Vanessa Aniteye
The indoor season is officially in full swing, with collegiate athletes from Alaska competing around the country.
Eagle River’s Vanessa Aniteye of Seattle Pacific picked up right where she left off: at the top.
The senior sprinter-turned-middle-distance-runner out of Chugiak High slashed two seconds in the 800 meters, recording a time of 2 minutes, 10.83 seconds at the Washington Indoor Preview to improve on her national lead among NCAA Division II athletes.
While Aniteye’s time ranks just outside of the Alaska all-time list, she won her heat and placed ninth overall, in addition to running a leg on her team’s 4×400 relay, which also took ninth.
Also making her way to the top was Chugiak’s Emma Nelson. The Oregon State senior put an exclamation point on her season-opener by taking the win in the high jump (5 feet, 9.25 inches), recording her second-best jump of all time. Her clearance trails her personal best by less than one inch.
Dialed up a winner. 🥇
Emma Nelson secures her first dub of 2023 with a 1.76m/5-9.25 leap in the high jump! #GoBeavs pic.twitter.com/OO9AUJBZA7
— Oregon State Track & Field / Cross Country (@BeaverTFXC) January 15, 2023
“That was definitely our best opening indoor meet ever,” said head coach Louie Quintana in a press release. “Our high jumpers competed great — Emma was fantastic.”
Palmer’s Sophie Wright had a busy day competing for Western Washington, setting indoor personal bests in the mile (5:01.57) and the 800 (2:18.14), while also running a leg on the 4×400 relay.
Her mile time ranks fifth in program history, whereas her 800 ranks eighth.
Racing for the first time in eight months was Galena’s Kaleb Korta, who is in his final season for Western Washington. The senior improved his lifetime best in the mile by over a second, stopping the clock at 4:19.90.
Sitka’s Dominic Baciocco opened his season in the 3,000. The Santa Clara sophomore ran a personal best (8:34.63), taking off almost four seconds.
A slew of Seawolves also opened their season at the University of Washington.
Jacob Belanger
Jacob Belanger, a Service High grad, set a personal best in the 60 (7.23), while also competing in the 200 (23.41), and running a leg on the seventh-place 4×400 relay.
Sitka’s Joei Vidad led the green and gold in the 200 (26.29), while also joined by Anchorage’s Kaitlyn Backman (27.41), Sitka’s Haley Bartolaba (27.63), and Anchorage’s Sophia Cvancara (28.24).
Cvancara, a Dimond High grad, who made her collegiate debut this weekend, secured a lifetime best in the 400 (1:01.81). The freshman completed the 200-400 double with Vidad (1:00.35), Bartolaba (1:02.52), and Backman (1:03.95).
In the jumps, former Colony High standout Felix Robertson recorded a lifetime best in the long jump (19 feet, 9.75 inches), while leaping to an indoor best in the triple jump (41 feet, 5.75 inches).
Chugiak’s Morgan Grant joined Robertson, making his collegiate debut in the long jump (18 feet, 4.50 inches) and triple jump (39 feet, 6.75 inches).
Mikayla Mader, a Bartlett High grad, opened her season in the high jump (4 feet, 9 inches) and 60-meter hurdles (10.76).
UAA’s Joshua Wagner (Germany) ran an NCAA provisional mark in the 60-meter hurdles (8.13), which ranks him 22nd among Division 2.
In the Mike Thorson open, two former Soldotna Stars battled in the throwing rings.
Galen Brantley III
Galen Brantley III, a junior for Dickinson State won the shot put (51 feet, 7.25 inches), while freshman teammate, Dylan Dahlgren threw a personal best (45 feet, 4.25 inches) to take sixth.
Brantley also placed fifth in the weight throw (43 feet, 5.75 inches).
Other Alaskans who competed this weekend:
- Tristian Merchant, a former ACS star, raced the mile at the Virginia Tech Invitational. The Liberty sophomore ran a lifetime-best of 4:08.72 to finish fifth, ranking seventh in program history.
- Jocelyn Chanonto, formerly of Service High, opened her season at the Potts Invitational. The Colorado State sophomore jumped to a personal best in the triple jump (34 feet, 9.75 inches), while also competing in the long jump (16 feet, 6.5 inches).
- Chugiak’s Brooklynn Gould opened her season at the Bison Team Cup. The North Dakota sophomore competed in the 200 (27.38), 60 hurdles (9.61), and long jump (17 feet, 7.5 inches).
- Logan Mathieu, also of Chugiak High fame, returned to form for North Dakota State. The sophomore ran a personal best in the 60 (7.02) and competed in the 60 hurdles (8.14).
- Landon Nicholson, formerly of Monroe Catholic, began his season at the Myrle Hanson Open. The Black Hills State junior recorded a collegiate best in the 400 (54.65).
- Homer’s Audrey Rosencrans opened her season at the Spokane Indoor Challenge. The Academy of Art senior competed in the 3000 (10:47.96) and 5,000 (19:14.02).
- Aiden Zingone, a Grace Christian grad, made his indoor debut at the TTU Corky Classic. The Lubbock Christian freshman competed in the 3,000 (9:56.55).
- Eagle River’s Kiki Sherman opened her season at the Ripon Alumni Dual Meet. The Ripon sophomore competed in the 800 (2:38.81).