Sitka’s Connor Hitchcock and Marina Dill (654). Photos by Ray Hafen and James Poulson
Rain or shine, trails or mud, runners in Southeast Alaska are prepared for it all, as they conquered the elements and their competition at the Capital City Invite.
Sitka’s Connor Hitchcock notched his second victory of the season, covering the muddied course in 16 minutes, 30 seconds, while teammate Marina Dill earned her first victory in 20:24 and Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé convincingly swept the team titles.
While a few runners lost shoes in the mud or wiped out on the slippery course, Hitchcock stayed on his feet, leaving the field in his wake.
Hitchcock, a senior, has strung together a strong season so far, opening with a runner-up finish at the Petersburg Invitational before placing fourth at the George Plumley Invite and setting a personal best of 16:19 at the Sitka Invitational.
In his last four races, Hitchcock has contested athletes from all three divisions, including Wrangell’s Boomchain Loucks — the defending Division III state champion — and Juneau-Douglas’ Nick Iverson. Hitchcock also went head-to-head with some of the top Division II competitors in Grace Christian’s Robbie Annett, Colton Merriner and Homer’s Johannes Bynagle in Palmer.
The variety in racing and competition has only strengthened Hitchcock’s skillset as he and his fellow Wolves prepare to add the finishing touches at the upcoming region and state championships.
Behind Hitchcock, Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé placed all five scorers in the top 8 in the 125-person field to dominate the team standings, amassing just 26 points. The Crimson Bears’ team which has been a perennial powerhouse now includes athletes from the former Thunder Mountain High School, merged into one high school this year.
Sitka placed runner-up with 26 points, while Wrangell finished third with 75 points.
Boys Top 10
- Connor Hitchcock, Sitka, 16:30
- Nick Iverson, Juneau-Douglas, 16:38
- Erik Thompson, Juneau-Douglas, 16:49
- Boomchain Loucks, Wrangell, 17:01
- Owen Woodruff, Juneau-Douglas, 17:11
- Trey Demmert, Sitka, 17:25
- Sage Janes, Juneau-Douglas, 17:29
- Aulis Nelson, Craig, 17:38
- Logan Fellman, Juneau-Douglas, 17:55
- Francis Myers, Sitka, 17:57
Full results here.
In the girls race, Sitka’s Marina Dill collected her inaugural cross country victory in 20 minutes, 24 minutes, finishing with a 59-second margin over the 79-person field.
Dill, a senior who placed runner-up at the Division II cross country state championships last fall, is no stranger to front-running. She’s collected two runner-up finishes this season to teammate Clare Mullin and has placed in the top 8 in all nine races contested over the past two seasons.
Dill’s quick pace on the muddy terrain helped the Wolves finish runner-up with 44 points, while Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé ran away with the team title. The Crimson Bears placed all five scorers in the top 8 to score a mere 22 points.
Petersburg placed third with 71 points.
Not to mention, Mullin, the defending Division II state champion who holds the state’s top time (18:35) this season, did compete at the invitational, opting to race in a “special” category. Mullin clocked 19:46 while competing in the boys race where she placed 39th overall.
The Sitka Wolves and the southeast will gear up for the Region V Championships in Ketchikan on Sept. 28.
Girls Top 10
- Marina Dill, Sitka, 20:24
- Kaia Mangaccat, Juneau-Douglas, 21:23
- Siena Farr, Juneau-Douglas, 21:41
- Della Mearig, Juneau-Douglas, 21:49
- Nevah Lupro, Juneau-Douglas, 21:56
- Aliyah Merculief, Sitka, 22:04
- Natalie Hall, Sitka, 22:06
- Lua Mangaccat, Juneau-Douglas, 22:07
- Sunna Schane, Juneau-Douglas, 22:08
- Maria Toth, Petersburg, 22:16
*Clare Mullin, Sitka, 19:46
Full results here.
Taylor Eddington
A pair of region championships were also held this weekend in Healy and Noorvik.
Tri-Valley’s Taylor Eddington — the 2022 Division III State Champion — collected her third-consecutive Region II title in 20:32. Eddington will be joined by teammate Selena Reifler, who finished ninth. Nenana’s Isabelle Jenkins (21:59) and Rayne Personett (22:05) placed second and third, respectively, leading the Lynx to the team title with 27 points. Glennallen placed runner-up with 41 points.
In the boys race, Glennallen’s Andrew Severs (17:30), Will McMahan (18:35) and Tobyn Dolge (19:08) swept the top three spots, leading the Panthers to the team title, after accumulating just 17 points. Nenana took runner-up with 41 points.
The top 10 finishers and all members of the top 2 teams at the Region II Championships qualify for the state championships.
Full results here.
Runners from Selawik and Noorvik compete at the Region I Northwest Arctic Championships. Photo by Angel Commack
At the Region I Northwest Arctic Conference Championships, Deering’s Aidan Barr won his second region title in 19:01. Noorvik’s Casten Westlake-Black (20:03) placed runner-up, followed by Buckland’s Louie Thomas (20:29) in third.
In the girls race, Kiana’s Sophie Sommers claimed the victory in 25:29. Buckland’s Jacinta Berlin (26:28) placed runner-up, while Selawik’s Ella Ticket (27:59) finished third.
The top 3 finishers at the Region I Northwest Arctic Championships qualify for the state championships.
Full results here.
The ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Cross Country Running State Championships are slated for Oct. 5 at Bartlett High School.
A Buckland runner leads the field at the start of the Region I Northwest Arctic Championships. Photo by Angel Commack
