The Haines boys’ cross-country team placed 10th among 12 small schools at last weekend’s state championship at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.
Grace Christian won the meet. Southeast champion Mount Edgecumbe finished seventh and Sitka was eighth.
Snow and mud made for a messy course and slower times for most runners, said coach Liam Cassidy. “It was a tough course. The boys ran mostly the way they’ve been running. It was just a crazy day,” he said.
Senior Corey Piper led the Glacier Bears, placing 47th of 122 runners in 18:56. The winning time was 16:55, posted by Arlen Mossgrove of Glenallen.
Other Haines finishers were sophomore Keegan Sundberg, (66th, 19:41), senior Chris Olsen, (84th, 20:02), freshman Neil Little, (90th, 20:16), senior Patrick Henderson, (98th, 20:29), junior Kai Sato-Franks, (110th, 21:03), and senior Brandon Bachman (120th, 21:57).
The team traveled 14 hours in a school van to compete, but boys said the long trip didn’t interfere with their performance because they got out and ran around when a van tire blew about midway.
Sophomore Zayla Asquith-Heinz was the only Glacier Bear girl to qualify for the state meet. She finished 32nd of 112 runners in 22:33. Grace Christian won the meet and first-place runner Tylee Nyquest of Thorne Bay finished in 19:33.
A big turnout by seniors boosted both teams this year. The boys are losing five seniors, including Zach Rossman. On the girls’ team, seniors included Jess Giddings and Tia Heywood.