The Homer girls and boys swept the Division II team titles at the state Nordic ski championships at Birch Hill in Fairbanks on Saturday, while the Soldotna girls finished third in the overall team standings.

The Colony boys won the team title with a three-day time of 2 hours, 38 minutes and 0 seconds, with Homer coming in sixth overall at 2:55:15. The Mariners boys topped Division II for the second time, adding to a 2023 title.

Soldotna was eighth, while Kenai was 12th.

The Service girls won the team title at 3:09:01, with Soldotna taking third at 3:20:10. Colony was fifth, so the Stars got back at the Knights for Colony’s team title win at the Region III meet.

Homer was 11th in 3:49:23 for the first DII title since 2020 and sixth overall. This is the first time the Mariners girls and boys finished atop Division II in the same year. Kenai, which had won the previous four girls DII titles, was 13th.

“I think the key to getting it done was really just the support this year from our school and my assistant coach (Katie Miller) and the parent volunteers, because we’re a small program,” Homer head coach Jessie Goodrich said.

Goodrich extended credit to the other programs on the Kenai Peninsula. Due to a low-snow winter, there were just three high school races at Tsalteshi Trails, and three in Homer.

The programs didn’t get a chance to compete off the peninsula until state and had to stick together to make competitions possible for the athletes.

The boys title was expected, with the Mariners skiing so well they only finished 19 seconds behind West Anchorage.

Goodrich said the Homer girls defeating Kenai was not a sure thing.

“We talked all weekend about not skiing for yourself,” Goodrich said. “When you’re tired, think about your teammates, and not just yourself.

“I really saw that in the girls and boys this weekend. Their tempo was higher. They were trying harder. It was like watching a different girls team.”

Soldotna head coach Isaac Erhardt was thrilled with junior Tania Boonstra finishing third overall and senior Ariana Cannava taking 10th to lead the team to third.

The coach said Boonstra is a very talented skier with three Region III Skimeisters to her credit, while Cannava was someone who showed top-10 potential back as a freshman and worked to get there.

“It was cool to see them finish that high and be up there together,” Erhardt said. “That was pretty special.”

The girls made some history by finishing third. The Clarion could only find records back to 1996, but in that time, the only peninsula squad to finish in the top three is the 2001 Soldotna boys. That team also finished third.

“We definitely staked our claim as a pretty dominant girls team, and that felt like redemption after losing regions,” Erhardt said.

The coach said it also was neat to see Region III skiers from the peninsula and Matanuska-Susitna valleys skiing right with Fairbanks and Anchorage skiers.

The best example was the Colony boys winning for the first time since three straight from 1997 to 1999.

“That was really fun to watch and cheer them as well, and see them be able to do something they hadn’t done since the late ’90s,” Erhardt said.

While Kenai did not defend either the girls or boys Division II team title due to Homer, the Kardinals still were able to have the top skier in Thursday’s 5-kilometer interval start classic and Friday’s 7.5K freestyle mass start.

On the boys side, Kenai Central junior Chase Laker won on Thursday and Friday, and finished 11th overall among skiers from schools of all sizes.

“It’s hard to say whether having more consistent snow would have made a difference for him moving into the 10th spot,” Kenai head coach Kristin Davis said. “I think it would have just because it would have meant more time on snow, and more training for him.

“But he puts in so much work on his own as well. I think it’s really showed this season.”

Kenai Central sophomore Isla Crouse was the top DII finisher in Thursday’s classic race. While practicing skate skiing was possible for most of the winter, deeper snow is required to set tracks for classic skiing.

“Isla has always been a very strong classic skier,” Davis said. “I’m not surprised she was able to win even with the few opportunities we had for really good classic skiing in the tracks.”

Kardinals sophomore Ruby Davis was the top DII skier in Friday’s freestyle, while Crouse was second.

“It was really awesome. She just looked so strong through the entire race,” Kristin Davis said of her daughter. “I knew it was going to be one of those two — Ruby or Isla.

“For me to have the top two finishers in that race be my girls — I was just incredibly proud.”

State concluded with the 4-by-3-kilometer relay Saturday, with the first two legs classic and second two freestyle.

On the boys side, Colony edged West Valley by .4 seconds to win at 30:54.

The Soldotna team of Michael Davidson, Noble Cassidy, Parker Richards and Ollie Dahl took fifth at 34:19.

Homer’s team of Jody Goodrich, Rockwell Bates, Leif Jaworski and Johannes Bynagle was seventh at 34:30, while Kenai’s Chase Laker, Levi Strong, Silvan Kreig and Fletcher Darr were 11th at 35:47.

“The boys had a really good day,” Erhardt said. “We beat Homer, who we had been losing to all season.”

Erhardt said Richards and Dahl had really good freestyle legs to key the victory.

Goodrich said Bynagle put down the third-fastest freestyle leg of the day but couldn’t quite catch Dahl.

“They worked as a team,” she said. “It was a huge team weekend for us. Every single kid would just go out there and kill themselves for their buddies.”

Davis said the relay showed a bright future for the boys. While Kreig is a foreign exchange student, Laker and Strong are juniors and Darr is a freshman.

“He’s come so far these last couple seasons, and it would have been really cool to see what he could have done with more racing opportunities this year,” Davis said of Strong.

The Service girls won the relay at 37:39. SoHi’s team of Tania Boonstra, Inga Smith, Kathryn Cox and Ariana Cannava missed out on third by .2 seconds.

East finished at 39:37 to defeat the Stars.

Homer’s Cassidy Carroll, Jaela Marchbanks, Etta Bynagle and Myra Kalafut were 11th at 45:08, while Kenai’s Isla Crouse, Teresa Fallon, Mya Taylor and Ruby Davis were 12th at 46:06.

Goodrich said seniors Carroll and Marchbanks set it up with solid classic legs, then freshmen Bynagle and Kalafut brought it home.

“That was probably the best skate races I’ve seen them do all season,” Goodrich said.

Taylor was the only senior for Kenai, with Crouse, Fallon and Davis all sophomores.

“The future looks really good for our girls team,” Davis said.

The Kenai coach said the state meet was a neat experience because it showed what all the skiers on the peninsula and Region III were able to do despite challenging snow conditions.

“They’ve all worked hard,” Davis said of her skiers. “It’s hard for me to say one more than the other.

“I’m just really proud of all the hard work they put in to get in there, given all the challenges we’ve had this season.”

Friday

Boonstra finished third in the state Skimeister standings Friday.

Boonstra had a total time of 37 minutes, 36 seconds, from Thursday’s 5-kilometer interval start classic and Friday’s 7.5K freestyle mass start.

Service freshman Talia Smith won Skimeister at 36:59, while Miya Kam-Magruder was second at 37:16.

Boonstra’s finish is the best for a Kenai Peninsula skier since Soldotna’s Sadie Fox was second in 2014.

Cannava joined Boonstra on the all-state team by finishing 10th at 38:27. Before Boonstra finished sixth last season, the last peninsula skier to get in the top 10 had been Soldotna’s John-Mark Pothast in 2018.

In Friday’s 7.5K freestyle, Boonstra was fourth at 20:14, with Kam-Magruder winning at 19:46. Cannava was 16th at 20:43, while Cox also was in the top 25 at 22nd in 21:28.

The top three Division II racers also are honored. Davis led the pack in 34th at 23:25, while Crouse was second at 23:30.

In the team times from the race, Soldotna was sixth, Homer was 10th and tops in Division II, and Kenai was 14th.

The boys Skimeister went to Service sophomore Jack Leveque at 29:40. In the top 25 from the peninsula were Laker in 11th at 32:34 and Goodrich at 21st in 33:34.

Leveque also won Friday’s 7.5K freestyle in 16:07. Laker was ninth, and best in Division II, at 17:11. With Colony putting four in the top eight, five of the top nine skiers in the race came from Region III.

Goodrich was second in Division II and 24th at 18:11, while Bynagle was third in Division II and 25th at 18:11.

In the team standings on the day, Homer was sixth and tops in Division II, while Soldotna was eighth and Kenai was 13th.

Thursday

Boonstra led the Kenai Peninsula at the first day of the state by taking second in the girls 5-kilometer interval start classic race.

Service’s Smith won the race at 17 minutes, 10 seconds, while Boonstra finished second at 17:21.

Last season, Boonstra took third in the classic race and sixth in the freestyle race. Boonstra, the three-time Skimeister of Region III, took sixth overall.

A skier from the Kenai Peninsula has never won the state Skimeister award.

Cannava also had a breakthrough day, taking sixth at 17:44. That’s the first time Cannava has cracked the top 10 at state.

Cox gave the Stars three in the top 25 by finishing 21st in 18:27.

The top three Division II finishers also are honored at state. Crouse was the top Division II girl, taking 37th overall at 20:03. Monroe Catholic’s Anya Simard was 39th, while Homer’s Carroll was 46th in 20:48.

The boys 5K classic race was won by Service sophomore Jack Leveque at 13:33.

Laker led all peninsula finishers, and Division II, by taking 17th at 15:23.0. Goodrich was just behind at 18th in 15:23.5 to lead the Mariners and take second for Division II. Bynagle was 37th overall and third in Division II at 16:27.

Soldotna was able to group a pack of skiers just outside the top 20.

Dahl was 25th, and the second freshman, at 15:44. Davidson was 29th at 16:14 and Cassidy was 31st at 16:20.

State Nordic ski championships

Saturday at Birch Hill

GIRLS

Team scores: 1. Service, 3 hours, 9 minutes, 1 second; 2. West Valley, 3:16:05; 3. Soldotna, 3:20:10; 4. East, 3:21:22; 5. Colony, 3:23:05; 6. South, 3:27:00; 7. Palmer, 3:34:49; 8. Chugiak, 3:40:44; 9. Dimond, 3:44:44; 10. Juneau-Douglas, 3:47:36; 11. Homer, 3:49:23; 12. Eagle River, 3:56:19; 13. Kenai, 3:56:54; 14. Lathrop, 3:57:59; 15. Grace, 4:09:06; 16. North Pole, 4:37:45.

4-by-3-kilometer mixed relay (classic-classic-free-free)

1. Service, 37:39; 2. West Valley, 38:11; 3. East, 39:37; 4. Soldotna (Tania Boonstra, Inga Smith, Kate Cox, Ariana Cannava), 39:37; 5. Colony, 39:55; 6. Palmer, 40:43; 7. South, 40:44; 8. Chugiak, 42:58; 9. Dimond, 43:13; 10. Juneau-Douglas, 44:53; 11. Homer (Cassidy Carroll, Jaela Marchbanks, Etta Bynagle, Myra Kalafut), 45:08; 12. Kenai (Isla Crouse, Teresa Fallon, Mya Taylor, Ruby Davis), 46:06; 13. Eagle River, 46:08; 14. Lathrop, 46:25; 15. Grace, 47:06; 16. North Pole, 54:23.

BOYS

Team scores: 1. Colony, 2:38:00; 2. West Valley, 2:38:48; 3. South, 2:42:29; 4. Service, 2:43:32; 5. West, 2:54:56; 6. Homer, 2:55:15; 7. East, 2:55:38; 8. Soldotna, 2:56:29; 9. Dimond, 3:00:45; 10. Lathrop, 3:03:15; 11. Palmer, 3:04:17; 12. Kenai, 3:05:22; 13. Juneau-Douglas, 3:07:13; 14. Chugiak, 3:10:21; 15. Grace, 3:10:57; 16. Eagle River, 3:29:18; 17. Glennallen, 3:30:33; 18. Valdez, 3:38:04; 19. North Pole, 4:02:19; 20. Bartlett, 4:19:28.

4-by-3-kilometer mixed relay (classic-classic-free-free)

1. Colony, 30:54; 2. West Valley, 30:54; 3. South, 31:54; 4. Service, 33:20; 5. Soldotna (Michael Davidson, Noble Cassidy, Parker Richards, Ollie Dahl), 34:19; 6. East, 34:22; 7. Homer (Jody Goodrich, Rockwell Bates, Leif Jaworski, Johannes Bynagle), 34:30; 8. West, 34:35; 9. Dimond, 34:44; 10. Palmer, 35:43; 11. Kenai (Chase Laker, Levi Strong, Silvan Kreig, Fletcher Darr), 35:47; 12. Chugiak, 36:57; 13. Lathrop, 37:02; 14. Grace, 37:05; 15. Juneau-Douglas, 38:19; 16. Glennallen, 40:02; 17. Eagle River, 40:25; 18. Valdez, 42:05; 19. North Pole, 46:31; 20. Bartlett, 50:03.

BOYS

Friday 7.5-kilometer freestyle mass start

Team scores: 1. Colony, 2 hours, 7 minutes, 5 seconds; 2. West Valley, 2:07:53; 3. Service, 2:10:11; 4. South, 2:10:35; 5. West, 2:20:41; 6. Homer, 2:20:45; 7. East, 2:21:16; 8. Soldotna, 2:22:09; 9. Dimond, 2:26:01; 10. Lathrop, 2:26:12; 11. Palmer, 2:28:33; 12. Juneau-Douglas, 2:28:53; 13. Kenai, 2:29:35; 14. Chugiak, 2:33:23; 15. Grace, 2:33:52; 16. Eagle River, 2:48:53; 17. Glennallen, 2:50:30; 18. Valdez, 2:55:59; 19. North Pole, 3:15:48; 20. Bartlett, 3:29:25.

Top 10

1. Jack Leveque, Ser, 16:07; 2. Coby Marvin, Col, 16:24; 3. Kieran Kaufman, WV, 16:46; 4. Gabe Black, Col, 16:59; 5. Peter-John Bragonier, WV, 17:05; 6. Wells Wappett, Lat, 17:08; 7. Raven Spangler, Col, 17:11; 8. Weston Sensabaugh, Col, 17:11; 9. Chase Laker, Ken, 17:11; 10. Finn Lamb, JD, 17:12.

Other peninsula finishers: 24. Jody Goodrich, Hom, 18:11; 25. Johannes Bynagle, Hom, 18:11; 32. Parker Richards, Sol, 19:03; 34. Michael Davidson, Sol, 19:05; 35. Ollie Dahl, Sol, 19:05; 40. Rockwell Bates, Hom, 19:17; 43. Fletcher Darr, Ken, 19:22; 45. Charlie Rustand, Hom, 19:25; 55. Noble Cassidy, Sol, 19:43; 61. Levi Strong, Ken, 20:28; 63. Tait Ostrom, Hom, 20:30; 64. Leif Jaworski, Hom, 20:35; 70. Tracker Keller, Sol, 21:01; 75. Silvan Krieg, Ken, 21:35; 78. Oliver Trobaugh, Sew, 21:56; 80. Elijah Pancoast, Ken, 22:19; 85. Jacob Ries, Sol, 22:39.

Skimeister results (Top 10)

1. Leveque, 29:40; 2. Marvin, 30:46; 3. Kaufman, 31:04; 4. G. Black, 31:26; 5. Lamb, 31:54; 6. Bragonier, 31:58; 7. Wappett, 31:58; 8. Vandelugt, 32:06; 9. Spangler, 32:10; 10. Stanek-Alward, 32:27.

Peninsula finishers: 11. Laker, 32:34; 21. Goodrich, 33:34; 26. Bynagle, 34:38; 27. Dahl, 34:50; 30. Davidson, 35:19; 37. Richards, 35:55; 38. Bates, 35:58; 41. Cassidy, 36:04; 49. Rustand, 36:33; 56. Darr, 37:27; 58. Jaworski, 37:43; 63. Strong, 38:20; 65. Ostrom, 38:21; 73. Keller, 39:39; 76. Ries, 40:52; 79. Krieg, 41:12; 81. Trobaugh, 41:22; 89. Pancoast, 43:21.

GIRLS

Friday 7.5-kilometer freestyle mass start

Team scores: 1. Service, 1:20:25; 2. West Valley, 1:23:41; 3. West, 1:25:20; 4. East, 1:26:29; 5. Colony, 1:26:53; 6. Soldotna, 1:26:59; 7. South, 1:29:43; 8. Palmer, 1:33:33; 9. Chugiak, 1:35:29; 10. Homer, 1:36:42; 11. Dimond, 1:37:48; 12. Juneau-Douglas, 1:38:10; 13. Eagle River, 1:40:34; 14. Kenai, 1:43:02; 15. Lathrop, 1:43:43; 16. Grace, 1:48:53; 17. North Pole, 2:01:19.

Top 10

1. Miya Kam-Magruder, Ser, 19:46; 2. Talia Smith, Ser, 19:49; 3. Elliot Sensabaugh, Col, 20:11; 4. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 20:14; 5. Talia Day, Ser, 20:16; 6. Rosie Conway, Eas, 20:20; 7. Olivia Soderstrom, Wes, 20:20; 8. Alise Elliott, Sou, 20:23; 9. Ellie Abrahamson, WV, 20:28; 10. Isela Austin, Col, 20:28.

Other peninsula finishers: 16. Ariana Cannava, Sol, 20:43; 22. Kate Cox, Sol, 21:28; 34. Ruby Davis, Ken, 23:25; 35. Isla Crouse, Ken, 23:30; 39. Myra Kalafut, Hom, 23:37; 42. Cassidy Carroll, Hom, 23:54; 49. Hannah Klima, Hom, 24:31; 50. Inga Smith, Sol, 24:32; 51. Etta Bynagle, Hom, 24:40; 54. Leanne Gordon, Sol, 24:47; 55. Indigo Leslie, Sew, 24:49; 58. Katie Van Buskirk, Sew, 25:00; 68. Jaela Marchbanks, Hom, 25:50; 76. McKenna Black, Hom, 26:10; 80. Mya Taylor, Ken, 26:33; 82. Kylie Smith, Sol, 26:41; 92. Emily Taylor, Ken, 29:32; 94. Abigail Bishop, Ken, 30:01.

Skimeister results (Top 10)

1. T. Smith, 36:59; 2. Kam-Magruder, 37:16; 3. Boonstra, 37:36; 4. Elliott, 37:57; 5. Sensabaugh, 38:03; 6. Conway, 38:12; 7. Day, 38:17; 8. Abrahamson, 38:25; 9. Soderstrom, 38:27; 10. Cannava, 38:27.

Other peninsula finishers: 21. Cox, 39:56; 34. Crouse, 43:33; 39. I. Smith, 44:33; 40. Carroll, 44:43; 41. Davis, 44:45; 44. Kalafut, 45:09; 48. Gordon, 45:33; 50. Leslie, 45:51; 65. Bynagle, 47:37; 66. Klima, 47:44; 67. Van Buskirk, 47:52; 68. Marchbanks, 48:03; 74. K. Smith, 49:01; 79. Black, 50:02; 81. M. Taylor, 50:13; 93. Bishop, 55:25; 94. E. Taylor, 56:38.

GIRLS

Top 10 Thursday 5K classic interval start

Team times: 1. Service, 1:10:56; 2. West, 1:12:50; 3. Soldotna, 1:13:33; 4. West Valley, 1:14:12; 5. East, 1:15:15; 6. Colony, 1:16:16; 7. South, 1:16:32; 8. Palmer, 1:20:31; 9. Chugiak, 1:22:16; 10. Dimond, 1:23:43; 11. Juneau-Douglas, 1:24:31; 12. Homer, 1:27:31; 13. Kenai, 1:27:44; 14. Lathrop, 1:27:50; 15. Eagle River, 1:29:37; 16. Grace, 1:33:06; 17. North Pole, 1:42:02.

1. Talia Smith, Ser, 17 minutes, 10 seconds; 2. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 17:21; 3. Merridy Littell, Wes, 17:28; 4. Miya Kam-Magruder, Ser, 17:29; 5. Alise Elliott, Sou, 17:33; 6. Ariana Cannava, Sol, 17:44; 7. Elliot Sensabaugh, Col, 17:52; 8. Rosie Conway, Eas, 17:52; 9. Ellie Abrahamson, WV, 17:57; 10. Elsa Henderson, ER, 17:57.

Other peninsula finishers: 21. Kate Cox, Sol, 18:27; 36. Inga Smith, Sol, 20:00; 37. Isla Crouse, Ken, 20:03; 44. Leanne Gordon, Sol, 20:45; 46. Cassidy Carroll, Hom, 20:48; 49. Indigo Leslie, Sew, 21:02; 53. Ruby Davis, Ken, 21:19; 56. Myra Kalafut, Hom, 21:32; 67. Jaela Marchbanks, Hom, 22:13; 69. Kylie Smith, Sol, 22:19; 73. Teresa Fallon, Ken, 22:41; 77. Katie Van Buskirck, Sew, 22:52; 78. Etta Bynagle, Hom, 22:57; 80. Hannah Klima, Hom, 23:13; 83. Mya Taylor, Ken, 23:40; 84. McKenna Black, Hom, 23:52; 97. Abigail Bishop, Ken, 25:24; 104. Emily Taylor, Ken, 27:05.

BOYS

Top 10 Thursday 5K classic interval start

Team times: 1. West Valley, 58:53; 2. Colony, 59:19; 3. South, 1:00:08; 4. Service, 1:00:13; 5. West, 1:05:10; 6. Soldotna, 1:05:11; 7. Homer, 1:05:40; 8. East, 1:05:40; 9. Juneau-Douglas, 1:07:48; 10. Lathrop, 1:07:55; 11. Dimond, 1:08:10; 12. Palmer, 1:08:25; 13. Kenai, 1:10:56; 14. Grace, 1:10:57; 15. Chugiak, 1:12:17; 16. Glennallen, 1:18:40; 17. Eagle River, 1:18:59; 18. Valdez, 1:21:34; 19. North Pole, 1:27:31; 20. Bartlett, 1:36:29.

1. Jack Leveque, Ser, 13:33; 2. Kieran Kaufman, WV, 14:18; 3. Coby Marvin, Col, 14:21; 4. Gabe Black, Col, 14:27; 5. Ethan Styvar, Sou, 14:35; 6. Finn Lamb, JD, 14:41; 7. Wells Wappett, Lat, 14:50; 8. Nathan Vandelugt, WV, 14:50; 9. Basile Plattet, WV, 14:51; 10. Peter-John Bragonier, WV, 14:52.

Peninsula finishers: 17. Chase Laker, Ken, 15:23.0; 18. Jody Goodrich, Hom, 15:23.5; 25. Ollie Dahl, Sol, 15:44; 29. Michael Davidson, Sol, 16:14; 31. Noble Cassidy, Sol, 16:20; 36. Johannes Bynagle, Hom, 16:27; 42. Rockwell Bates, Hom, 16:41; 44. Parker Richards, Sol, 16:51; 51. Leif Jaworski, Hom, 17:08; 52. Charlie Rustand, Hom, 17:08; 65. Tait Ostrom, Hom, 17:51; 67. Levi Strong, Ken, 17:51; 70. Fletcher Darr, Ken, 18:05; 71. Jacob Ries, Sol, 18:13; 78. Tracker Keller, Sol, 18:37; 83. Oliver Trobaugh, Sew, 19:25; 85. Silvan Krieg, Ken, 19:36; 100. Elijah Pancoast, Ken, 21:02; 103. Elliot Hanson, Ken, 21:28.