Haines men’s and women’s cross-country teams again are heading to Anchorage to compete in the state championship cross-country meet.
Powered by first-place and second-place finishes by the dynamic duo of sisters Ari’el Godinez-Long and Grace Long, respectively, the Haines women’s team won the 2A division in Southeast in Sitka last weekend, with personal bests by teammates senior Avari Getchell and sophomore Ila Nettleton helping power the Glacier Bears past Petersburg and Kake.
Coach Jordan Baumgartner noted senior Grace Long’s kick at race’s end that caught a Kake runner and sealed another regional championship for the girls. “Grace just looked fresh and determined.”
In the Haines men’s race, homeschooler Andrew Hansen lopped more than a minute off his fastest time for the three-mile race and teammates Eric Gillham and Phoenix Jacobson muscled past Petersburg’s fifth runner. Those performances helped give the Glacier Bears a 7-point edge over the Vikings and cinched the state meet berth.
“Phoenix and Eric weren’t feeling their best, but they managed to pass him in the last quarter mile. That made a difference,” said Baumgartner.
The men finished second-place in the region behind powerhouse Wrangell. Among 56 runners in Division 2A men’s race, five Wolves runners placed in the top 10.
Coach Baumgartner is seeing runners peaking at season’s end, an ideal situation. How much faster they can run on the hilly course at Anchorage’s Bartlett High School on Saturday will decide what banners they might bring home this year.
Combined, the two cross-country teams have won four state championships and five regional championships in the past three years.
Junior Griffin Culbeck, who placed fourth for the Glacier Bear last week, said this week he’ll be chasing sophomore Dalton Henry on Saturday. The pair have been running close this year, but Henry beat him by 21 seconds last week in Sitka. “I just want to beat Dalton,” Culbeck said.
Fifth Haines runner Phoenix Swaner, a sophomore, who ran just a few seconds off his fastest race last weekend and one second behind Culbeck, figures he can improve on that time this weekend.
That kind of mid-pack competition bodes well, as teammates running in packs can make a difference in the scrum of a crowded meet.
In Sitka, sophomore women’s team leader Godinez-Long posted a 19:56 finish, compared to her time of 20:31 at last year’s state championship. Godinez-Long won last year’s state meet by more than 30 seconds, leading the Glacier Bear women to a state title.
Men’s team leader Luke Davis ran 16:59 in Sitka. That’s faster than his fastest time last year – 17:04 – and only a few seconds behind his best finish this season, 16:48, posted on a fast course in Ketchikan last month.
Runners this week were cautious to make predictions, as Bartlett’s cross-country course is hilly, with a flat-out finish on a track but coach Baumgartner said those conditions aren’t unlike the hills-and-temp workouts he’s used for recent practices.
“We’ve been running lots of variations. The runners have improved quite a bit this year. They’re tough kids, so it will be fun to see. They’re a positive group of kids,” Baumgartner said.
In a 32-runner field in Sitka last week, Haines women finishers included: 1) sophomore Ari’el Godinez-Long, 19:56; 2) senior Grace Long, 21:24; 4) senior Avari Getchell, 21:49; 7) senior Sal Chapell, 22:41; 21) sophomore Ila Nettleton, 26:28; 25) sophomore Ashlyn Ganey, 27:21.
Men’s finishers in a field of 56 runners included: 2) senior Luke Davis, 16:59; 10) sophomore Andrew Hansen, 18:01; 15) sophomore Dalton Henry, 19:07; 19) junior Griffin Culbeck, 19:28; 21) sophomore Phoenix Swaner, 19:29; 23) senior Eric Gillham, 19:46; 24) senior Phoenix Jacobson, 19:47.
Last week’s story on the Capital City Invitational omitted finishes by some Haines men including: 71) sophomore Alex Weerasinghe, 21:23; 85) sophomore T.J. Smith, 21:45 and 107) senior Jacob Weerasinghe, 23:28.