Lead runners struggled with illnesses but others on Haines High School cross-country teams surged as the Glacier Bear women won their third state championship in four years Saturday. The Haines men finished second in state behind Wrangell.
Races were held on a muddy, rolling course near Anchorage’s Bartlett High School.
With some key runners gone from the team this year, senior Avari Getchell said she and her teammates understood that winning Division III at state would pose a bigger challenge than it did in past years. “We worked really hard this year because we knew we needed to,” Getchell said.
Classmate Sal Chapell, a second-year runner who improved all season, stepped up again Saturday, passing Getchell for the first time this season, and helping kick Getchell into gear.
“We’ve had a friendly competition all year. (Sal) passed me for a while Saturday and I felt encouraged to push harder. It felt great to cross the finish line together,” Getchell said.
Sophomore Ari’el Godinez-Long, the winner of last year’s state meet, said a cold left her feeling fatigued for much of Saturday’s 5K run. Godinez-Long, Ourea Busk of Unalakleet and Taylor Eddington of Tri-Valley ran in a pack about a minute in front of the other 73 runners in the race.
“I stayed next to (Busk). I was mainly trying to keep (Eddington) in my sights,” Godinez-Long said. She finished 14 seconds behind Eddington and 13 seconds before Busk. Ari’el’s sister, senior Grace Long, finished second for Haines in seventh place.
Haines placed four runners in the race’s first 11 finishers.
“We were a little bit of an underdog, running with only six girls, but our team works really hard, so I wasn’t too worried about it,” said Grace Long, completing her sixth of year of cross-country, including two years in junior high.
“I’m super proud of my teammates because we pushed through everything that was thrown at us to win state titles,” Long said.
Like several other runners this week, Long credited much of the team’s success to coach Jordan Baumgartner.
“He would hunt us down in the halls in middle school to get us on the team and he checks on us during the year to make sure we’re running. He’s a motivational coach and definitely we wouldn’t be doing this without him,” Long said.
In the men’s race, sophomore homeschooler Andrew Hansen finished just 15 seconds behind team leader Luke Davis Saturday. “Andrew’s fast. He’s been a great addition to our team,” Baumgartner said.
More than halfway through the race, Davis was among race leaders, but weakened by a cold he suffered at last week’s regional meet, couldn’t make a final kick and finished third, 18 seconds behind winner Daniel Harrison of Wrangell and 12 seconds after second-place finisher Daniel Aspery of Petersburg.
Sophomore Phoenix Swaner notched one of his best races of the season, finishing third for the Haines men. Swaner said he felt good on race day and gained some energy coming down the last hill of the rolling, muddy race course. “I saw coach Baumgartner and he told me to speed up.” Swaner caught two runners from other teams as well as classmate Dalton Henry.
The race was Swaner’s first trip to the state championship meet. “It was definitely an experience, but I liked it,” he said.
Cross-country teams have been gaining depth by including JV runners who participate to get in shape for wrestling and other sports. Luke Davis said coach Baumgartner’s encouragement rubs off on students, and that helps make the program a success. “He makes running fun and that reflects on the runners and makes other kids come out for the team.”
Haines women finishers at Saturday’s state meet included: 2) sophomore Ari’el Godinez-Long, 20:43; 7) senior Grace Long, 21:57; 10) senior Avari Getchell, 22:35; 11) senior Sal Chapell, 22:35; 47) sophomore Ila Nettleton, 27:12; sophomore Ashlyn Ganey, 27:41.
Haines men finishers Saturday included: 3) senior Luke Davis, 17:48; 5) sophomore Andrew Hansen, 18:03; 18) sophomore Phoenix Swaner, 19:33; 19) sophomore Dalton Henry, 19:34; 26) senior Phoenix Jacobson, 20:11; 29) junior Griffin Culbeck, 20:25, 30) senior Eric Gillham, 20:27. Eighty-two men competed.