Div I girls champion Hannah Shaha. Photo by Peter Pounds.
Hannah Shaha’s state title may have surprised some, but for the Chugiak sophomore, it represented a culmination of months of hard work.
Shaha gradually separated herself from the rest of the field at the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Cross Country Running Championships, conquering the 5-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 19 seconds.
One year ago, Shaha was still fine-tuning her skills at the junior varsity level, dropping her times and improving with each race. After closing out her freshman year at the state track meet, the Mustang was eager to continue writing the legacy Chugiak has built as the two-time defending champions.
After moving up the ranks and inking her first varsity win at the Cook Inlet Conference Championships, Shaha felt confident in pushing toward the next level.
“Every race is a new race so it’s just been amazing I’ve been able to do so well,” said Shaha.
On Saturday, Shaha was thrilled to race, even after first arising around 5am.
“It kind of felt like Christmas morning a little bit,” said Shaha. “I was really excited — it felt like the same nerves as any other race.”
ASAA Cross Country Running Division I State Champion, Chugiak Mustangs.
With Dutch braids adorning her hair, Shaha and the Mustangs were ready for battle. The starting gun sounded and upon completing the first lap, the field started to string out with the sophomore taking charge.
Shaha was followed closely by junior teammate Alliyah Fields and Colony’s Morgan Ainsworth, the George Plumley Invitational winner who triumphed on the same course earlier in the season.
But as the race progressed, so did Shaha’s lead.
“My plan for the first lap was just trying to stay with the group,” said Shaha. “The second lap is the lap that hurts the most for everybody so my plan was to push as much as I could.”
When she reached the track, Shaha sped to her first individual state title with a six-second margin of victory. Fields overtook Ainsworth in the final stretch to claim runner-up by half a second, resulting in a 1-2 finish for the Mustangs.
Shaha’s win marked the second-straight individual title for Chugiak High after Campbell Peterson claimed the crown last fall, joining Shannon Hanson (’89) and Kathy Brewer (’74) as victors.
D1 Girls Top-10 Finishers
1. Hannah Shaha, Chugiak, 19:19
2. Alliyah Fields, Chugiak, 19:26
3. Morgan Ainsworth, Colony, 19:27
4. Hailee Giacobbe, Wasilla, 19:34
5. Ida Meyer, Juneau-Douglas, 19:41
6. Tania Boonstra, Soldotna, 19:55
7. Ella Hopkins, Colony, 19:57
8. Miyana Kam-Magruder, Service, 20:01
9. Rayna Tuckwood, Juneau-Douglas, 20:02
10. Etta Eller, Juneau-Douglas, 20:07
See complete results here.
The Mustangs’ success didn’t stop with Shaha and Fields, as the next three scorers all placed in the top-15.
Senior Skyler Belmear was the third runner in 11th, followed by sophomore Hannah Bodkin in 14th and senior Emily Moore in 15th. Sophomore Petra Knox (20th) and junior Allison Macy (30th) rounded out the squad.
Scoring just 40 points, the Mustangs decisively claimed their third consecutive team title, finishing ahead of Juneau-Douglas (69) and Colony (72). Dimond collected the team academic award.
The victory marks Chugiak’s seventh girls team title (’90-’92, ’01, ’21-23) and 20th consecutive win against in-state competition. It’s one of the longest streaks in recent years, which dates back to the 2021 season, as the Mustangs complete yet another undefeated season.
“Our coaches are amazing, our team is amazing — I’m just so happy I could join such a strong team and help the team become that much stronger,” said Shaha.
Colony’s Morgan Ainsworth races for the finish against Chugiak’s Alliyah Fields. Photo by Peter Pounds.
Feature photo by Jaycie Calvert.