The 19-year streak of at least one peninsula team winning a Region III nordic ski championship was broken Saturday when the Palmer girls and Colony boys made off with the hardware.
The Palmer girls claimed the title amid a tight race between all six teams, racking up a two-day combined team time of 1 hour, 6 minutes, 46 seconds, to beat runner-up Colony by 36 seconds. Soldotna finished third, 1:45 behind the winners, while Homer took fourth and Kenai Central was sixth.
In the boys team race, the Knights emerged victorious from a close three-way battle with Soldotna and Grace Christian. Colony won in 1:33:27, beating the Stars by a scant eight seconds, while Grace finished third, only 23 seconds behind the winners.
Annika Hanestad defended her Region III girls title from a year ago with a dominant two-day effort, totaling a combined 32:17 between Friday’s 5K classic and Saturday’s 5K skate races. Palmer’s Katie Houser was second in 34:23.
Homer junior Autumn Daigle finished fourth in 36:27, while Kenai’s Maria Salzetti was sixth, Soldotna’s Hannah Delker was eighth, Homer’s Katia Holmes was ninth and SoHi’s Erika Arthur was 10th.
The boys individual crown went to Joseph Walling of Palmer, who completed Friday’s 5K classic and Saturday’s 7.5K skate courses in a combined 37:28. Nick Hanestad of Colony was second, 32 seconds behind. Soldotna’s Bradley Walters was the highest peninsula finisher in fifth with a time of 39:18. SoHi also got finishes of sixth from Jack Harris and eighth from Jeremy Kupferschmid.
Tyler Hippchen of Kenai was 20th and Josh Foster was 21st. Homer’s top boy was Andy Super in 31st.
Region III Championships
Friday-Saturday, Government Peak
GIRLS
Team scores — 1. Palmer 1:06:46; 2. Colony 1:07:22; 3. Soldotna 1:08:31; 4. Homer 1:09:38; 5. Grace Christian 1:11:14; 6. Kenai 1:12:06.
Individual results (2-day totals) — 1. A. Hannestad, Col 32:17; 2. K. Houser, Pal 34:23; 3. M. Jackson, Gra 36:07; 4. A. Daigle, Hom 36:27; 5. S. Spaic, Col 36:30; 6. M. Salzetti, Ken 36:53; 7. A. Berrigan, Pal 37:09; 8. H. Delker, Sol 37:12; 9. K. Holmes, Hom 37:21; 10. E. Arthur, Sol 37:43; 11. K. Delker, Sol 37:48; 12. L. Bushey, Col 37:51; 13. Z. Stonorov, Hom 37:53; 14. S. Martin, Sol 38:36; 15. I. Dammeyer, Sol 38:53; 16. N. Bell, Col 39:10; 17. R. Whittington-Evans, Pal 39:11; 18. G. Annett, Gra 39:13; 19. C. Demienteff, Gra 39:17; 20. C. Blackwell, Sol 39:22; 21. A. McLaughlin, Gra 39:33; 22. M. Ticknor, Ken 40:09; 23. S. Lindquist, Sew 40:13; 24. S. Foster, Ken 41:15; 25. K. Deering, Col 41:41; 26. Z. Copp, Pal 41:58; 27. A. Cline, Hom 42:07; 28. A. Straub, Col 42:20; 29. S. Carey, Hom 42:21; 30. L. Fallon, Ken 42:32; 31. B. Werner, Pal 43:04; 32. L. Gionet, Gra 44:25; 33. S. Mueller, Pal 44:29; 34. M. Rossi, Gra 44:59; 35. E. Henneman, Pal 45:29; 36. K. Widenar, Gra 46:39; 37. B. Moffet, Ken 47:05; 38. K. Matturro, Ken 50:28; 39. L. Hankins, Sew 50:45.
BOYS
Team scores — 1. Colony 1:33:27; 2. Soldotna 1:33:35; 3. Grace Christian 1:33:50; 4. Palmer 1:36:25; 5. Kenai 1:43:08.
Individual results (2-day totals) — 1. J. Walling, Pal 37:28; 2. N. Hanestad, Col 38:00; 3. L. Fritzel, Gra 38:33; 4. C. Fritzel, Gra 39:00; 5. B. Walters, Sol 39:18; 6. J. Harris, Sol 39:34; 7. K. Taylor, Pal 39:39; 8. J. Kupfershmid, Sol 39:58; 9. N. Kristich, Col 40:47; 10. S. Ramirez, Col 40:50; 11. G. Streit, Col 40:57; 12. N. Iverson, Col 41:49; 13. R. Giesler, Sol 42:01; 14. L. Chilton, Sol 42:25; 15. C. Colver, Sol 42:34; 16. W. Metzger, Gra 42:55; 17. W. Wallace, Gra 43:15; 18. K. Leach, Gra 43:16; 19. Q. Cox, Sol 43:55; 20. T. Hippchen, Ken 44:02; 21. J. Foster, Ken 44:57; 22. S. Kniegge, Gra 44:59; 23. J. Dammeyer, Sol 45:21; 24. J. Lee, Pal 46:13; 25. T. Summers, Ken 48:04; 26. L. Miller, Pal 48:15; 27. N. Haakinson, Ken 48:30; 28. C. Bryden, Sew 48L36; 29. J. Rogers, Pal 48:47; 30. S. Roberts, Ken 48:54; 31. A. Super, Hom 49:15; 32. B. Thatcher, Gra 51:04; 33. C. Peterson, Sew 51:33; 34. S. Paperman, Sew 51:33; 35. J. Carranza, Ken 53:22.
