For an 18th consecutive year, the central peninsula produced a Region III team champion.
The Soldotna boys cross-country skiing program wrapped up a Region III crown Saturday with a successful two-day excursion on the Government Peak ski trails in Wasilla, placing three skiers in the top-10 in Friday’s 5-kilometer classic race, and four racers in the top-10 in Saturday’s 7.5K skate event.
It was enough for the Stars to hold off runner-up Grace Christian for the team title, extending the central peninsula streak of 18 years that goes back to 2000. The Kenai Central boys finished third in the team race.
“I’m super proud of them, they’re just tough, tough kids,” said SoHi head ski coach Isaac Erhardt. “Today, I saw some really smart skiing, some nice strategy knowing when to hold back and let other people do the work and when to push.”
On the individual stage, Kenai Central junior Karl Danielson captured his first Region III Skimeister championship with a third-place finish in Saturday’s skate race to follow up a second place on Friday.
Danielson finished 12.3 seconds behind race winner Tracen Knopp of Colony in Friday’s classic race, but Knopp did not race Saturday, leaving the door open for Danielson to grab the skimeister title.
“He felt really confident in the classic race, and he stayed right with those guys in the beginning (Saturday),” said Kenai head coach Brad Nyquist. “Our boys team closed the gap on Soldotna a little more, which is really fun to see them come together. At the beginning of the season, we were eight minutes back (of SoHi), so that’s fun to see.”
Josiah Alverts still brought Palmer a victory Saturday by winning the skate event — which began mass start style — by 7.2 seconds over Koby Vinson of Soldotna. Alverts did not race on Friday.
Vinson took second overall in the Region III skimeister standings, 22 seconds behind Danielson. SoHi teammate Jeremy Kupferschmid took sixth overall as a sophomore.
On the girls side, the Colony Knights beat Kenai to the team title, ending the Kards streak of region crowns at two. Annika Hanestad won the girls skimeister by winning both days convincingly. Hanestad won Friday’s race by 41.1 seconds over Riana Boonstra of Kenai, then won Saturday by 28.3 seconds over Boonstra to wrap up the title by a two-day total of 1:09.4.
Boonstra ended the weekend second overall. Kenai teammate Katie Cooper racked up finishes of fourth on Friday and ninth on Saturday.
Kellie Arthur finished fifth on Friday and eighth on Saturday to lead the Soldotna girls team with a fifth-place overall finish, all while recovering from an illness.
After a seventh-place finish Friday, Seward’s Ruby Lindquist took third on Saturday.
After several inches of snow fell overnight on Saturday, Erhardt said that made for challenging conditions for racers.
“Today was a day when technique won over brute strength,” he said.
Region III Championships
Friday-Saturday, Government Peak Recreation Area
GIRLS
Friday 5-K Classic — 1. A. Hannestad, Col 15:07; 2. R. Boonstra, Ken 15:48; 2. R. Norris, Val 16:23; 4. K. Cooper, Ken 16:48; 5. K. Arthur, Sol 16:51; 6. K. Holms, Hom 16:53; 7. R. Lindquist, Sew 16:54; 8. A. Kopsack, Col 16:56; 9. C. Demintieff, Gra 17:04; 10. K. Davis, Hom 17:04; 11. C. Powers, Col 17:07; 12. A. Daigle, Hom 17:35; 13. I. Bergholtz, Ken 17:41; 14. C. Bales, Was 17:54; 15. A. Taylor, Pal 17:56; 16. L. Ellis, Gra 17:58; 17. R. Woodings, Pal 18:17; 18. C. Blackwell, Sol 18:22; 19. B. Block, Col 18:24; 20. H. Delker, Sol 18:26; 21. A. Beveridge, Gra 18:34; 22. A. Baxter, Pal 18:39; 23. G. Gannon, Gra 18:41; 24. S. Spaic, Col 18:44; 25. M. Salzetti, Ken 18:44; 26. S. Lindquist, Sew 18:51; 27. M. Erickson, Sol 18:57; 28. H. Hoback, Gra 1858; 29. E. Wright, Col 19:03; 30. A. Danielson, Ken 19:10; 31. T. Huston, Val 19:13; 32. M. Alexson, Hom 19:18; 33. A. McLaughlin, Gra 19:33; 34. S. Hill, Sol 19:41; 35. E. Kniegge, Gra 19:42; 36. Z. Copp, Pal 19:45; 37. D. Kettle, Hom 20:11; 38. E. Downing, Sol 20:54; 39. D. Doyle, Ken 21:01; 40. C. Connell, Val 21:13; 41. E. Moore, Sew 21:19; 42. A. Alfaro, Val 21:37.
Saturday 5-K freestyle — 1. A. Hanestad, Col 14:45 2. R. Boonstra, Ken 15:14; 3. R. Lindquist, Sew 15:17; 4. R. Berrigan, Pal 15:37; 5. R. Norris, Val 15:48; 6. R. Woodings, Pal 15:58; 7. A. Kopsack, Col 16:00; 8. K. Arthur, Sol 16:07; 9. K. Cooper, Ken 16:13; 10. C. Demintieff, Gra 16:26; 11. K. Holms, Hom 16:31; 12. K. Davis, Hom 16:46; 13. A. Daigle, Hom 16:51 14. S. Lindquist, Sew 17:02; 15. C. Blackwell, Sol 17:06; 16. C. Powers, Col 17:07; 17. A. Taylor, Pal 17:12; 18. I. Bergholtz, Ken 17:17; 19. M. Salzetti, Ken 17:18; 20. M. Erickson, Sol 17:26; 21. A. Danieson, Ken 17:27; 22. B. Block Col 17:39; 23. C. Bales, Was 17:47; 24. A. Beveridge, Gra 17:48; 25. D. Kettle, Hom 18:00; 26. M. Alexson, Hom 18:02; 27. H. Delker, Sol 18:03; 28. S. Hill, Sol 18:05; 29. S. Spaic, Col 18:08; 30. J. Jenkins, Col 18:13; 31. A. Baxter, Pal 18:14; 32. A. McLaughlin, Gra 18:17; 33. E. Downing, Sol 18:30; 34. E. Wright, Col 1834; 35. E. Kniegge, Gra 18:36; 36. T. Huston, Val 18:37; 37. C. Connell, Val 19:04; 38. D. Doyle, Ken 19:17 39. Z. Copp, Pal 1935; 40. L Ellis, Gra 19:50; 41. G. Gannon, Gra 20:01; 42. E. Moore, Sew 20:09; 43. A. Alfaro, Val 20;31; 44. H. Hoback, Gra 21:14.
BOYS
Friday 5-K Classic — 1. T. Knopp, Col 12:45; 2. K. Danielson, Ken 12:57; 3. T. Fritzel, Gra 13:20; 4. K. Vinson, Sol 13:23; 5. A. Downing, Sol 13:39; 6. L. Fritzel, Gra 13:49; 7. K. Kupferschmid, Sol 14:02; 8. J. Davis, Hom 14:22; 9. G. Block, Col 14:24; 10. J. Houston, Pal 14:32; 11. A. Johnson, Gra 14:33; 12. E. Kempf, Ken 14:44; 13. J. Shuler, Sol 14:47; 14. J. Walling, Pal 14:56; 15. P. Michels, Ken 15:01; 16. C. Rauch, Hom 15;08; 17. B. Grover, Col 15:11; 18. J. Sparks, Sol 15:18; 19. A. Gannon, Gra 15:21; 20. B. Swanson, Val 15:30; 21. N. Kristich, Col 15:31; 22. E. Cowan, Col 15:42; 23. T. Debnam, Ken 15:45; 24. R. Qualls, Pal 15:46; 25. T. Scholz, Hom 15:46; 26. D. Waclawski, Hom 16:02; 27. J. Dammeyer, Sol 16:14; 28. D. Halfacre, Col 16:18; 29. E. Jones, Gra 16:19; 30. A. Ravencroft, Was 16:37; 31. M. Minium, Nik 16:39; 32. K. Taylor, Pal 16:48; 33. M. Singh, Pal 16:48; 34. J. Foster, Kena 16:54; 35. T. Steiner, Was 16:56; 36. W. Metzger, Gra 16:58; 37. J. Harris, Sol 17:08; 38. B. Morrow, Ken 17:16; 39. K. Greathouse, Was 17:42; 40. B. Kettle, Hom 17:52; 41. W. Wallace, Gra 17:52; 42. J. Banner, Val 18:54; 43. A. Bashor, Was 19:27; 44. E. Super, Hom 19:31; 45. C. Prevost, Val 20:09; 46. C. Cummins, Val 20:23.
Saturday 7.5-K freestyle — 1. J. Alverts, Pal 1959; 2. K. Vinson, Sol 20:07; 3. K. Danielson, Ken 20:11; 4. T. Fritzel, Gra 20:30; 5. L. Fritzel, Gra 20:37; 6. J. Kupferschmid, Sol 20:52; 7. J. Walling, Pal 21:22; 8. A. Downing, Sol 21:22; 9. A. Johnson, Gra 21:25; 10. J. Shuler, Sol 21:27; 11. G. Block, Col 21:39; 12. J. Davis, Hom 22:11; 13. E. Kempe, Ken 22:16; 14. J. Houston, Pal 22:19; 15. C. Rauch, Hom 22:30; 16. E. Cowan, Col 22:37; 17. P. Michels, Ken 22:38; 18. A. Gannon, Gra 22:42; 19. B. Swanson, Val 23:08; 20. J. Harris, Sol 23:23; 21. T. Scholz, Hom 23:24; 22. B. Grover, Col 23:41; 23. J. Sparks, Sol 23:43; 24. T. Steiner, Was 23:56; 25. R. Qualls, Pal 24:05; 26. J. Dammeyer, Sol 24:09; 27. N. Kristich, Col 24:31; 28. T. Debnam, Ken 24:44; 29. W. Metzger, Gra 24:54; 30. D. Waclawski, Hom 24:55; 31. D. Halfacre, Col 25:17; 32. W. Wallace, Gra 25:23; 33. K. Taylor, Pal 25:48; 34. M. Singh, Pal 25:54; 35. B. Kettle, Hom 26:07; 36. J. Foster, Ken 26:22; 37. E. Super, Hom 26:30; 38. M. Minium, Nik 26:37; 39. A. Ravencraft, Was 26:38; 40. E. Jones, Gra 27:33; 41. B. Morrow, Ken 28:01; 42. K. Greathouse, Was 28:15; 43. J. Banner, Val 28:26; 44. C. Prevost, Val 29:40; 45. A. Bashor, Was 31:27; 46. C. Cummins, Val 33:08.
Soldotna’s Koby Vinson round a corner Saturday at the Region III ski meet at Government Peak. (Photo by Caitlin Skvorc/For the Frontiersman)
Kenai Central’s Karl Danielson skis on Saturday at Government Peak in the Region III ski meet. (Photo by Caitlin Skvorc/For the Frontiersman)
