gibson, Ken 22:57; 2. R. Boonstra, Ken 23:03; 3. H. Pothast, Sol 23:19; 4. J. Block, Col 23:37; 5. R. Berrigan, Pal 23:41; 6. R. Lindquist, Sew 24:17; 7. R. Norris, Val 24:15; 8. K. Cooper, Ken 24:25; 9. L. Olsen, Col 24:39; 10. M. Salzetti, Ken 25:00; 11. E. Bingham, Pal 25:11; 12. K. Arthur, Sol 25:18; 13. R. Woodings, Pal 25:36; 14. C. Powers, Col 25:49; 15. S. Wolf, Hom 26:18; 16. R. Ellert, Hom 26:20; 17. A. Kopsack, Col 26:26; 18. I. Bergholtz, Ken 26:54; 19. M. Lundin, Pal 27:03; 20. K. Davis, Hom 27:08; 21. A. Taylor, Pal 27:13; 22. A. Beveridge, Gra 27:14; 23. K. Holmes, Hom 27:23; 24. L. Floyd, Ken 28:03; 25. S. Lindquist, Sew 28:05; 26. C. Demintieff, Gra 28:07; 27. S. Feige, Pal 28:13; 28. I. Block, Col 28:15; 29. M. Alexson, Hom 28:17; 30. A. Baxter, Pal 28:24; 31. B. Bennett, Sol 28:47; 32. M. Vantrease, Hom 28:52; 33. S. Hill, Sol 29:16; 34. M. Chythlook, Sol 29:18; 35. H. Delker, Sol 29:56; 36. M. Salzetti, Ken 31:04; 37. K. Hendricks, Sol 31:11; 38. J. McNelly, Val 31:30.
