Fast underclassmen runners helped the Haines High School cross-country team place high at its home meet and put them on a trajectory to do well at the state competition later this month.
The boys’ team placed first overall, with the girls’ not far behind in third place.
Sophomore Siyel George placed third in the boys’ race with a time of 18 minutes, 45 seconds, a full minute faster than the same meet last year. Sophomore Kirby Faverty followed in seventh place with a personal record of 19 minutes, 12 seconds. Five other Haines boys finished within the top 20 out of 58 competitors, with most setting personal records.
“The run felt great,” Faverty said. “The hills make it a fun course. I’m hoping the whole team will make it to state.”
The top three teams for small schools at the regional meet in Ketchikan, as well as the top 15 individuals in the boys’ and girl’s races, will qualify for the state competition. The Glacier Bears only had one individual state qualifier last year, now sophomore Marirose Evenden.
Freshman Atlin Zahnow on the girls’ team was the first Haines runner to cross the finish line in seventh place overall with a new personal record of 24 minutes, 34 seconds.
“I placed 9th overall for small schools in Juneau, so I’m hoping to stay in that rank,” Zahnow said. “I really want to go to state.”
Zahnow said head coach Chandler Kemp and assistant coach Alixanne Goodman have helped her be successful in her first year on the team.
“They tell me to stay positive,” Zahnow said. “It’s helped me a lot in becoming a better runner. They always push you.”
Freshman Hannah Boron broke a personal record for the second meet in a row and followed close behind Zahnow with a time of 24 minutes, 53 seconds. Three more girls’ runners finished within the top 25 out of 54 competitors.
Haines raced against students from Thunder Mountain, Juneau Douglas, Skagway, Mt. Edgecumbe and Hoonah.
“Individuals didn’t finish in the same order as they did in Juneau,” Kemp said. “The team did really well and we had quite a few personal records.”
After the high school races, a community race allowed some middle schoolers who practice with the team to run the course.
Kemp said seventh graders Mackenzy Dyrden and Luke Davis both ran impressive 5Ks, with times of 24 minutes, 9 seconds and 23 minutes, 37 seconds, respectively