Soldotna captures 3 of 4 races at Peninsula Class Races

The Soldotna cross-country team took three of the four races Monday at the Peninsula Class Races at Nikiski Middle-High School.

For the Stars, Kathryn DeBardelaben won the freshmen-sophomore girls race, Ollie Dahl won the freshman-sophomore boys race and Tania Boonstra won the junior-senior girls race.

Homer’s Johannes Bynagle broke up the SoHi hegemony at the event, which is put on by Kenai Central using the classic Nikiski Class Races course, by taking the junior-senior boys race.

The Stars were the only Division I team at the race. Also running were Division II Homer, Kenai and Seward, and Division III Dillingham.

With a burgeoning cross-country program of over 70 runners, Soldotna’s victories are a comment on that program and not the strength of the peninsula’s other programs.

After all, Seward returns a loaded squad in pursuit of a third-straight Division II girls title and the Seahawks did not win a race.

DeBardelaben, a sophomore, covered the hilly 5-kilometer course in 22 minutes, 24 seconds, to top the 22:40 of runner-up Olive Jordan of Seward. Jordan, a freshman, won the girls Mount Marathon Race in July. SoHi sophomore Kathryn Cox was third at the class races.

“I could hear people cheering, ‘Go Olive,’ behind me and I just knew I had to go faster,” DeBardelaben said.

She said having over 70 runners out for the team has led to a lot of excitement. DeBardelaben said the Stars are looking to improve on a sixth-place finish at state from last year, with all of the scorers from that effort returning.

“Then we have some good freshmen, and people who have really improved a lot over the summer, too,” she said.

Dahl, a freshman, won at 19:03, while fellow SoHi freshman Paul Wertanen was second at 19:43.

According to Dahl, four days a week of training in the summer with the Alaska Nordic Racing program, plus running and biking races at Tsalteshi Trails, got him ready for the season.

Well, almost ready. The sharp ups and downs at Nikiski still were trying.

“It felt like when you’re trying to sprint the last lap of a race on the track,” he said. “It felt like that the whole time. It was the hardest race I’ve ever done.”

Dahl said the addition of freshmen like himself and Wertanen to SoHi’s strong returners gives the Stars boys a shot at a first state berth since 2019.

“I’m hoping this year the varsity team can make it to state,” he said. “That’s my goal for the season.

“It’s pretty awesome. I’m stoked with how this season is going to go for the whole team.”

Boonstra, a junior, posted the fastest girls time of the day at 21:04. SoHi senior Annie Burns was next in the junior-senior girls race at 23:05.

The two are part of the returning SoHi group that is looking to make waves at state.

“We have a really big team this year compared to other years,” Boonstra said. “We have a really strong girls team, and it’s super fun to go around with everyone.”

Boonstra came out of track season in the spring with an ankle injury and she said led to hip issues. She said setting a new personal record on the Nikiski course shows she is feeling pretty good headed into the season.

Bynagle, a junior, had the fastest boys time of the day at 18:20. Soldotna senior Noble Cassidy was the runner-up in the junior-senior boys race at 19:02, while SoHi junior Tom Schwartz also nailed a top five by taking fourth in 19:26.

According to Bynagle, six boys and four girls went to the Steens Mountain Running Camp in Oregon this summer to prepare for the season.

That preparation, plus the cowbells cheering section of his father and sister, propelled Bynagle to victory.

Bynagle was 11th at the Division II state meet last season, while the Homer boys were third.

“We’d like to place in the top two as a team,” he said. “Individually, I’d like to move up to the top 10.”

Homer head coach Bob Ostrom said the Mariners have 20 out for the program right now, with more expected once school begins.

“We return just about everybody this year,” said Ostrom, whose girls team was fourth at state last season. “We’ve got some pretty good freshmen too.”

Also in the top five for Homer were junior Caleb Bunker in third in the junior-senior boys race and senior Beatrix McDonough in fourth in the junior-senior girls race.

In addition to Jordan, top-five finishers for the Seahawks were sophomore Ridge Conant in third, freshman Luke Elhard in fourth and sophomore Alex Fink in fifth in the freshmen-sophomore boys race, freshman Sadie Haas in fourth and sophomore Selah Brueckner in fifth in the freshmen-sophomore girls race, and junior Juniper Ingalls in third and junior Maddie Haas in fifth in the junior-senior girls race.

Seward head coach Rachel Dow, who has 25 runners out for the team, said the girls varsity returns five of seven, and two of those didn’t even run Monday.

She said the addition of Jordan and Sadie Haas to the returners has Seward looking for another state title.

“I’m really excited,” Dow said. “I could not wait for today. And I’m really excited to have my whole girls team running Saturday.”

Dow also is excited about the boys team. She said in her first three years as head coach the boys haven’t had enough runners to field a varsity team. With talented freshmen and some good recruiting, Dow said that will change this season.

“I think the boys are going to be competitive with each other because they’re friends,” Dow said. “I’m excited to see how that plays out as the season progresses.”

Kenai’s top five came from a fifth from junior Chase Laker in the junior-senior boys race.

Kenai head coach Anna Widman said the Kardinals have 21 out for the squad. She expects that number to grow when school starts.

Widman thanked Nikiski athletic director Dylan Hooper for helping put on the race.

“I think our athletes did really well,” Widman said. “I think our Kenai community and Nikiski, especially Dylan, came together and helped us run a beautiful race.”

Widman said the cross-country scene on the peninsula is impressive right now.

“I enjoyed seeing my team have multiple top-10 finishes,” she said. “It’s a competitive community. Our peninsula teams have a lot of strong runners.

“It should be a good season.”

That cross-country scene moves to Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna for the Ted McKenney Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 24.

The open girls race is at noon, the open boys race is at 12:45 p.m., the girls varsity races at 1:30 p.m. and the boys varsity races at 2:15 p.m. Results and awards are at 3 p.m., while the community race is at 3:30 p.m.

Peninsula Class Races

Monday at Nikiski Middle-High School

5 kilometers

Freshmen-sophomore boys — 1. Ollie Dahl, Sol, 19:03; 2. Paul Wertanen, Sol, 19:43; 3. Ridge Conant, Sew, 20:11; 4. Luke Elhard, Sew, 20:19; 5. Alex Fink, Sew, 21:01; 6. John Holt, Sol, 21:02; 7. Jacob Ries, Sol, 21:08; 8. Charlie Rustand, Hom, 21:28; 9. Quinn Humbert, Sew, 21:28; 10. Paxton Roach, Sol, 22:19; 11. Banyan Joachim, Sol, 22:20; 12. Gustav Fonkert, Dillingham, 22:35; 13. Owen Bell, Sol, 23:09; 14. Dwight Brown, Sol, 23:11; 15. Wyatt Munster, Dil, 23:12; 16. Riley Wagers, Sol, 24:01; 17. Braze Cassidy, Sol, 24:06; 18. August Reigh, Dil, 24:11; 19. Daniel Christ, Hom, 24:11; 20. Lee Downing, Sol, 24:31; 21. Ryan Wheat, Sol, 26:28; 22. Elijah Kahle, Ken, 27:42; 23. Jax Nash, Sol, 27:49; 24. Simeon Holt, Sol, 27:51.

Freshmen-sophomore girls — 1. Kathryn DeBardelaben, Sol, 22:24; 2. Olive Jordan, Sew, 22:40; 3. Kathryn Cox, Sol, 23:06; 4. Sadie Haas, Sew, 23:12; 5. Selah Brueckner, Sew, 24:32; 6. Etta Bynagle, Hom, 24:36; 7. Teresa Fallon, Ken, 24:40; 8. Ruby Davis, Ken, 25:37; 9. Myra Kalafut, Hom, 25:39; 10. Kylie Dickson, Sol, 26:25; 11. Shiloh Zichko, Sol, 26:47; 12. Kylie Smith, Sol, 27:29; 13. Dianna Wright, Ken, 27:44; 14. Eva Abel, Sol, 27:46; 15. Maren Bickling, Sew, 29:52; 16. Abby Ostrom, Hom, 31:10; 17. Lucia Carson, Ken, 31:31; 18. Keira Larson, Sol, 32:54; 19. Taylen Moore, Sol, 34:15; 20. Shelby Huffer, Sol, 34:25; 21. Alta Liljemark, Sew, 34:33; 22. Natalee Strouse, Sol, 34:53; 23. Amara Ransom, Sew, 35:00; 24. Amanda Redman, Sol, 35:10; 25. Aislyn Downum, Sol, 35:47; 26. Naomi Zichko, Sol, 37:34; 27. Rachel Lewis, Sol, 37:54.

Junior-senior boys — 1. Johannes Bynagle, Hom, 18:20; 2. Noble Cassidy, Sol, 19:02; 3. Caleb Bunker, Hom, 19:16; 4. Tom Schwartz, Sol, 19:26; 5. Chase Laker, Ken, 19:50; 6. Mason Elhard, Sew, 19:51; 7. Tait Ostrom, Hom, 20:00; 8. James Innes, Sol, 20:08; 9. Jody Goodrich, Hom, 20:13; 10. Lukas Renner, Hom, 20:57; 11. Isaiah Dickson, Sol, 21:00; 12. Landon Tinsley, Hom, 21:07; 13. Graelin Chaney, Dil, 21:17; 14. Sampson Antrim, Sew, 21:29; 15. Jude Rozeboom, Hom, 22:19; 16. Frank Antrim, Sew, 22:21; 17. Olin Liljemark, Sew, 22:28; 18. Logan Cartwright, Ken, 22:31; 19. Clay Martin, Dil, 22:28; 20. Brennan Steen, Hom, 23:15; 21. Zachary Altringer, Hom, 24:14; 22. Levi Strong, Ken, 24:41; 23. Elliot Hanson, Ken, 24:47; 24. Haedyn Hortsman, Sol, 24:55; 25. Jameson Hall, Sol, 25:00; 26. William Klein, Sol, 25:03; 27. Benjamin Roberts, Ken, 25:05; 28. Aaron Fletcher, Sol, 25:07; 29. Elias Bouschor, Sol, 25:54; 30. Samuel Klein, Sol, 26:17; 31. Alexander VanMeter, Hom, 26:39; 32. Briggs Cheeseman, Sol, 27:14; 33. Lance Stego, Sol, 28:24; 34. Caleb Wohlers, Sol, 28:43; 35. Evan Neketa, Dil, 33:59.

Junior-senior girls — 1. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 21:04; 2. Annie Burns, Sol, 23:05; 3. Juniper Ingalls, Sew, 23:26; 4. Beatrix McDonough, Hom, 24:01; 5. Maddie Haas, Sew, 24:47; 6. Jaela Marchbanks, Hom, 25:12; 7. Mya Taylor, Ken, 25:42; 8. Kiriakia Basargin, Hom, 25:53; 9. Delanie Wagers, Sol, 26:07; 10. Sasha Brott, Sol, 26:54; 11. Lucy Bamford, Sew, 27:02; 12. Laney Woods, Dil, 27:06; 13. Campbell Kincaid, Sol, 27:21; 14. Kalin Clouse, Dil, 27:28; 15. Ann Tucker, Dil, 27:41; 16. Kate Norvell, Sew, 29:15; 17. Marion Coupchiak, Dil, 29:16; 18. Adalgisa Reigh, Dil, 29:24; 19. Laurel Johnson, Sol, 29:41; 20. Emily Anger, Sew, 30:03; 21. Annie Evans, Dil, 30:30; 22. Kylie Saltzgiver, Sol, 35:40; 23. Ainsley Boss-Harmon, Hom, 35:56; 24. Esme Wilder, Sew, 36:41; 25. Shayla Smith, Sol, 42:26.