The Colony girls and boys cross-country teams swept the Colony Invite on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Colony High School, with Homer’s Johannes Bynagle collecting a victory in the boys race.

The Colony girls scored 40 points, with runner-up Seward next at 72. Also from the Kenai Peninsula, Soldotna was fourth at 83, Homer was fifth at 112 and Kenai Central was seventh at 190.

The Knights boys had 40 points, with Wasilla right behind at 69. Homer was third with 75, Soldotna was fourth with 82 and Kenai Central was seventh with 175.

Colony’s Ella Hopkins followed up her victory at the Ted McKenney XC Invitational with another win, this time at 18 minutes, 40 seconds. Wasilla’s Hailee Giacobbe was next at 18:50.

Soldotna’s Tania Boonstra led the peninsula at third in 19:27. Also in the top 10 were Seward’s Olive Jordan in fifth at 19:49, Homer’s Claira Booz in seventh at 20:26 and Seward’s Sadie Haas in 10th at 20:35.

Bynagle dropped a massive personal best to win the boys race. The junior had never broken 17 minutes in his prep cross-country career, but ran 16:09 to top the 16:26 of runner-up Coby Marvin.

Homer’s Caleb Bunker was sixth in 16:58, while Soldotna’s Ollie Dahl was eighth in 17:07 and SoHi’s Noble Cassidy was ninth in 17:10.

Colony Invite

Saturday at Colony High School

BOYS

Team scores — 1. Colony, 40; 2. Wasilla, 69; 3. Homer, 75; 4. Soldotna, 82; 5. Mountain City Christian Academy, 117; 6. Palmer, 162; 7. Kenai Central, 175.

Individual 5K results

1. Johannes Bynagle, Hom, 16 minutes, 9 seconds; 2. Coby Marvin, 16:26; 3. Lukas Underhile, MCCA, 16:35; 4. Blaze Rubeo, Was, 16:42; 5. Trygve Vang-Thompson, Col, 16:45; 6. Caleb Bunker, Hom, 16:58; 7. Stephen Hafen, Was, 17:02; 8. Ollie Dahl, Sol, 17:07; 9. Noble Cassidy, Sol, 17:10; 10. Corbin Wilson, Col, 17:10.

Other peninsula finishers — 13. Tait Ostrom, Hom, 17:18; 16. Chase Laker, Ken, 17:21; 19. Paul Wertanen, Sol, 17:49; 20. James Innes, Sol, 17:57; 26. Parker Richards, Sol, 18:36; 27. Landon Tinsley, Hom, 18:37; 28. Charlie Rustand, Hom, 18:37; 31. John Holt, Sol, 18:40; 34. Alex Fink, Sew, 19:02; 35. Gage Ivy, Ken, 19:12; 36. Jacob Ries, Sol, 19:12; 38. Jude Rozeboom, Hom, 19:14; 41. Corbin Crisp, Ken, 20:13; 43. Levi Strong, Ken, 20:50; 44. Benjamin Roberts, Ken, 21:03; 45. Elliot Hanson, Ken, 21:15; 48. Elijah Kahle, Ken, 21:54.

GIRLS

Team scores — 1. Colony, 40; 2. Seward, 72; 3. Wasilla, 77; 4. Soldotna, 83; 5. Homer, 112; 6. Palmer, 144; 7. Kenai Central, 190; 8. Redington, 246.

Individual 5K results

1. Ella Hopkins, Col, 18:40; 2. Hailee Giacobbe, Was, 18:50; 3. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 19:27; 4. Aubrey Virgin, Col, 19:34; 5. Olive Jordan, Sew, 19:49; 6. Karley Tichenor, Pal, 20:16; 7. Claira Booz, Hom, 20:26; 8. Rachel Danz, Col, 20:26; 9. Isela Austin, Col, 20:35; 10. Sadie Haas, Sew, 20:35.

Other peninsula finishers — 12. Kathryn Cox, Sol, 20:38; 13. Annie Burns, Sol, 20:39; 14. Indigo Leslie, Sew, 20:48; 17. Beatrix McDonough, Hom, 21:19; 20. Katie Van Buskirk, Sew, 21:22; 22. Teresa Fallon, Ken, 21:30; 23. Juniper Ingalls, Sew, 21:36; 24. Etta Bynagle, Hom, 21:43; 25. Anna Bailey, Sol, 21:45; 26. Selah Brueckner, Sew, 21:45; 27. Jaela Marchbanks, Hom, 21:58; 30. Sasha Brott, Sol, 22:04; 31. Maddie Haas, Sew, 22:09; 34. Ruby Davis, Ken, 22:31; 35. Shiloh Zichko, Sol, 22:34; 37. Myra Kalafut, Hom, 22:39; 38. Campbell Kincaid, Sol, 22:47; 39. Kiriakia Basargin, Hom, 23:10; 40. Abby Ostrom, Hom, 23:35; 41. Mya Taylor, Ken, 23:37; 47. Dianna Wright, Ken, 24:20; 50. Fox Coyle, Ken, 25:36; 52. Caroline Karpik, Ken, 26:26.

Soldotna’s Tania Boonstra competes at the Colony Invite at Colony High School in Palmer, Alaska, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (Photo by Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman)