Watkins, Barnett claim triple crowns; Chugiak charges to 5th straight D1 team title

Dimond’s Nevaeh Watkins and West’s Kendall Barnett proved versatile yet focused in their state title run, with Watkins capturing titles in the 100, 200 and 100 hurdles, while Barnett sped to victories in the 800, 1,600 and ran a leg on the winning 4×400 relay.

The juniors were instrumental point-scorers for their respective teams, while Chugiak charged to their fifth-straight title at the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Track & Field State Championships.

Watkins stayed busy throughout the meet, winning the 100 in 12.32 seconds and clocking 15.34 in the 100 hurdles to become a three-time state champion in the latter, adding two more titles to her decorated résumé in a 30-minute span. She concluded the meet with a win in the 200 in 25.59, breaking the 12-year-old school record (25.67), after twice coming within one-hundredth of a second.

The effort may have appeared effortless, but with the eight-time state champion quietly overcame adversity after taking third in the high jump — an event Watkins entered as the two-time defending state champion.

“I dusted myself off and really tried to reclaim my title at least in the hurdles and then [compete for titles in] the 100 and the 200,” said Watkins, who capped undefeated seasons in the 100 hurdles and the 200.

The 100 came down to lean, with Watkins narrowly edging defending state champion Bella Connally of Juneau-Douglas, 12.32 to 12.33, while Chugiak freshman Sienna Johnson took third in 12.37.

“I was really trying to push myself (in the 100) and I thought my block start was the best that it could be,” said Watkins. “I knew since the 100 is such a short race, there’s not much time for redemption, so I really pushed myself to clinch it.”

While Watkins faced steep competition in the sprints, West’s Kendall Barnett was taking care of business in the middle- and long-distance events.

The junior won the 1,600 in 5:06.35 and clocked 2:16.02 in the 800, before running the leadoff leg of the winning 4×400 in a school-record 4:03.10 — the No. 5 time in Alaska prep history.

Like Watkins, Barnett narrowly placed runner-up in the 3,200, an event she entered as the heavy favorite.

But with eight-lap race behind her, Barnett left nothing up to chance on day two, showcasing her impressive range to net her first state titles and a coveted triple crown.

Eagle River’s Ashlyn Paynter stormed to victory in the 3,200 in a personal-best 11:15.77 to hand the Wolves their first title in the event since Peyton Young a decade ago. Paynter, a junior, outdueled Barnett in the final lap to take over the state lead. The feat is particularly impressive considering Paynter did not compete at the state meet last season; however, she was not entirely an underdog either, as she boasts a silver medal in the 1,600 from two years ago.

Palmer’s Leila Petersen sped to the win in the 400 in a school-record 57.56 seconds. The junior used a fast start to take the lead in the one-lap race and maintained her form through the line to collect her first state title and become the eighth-quickest in Alaska prep history. Petersen, who took runner-up as a freshman and third as a sophomore, has proven strong all season long, peaking at just the right time.

In the 300 hurdles, Service’s Emilia Zych pulled away from Kodiak’s Katrina Baisa over the final two hurdles to win in a personal-best 46.48, marking the Cougar’s first state champion in the event since Bianca Dueno in 2000.

Colony’s Annelise Larsen launched to a nearly two-foot personal best to win the long jump. The junior flew to a school-record 18-3.25 — No. 3 in Alaska prep history — in the prelims to become the Knights’ first state champion in the event since Peggy Mathis in 2014. Only Eielson’s Janay DeLoach (19-5) and Dimond’s Sarah Dittman (18-4) have ever jumped farther.

Lathrop’s Lily Davidge netted the Malemutes their first shot put state champion in a dozen years since To’a Levi with a throw of 38-6. Davidge, a senior, capped a near-perfect season in the shot put, with her only losses going to Jieaya Siatini Williams of Mountain City Christian Academy.

After moving from Bakersfield, Calif., for her senior year, South’s Emilee Anderson captured her first state title in the discus with a throw of 129-6, tacking on more than five feet to her own school record.

The Soldotna Stars defended their title in the 4×200, clocking a blistering 1:44.49 — No. 4 in Alaska prep history.

East’s Emi Hamazaki won the women’s unified/partners 100 and the unified/partners shot put with Kyleigh Nightingale, in addition to the unified/partners long jump with Kaylen Fields. The Thunderbirds also won the mixed unified 4×100, while the Mustangs won the women’s unified 4×100.

Led by state champions Autumn Larson and Amelia Dempsey in the high jump and triple jump, Chugiak ran away with the team title with 136 points to Dimond’s 72 points. Larson cleared 5-3 to upgrade her silver medal from last spring and added a runner-up in the 100 hurdles, while Dempsey soared to 35-2.25 to nab her first state title after finishing third one year ago.

The Mustangs also won the 4×100 in 49.95 — No. 8 in Alaska prep history — and the 4×800 in 9:52.47, while their runner-up 4×400 (4:03.43) ranks seventh in Alaska prep history, trailing a hair behind their own school record set last spring. The Mustangs also added a runner-up finish in the 4×200.

Other top-8 scorers for Chugiak included Sienna Johnson (100 & 200), Petra Knox (400 & 800), Olivia Sandoval (800 & 1,600), Hannah Shaha (800, 1,600 & 3,200), Hailey Colgrove (800), Hannah Bodkin (300 hurdles & high jump), Audra Burrill (300 hurdles), Finley Moffett (long jump & triple jump), Nina Runge (triple jump) and Dempsey (long jump).

The title marks the 11th for the Mustangs (’90, ’92-’94, ’16, ’17, ’22-’26), who earned their first five-peat in program history to replicate their feat from cross country. It also marks the second-straight state team title sweep for the Mustangs in track and field.

Full results here.