Soldotna track and field sweeps Soldotna Invitational

The Soldotna girls and boys track and field teams swept the Soldotna Invitational on Friday and Saturday at an event where a surprising number of roads led to 2015 Kenai Central graduate Jonah Theisen.

The Stars boys scored 214 points to top the 164 of runner-up and defending Division I state champion Colony. From the peninsula, Seward was fourth with 49, Homer was sixth with 37, Kenai was seventh with 36.5 and Nikiski was eighth with 30.

The Stars girls totaled 172.33 points to top the 152 of runner-up Colony. Homer was fourth with 75.33, Seward tied for sixth with 39, Kenai was 10th with 23 and Ninilchik was 11th with 7.5.

While the SoHi boys showed impressive depth in taking nine of 18 events, including all four relays, the performance of the meet belonged to Kenai Central senior Greg Fallon in the 800 meters.

Fallon ran 1 minute, 55.95 seconds, to break the school record of Theisen, set in 2015.

Making Fallon’s record more impressive is that it came in Kenai’s first meet of the season. Theisen set his mark at the Brian Young Invitational in Kodiak, which happens the week after the state meet.

Further, Fallon was not pushed to the end because he had nobody within five seconds of him. In that 2015 race, Theisen finished third.

“He was shooting for about a 1:57 today and popped to a 1:55,” Kenai head coach Joe Shirley said. “So that was amazing.”

Shirley said Fallon is in a great place right now — relaxed and confident, yet still incredibly determined.

Fallon was a surprise winner of the Division II state title in the 800 as a sophomore. As a junior, he slumped to seventh as Robbie Annett of Grace won at 2:00.53. Annett was second to Fallon on Saturday, running 2:01.78.

“He’s very meticulous in his workouts, and his work ethic is fantastic,” Shirley said of Fallon. “And this year, he seems a little bit more relaxed than in prior years, like in a better head space.

“He’s just running confidently, and that’s huge for him.”

Theisen’s name also came up in discussing another big event from Saturday, the running of a 2,000-meter steeplechase for both girls and boys. Colony’s Aubrey Virgin won the girls event in 7:58.69, while Colony’s Tobias Buchanan won the boys event in 6:45.42.

The steeplechase was the idea of Homer coach Bob Ostrom, who built the special barriers in his garage.

Ostrom said immediately following the meet that he could find no record of a steeplechase being run in Alaska, but later he said a timer contacted him to say there had been some steeplechases in the 1980s. Saturday’s event wasn’t technically a steeplechase because there was no water pit.

Still, Ostrom said it is a great opportunity for the athletes.

“Like every Alaska kid who goes off to run in college ends up doing steeplechase,” Ostrom said.

One of those kids would be Theisen, who won the NCAA Division II 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2016.

Another 2015 Kenai graduate, Allie Ostrander, won three NCAA Division I steeplechase titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Ostrander’s sister, Taylor Deal, competed in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division III meet all four of her years at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

Isaac Updike, who grew up in Ketchikan, is another big name in the steeplechase. Updike, like Ostrander, has competed at a world championships in the steeplechase and is gunning for a berth in the event in the Olympics this summer.

Ostrom wanted to do the steeplechase at the Homer Invitational, but that meet was canceled due to snow. SoHi coach Phil Leck was happy to let Ostrom bring the barriers to Soldotna.

“We don’t have the facility for a true steeple, with the water jump,” Leck said. “For our handful of kids that do go on and run, and they get a chance to maybe do that once or twice a year, you might have had a kid today that said, ‘Man, I really want to do that in college.’

“Before, they never would have known. You’re creating opportunity for kids.”

Leck said the SoHi Invitational was pretty big, with over 700 athletes. He said many of his athletes were competing at a meet for the first time, since SoHi couldn’t take the full team to the Russ Edwards Big C Relays in early April.

“It was the first time for a lot of kids that didn’t get to go,” Leck said. “And some of those kids really showed out. So it was good to see that.”

On the boys side for Soldotna, Wyatt Faircloth won the 110 and 300 hurdles, Tyce Escott won the 100, Leigh Tacey II won the 200 and James Innes won the 400.

Also, Escott, Andon Wolverton, Tacey II and Jared Williams won the 400 relay, Gabriel Almeida, Tacey II, Jeren Nash and Escott won the 800 relay, Almeida, Innes, Elijah Jedlicki and Nash won the 1,600 relay and Finnley Loop, Jedlicki, Brendon Jones and Innes won the 3,200 relay.

Leck said SoHi also had B relay teams do really well.

“They showed they want a piece of the pie too,” Leck said. “So I’m going to have to go home and really look at that.

“We’ve got some kids that want to work and some kids that want to be on that region team. It’s a good problem to have.”

Leck said in the group of boys having great meets, two that stood out were Almeida and Tacey II. Almeida is a senior who just came out for track last season and is coming into his own. Tacey II is performing well despite injury.

For the SoHi girls, Annie Burns, Sasha Brott, Shiloh Zichko and Anaulie Sedivy won the 1,600 relay, and Tania Boonstra, Brott, Burns and Kathryn DeBardelaben won the 3,200 relay.

Leck also said Sarah Brown had a great meet, getting third in the 100, second in the 200, and second in the 400 and 800 relays.

In addition to Fallon, the Kardinals boys got a victory from Hayden Hughes in the long jump. Shirley said it was the first time Hughes competed in the long jump.

“He’s a really good athlete and just hasn’t found a niche in a sport yet,” Shirley said of the junior. “We convinced him to come and try track and jump.”

The Kardinals also received a victory from Emma Beck in the discus.

Truit McCaughey, the defending Division II state champ in the shot put, gave Nikiski a victory in the event.

“He’s already had a big year, and we’re just getting started,” Nikiski coach Billie Denison said.

The coach also said McCaughey finished third in the discus with a new personal record. With the throwing facility at Nikiski finally shoveled off on Monday, Denison expects more big things from McCaughey.

Also for Nikiski, Thayne Quiner had a personal record in taking fifth in the high jump, and he also took sixth in the long jump.

Quiner also helped the 800 relay of Dylan Hall, James Hemphill and Noah Douglas to fourth. Freshman Ryder Maguire provided a final highlight by qualifying for the final in the 400 meters.

Nick Ambrosiani got a victory for Seward in the high jump.

The Seahawks girls 400-meter relay team of Stella Dow, Robin Cronin, Maddie Haas and Regan Seibert finished sixth but ran a 55.22 to break the 1996 school record of 56.40.

“It’s a huge deal for us,” Seward assistant Hunter Kratz said. “We’re stoked about that.”

Kratz said the school record was a bit of a surprise because Seward has only been on its asphalt track this season.

The assistant also said the 400 boys relay of Ambrosiani, Ronan Bickling, Gideon Schrock and Emerson Cross taking second was a highlight.

Kratz also was happy to see Hailey Ingalls break six minutes in the mile, and Indigo Leslie, Katie Van Buskirk and Selah Brueckner approach the six-minute barrier.

“We got PRs all around the field,” Kratz said. “We’re just stoked about getting this first meet in, even though it’s late in the season.”

Ostrom also was happy to get outside on a track. The Mariners competed at the Big C Relays, but getting outside on their track has been tough due to spring snowstorms in Homer.

“The whole team was amazing,” he said. “They all came together and worked really hard together, cheering each other on.”

He said some highlights were Gracie Miotke finishing second in the 300 hurdles. Miotke is the defending Division II state champ in the event. Auden Cress was fourth in the discus and sixth in the shot put.

Ostrom also liked the way the team came together to compete in the relays.

SoHi Invitational

Friday, Saturday at Soldotna High School

BOYS

Team scores: 1. Soldotna, 214; 2. Colony, 164; 3. Wasilla, 65; 4. Seward, 49; 5. Grace, 38.5; 6. Homer, 37; 7. Kenai Central, 36.5; 8. Nikiski, 30; 9. Palmer, 25; 10. Bethel, 21; 11 (tie). Tri-Valley, Redington, 9; 13. Holy Rosary, 2.

Unified: 1. Homer, 34; 2. Soldotna, 31;3. Palmer, 6.

100 meters — 1. Tyce Escott, Sol, 11.86 seconds; 2. Andon Wolverton, Sol, 11.88; 3. Mark DeArmond, Was, 12.04; 4. Jared Williams, Sol, 12.15; 5. Ronan Bickling, Sew, 12.18; 6. Corbin Gerkin, Pal, 12.30.

100 unified — 1. Albert Freeman, Hom, 14.34; 2. Marcus Heistumen, Sol, 14.57; 3. John Pagel, Pal, 14.63.

200 — 1. Leigh Tacey II, Sol, 23.58; 2. Tyce Escott, Sol, 23.63; 3. Mark DeArmond, Was, 23.73; 4. James Innes, Sol, 23.90; 5. Andon Wolverton, Sol, 24.08; 6. Jeren Nash, Sol, 24.28.

400 — 1. James Innes, Sol, 53.71; 2. Leigh Tacey II, Sol, 53.89; 3. Brayden Licht, Pal, 54.36; 4. Kenneth Motton, Col, 54.93; 5. Kellen Jedlicka, Gra, 55.94; 6. Gideon Schrock, Sew, 56.13.

800 — 1. Greg Fallon, Ken, 1:55.95; 2. Robbie Annett, Gra, 2:01.78; 3. Elijah Jedlicki, Sol, 2:06.35; 4. Finnley Loop, Sol, 2:07.77; 5. Stephen Hafen, Was, 2:12.27; 6. Gabriel Carey, Was, 2:14.00.

1,600 — 1. Robbie Annett, Gra, 4:38.79; 2. Stephen Hafen, Was, 4:47.01; 3. Tobias Buchanan, Col, 4:50.78; 4. Gabriel Carey, Was, 4:51.77; 5. Ned Peters, Bet, 4:53.77; 6. Finnley Loop, Sol, 4:54.02.

3,200 — 1. Tobias Buchanan, Col, 10:23.02; 2. Ned Peters, Bet, 10:26.08; 3. Johannes Bynagle, Hom, 10:26.79; 4. Trygve Vang-Thompson, Col, 10:38.89; 5. Gabriel Black, Col, 11:03.14; 6. Chandon Lutz, Col, 11:08.37.

110 hurdles — 1. Wyatt Faircloth, Sol, 16.33; 2. William Klein, Sol, 16.97; 3. Trevor Jamison, Col, 18.44; 4. Bengimin Ambrosiani, Sew, 19.87; 5 (tie). Chris Jones, Gra, Matthew Krol, Ken, 19.90.

300 hurdles — 1. Wyatt Faircloth, Sol, 42.14; 2. Gabriel Almeida, Sol, 42.20; 3. William Klein, Sol, 45.29; 4. Bengimin Ambrosiani, Sew, 45.79; 5. Calvin Musgrave, Was, 46.95; 6. Christian Skaggs, Sol, 47.32.

2K steeplechase — 1. Tobias Buchanan, Col, 6:45.42; 2. Johannes Bynagle, Hom, 6:47.42; 3. Kendall Greathouse, Was, 7:08.06; 4. Tait Ostrom, Hom, 7:12.59; 5. Jai Badajos, Hom, 7:13.80; 6. Gabriel Black, Col, 7:27.68.

400 relay — 1. Soldotna (Escott, Wolverton, Tacey II, Williams), 45.50; 2. Seward, 46.68; 3. Wasilla, 47.44; 4. Colony, 47.50; 5. Tri-Valley, 47.52; 6. Soldotna, 47.77.

400 unified relay — 1. Soldotna (Connor Marks, Marcus Heistumen, Dallas Peterson, Coen Braxling), 1:12.30; 2. Homer, 1:20.96.

800 relay — 1. Soldotna (Gabriel Almeida, Leigh Tacey II, Jeren Nash, Tyce Escott), 1:34.60; 2. Colony, 1:36.50; 3. Soldotna, 1:42.51; 4. Nikiski, 1:42.78; 5. Colony, 1:43.21; 6. Kenai, 1:43.41.

1,600 relay — 1. Soldotna (Gabriel Almeida, James Innes, Elijah Jedlicki, Jeren Nash), 3:37.39; 2. Colony, 3:48.29; 3. Palmer, 3:49.65; 4. Soldotna, 3:50.53; 5. Wasilla, 3:52.83; 6. Homer, 3:57.71.

3,200 relay — 1. Soldotna (Finnley Loop, Elijah Jedlicki, Brendon Jones, James Innes), 9:02.78; 2. Colony, 9:21.55; 3. Soldotna, 9:28.80; 4. Grace, 9:32.43; 5. Bethel, 9:36.27; 6. Homer, 9:47.20.

Shot put — 1. Truit McCaughey, Nik, 49 feet, .5 inches; 2. Kevin Steger, Sol, 46-2; 3. Benjemin Holladay, Col, 45-3.25; 4. Ala Tuisaula, Sol, 44—1.25; 5. Kenton Phelps, Col, 42—10; 6. Nolan Thaler, Col, 41—5.75.

Discus — 1. Kenton Phelps, Col, 133—2; 2. Kevin Steger, Sol, 131—1; 3. Truit McCaughey, Nik, 130—6; 4. Ethan McNulty, Col, 121—4; 5. Ala Tuisaula, Sol, 120—11; 6. Andrew Richardson, Col, 120—5.

High jump — 1. Nickolas Ambrosiani, Sew, 5–10; 2. Myles Campbell, Red, 5—10; 3. Olin Liljemark, Sew, 5—8; 4. Bengimin Ambrosiani, Sew, 5—8; 5. Thayne Quiner, Nik, 5—8; 6. Trevor Jamison, Col, 5—8.

Long jump — 1. Hayden Hughes, Ken, 18—7.5; 2. Trevor Jamison, Col, 18—1.5; 3. Andon Wolverton, Sol, 18—1.5; 4. Blake Pomrenke, Col, 18—1; 5. Trayvon Lott, Col, 17—9.5; 6. Thayne Quiner, Nik, 17—9.

Long jump unified — 1. Albert Freeman, Hom, 26—1.5; 2. Marcus Heistumen, Sol, 23—6; 3. Lance Parkinson, Hom, 14—6; 4. John Pagel, Palmer, 2—8; 5. Jacoby Moore, Sol, 2—3.

Triple jump — 1. Trevor Jamison, Col, 42—5.75; 2. Kenneth Motton, Col, 41—.5; 3. Calvin Musgrave, Was, 41—0; 4. Joe Gordon, Hom, 39—11; 5. Asher Thomas, Col, 38—7.25; 6. Ethan Anding, Sol, 37—3.5.

GIRLS

Team scores: 1. Soldotna, 172.33; 2. Colony, 152; 3. Tri-Valley, 86.33; 4. Homer, 75.33; 5. Grace, 47; 6 (tie). Palmer, Seward, 39; 8. Redington, 31; 9. Wasilla, 23.5; 10. Kenai Central, 23; 11. Ninilchik, 7.5; 12. Houston, 4.

Unified: 1. Kenai, 30.

100 — 1. Taylor Eddington, TV, 13.36; 2. Annelise Larsen, Col, 13.43; 3. Sarah Brown, Sol, 13.62; 4. Denali Anderson-Berghoff, Col, 13.62; 5. Jaelynn Kennon, Hom, 14.08; 6. Kayla Mayo, TV, 14.31.

100 unified — 1. Pepper Noel, Ken, 15.20.

200 — 1. Taylor Eddington, TV, 26.86; 2. Sarah Brown, Sol, 27.24; 3. Annelise Larsen, Col, 27.48; 4. Mary Burnett, Col, 28.06; 5. Denali Anderson-Berghoff, Col, 28.14; 6. Maddy Miotke, Hom, 28.20.

400 — 1. Annelise Larsen, Col, 1:00.51; 2. Leila Petersen, Pal, 1:01.50; 3. Shiloh Zichko, Sol, 1:03.79; 4. Jillian Pool, Col, 1:04.78; 5. Sasha Brott, Sol, 1:04.93; 6. Cassidy Knutsen, Col, 1:05.59.

800 — 1. Ella Hopkins, Col, 2:26.09; 2. Annie Burns, Sol, 2:29.28; 3. Tagan Rinner, Gra, 2:30.46; 4. Beatrix McDonough, Hom, 2:31.64; 5. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 2:38.16; 6. Adelyn McCorison, Nin, 2:39.13.

1,600 — 1. Ella Hopkins, Col, 5:29.27; 2. Aubrey Virgin, Col, 5:40.35; 3. Kathryn DeBardelaben, Sol, 5:41.87; 4. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 5:43.10; 5. Annie Burns, Sol, 5:44.35; 6. Claira Booz, Hom, 5:49.18.

3,200 — 1. Ella Hopkins, Col, 11:58.45; 2. Daisy MossWalker, Hom, 12:09.99; 3. Kathryn DeBardelaben, Sol, 12:15.78; 4. Tania Boonstra, Sol, 12:22.30; 5. Hailey Ingalls, Sew, 12:52.68; 6. Claira Booz, Hom, 12:56.72.

100 hurdles — 1. McKinley Eddington, TV, 16.46; 2. Hope Jackson, Gra, 16.83; 3. Gracie Miotke, Hom, 17.59; 4. Angelina Chavarria, Sol, 18.15; 5. Abigail McKay, Gra, 18.17; 6. Maddie Haas, Sew, 18.54.

300 hurdles — 1. McKinley Eddington, TV, 48.67; 2. Gracie Miotke, Hom, 49.20; 3. Anaulie Sedivy, Sol, 51.37; 4. Hope Jackson, Gra, 51.80; 5. Hallie Fischer, Sol, 53.56; 6. Aubrey Virgin, Col, 54.85.

2K steeplechase — 1. Aubrey Virgin, Col, 7:58.69; 2. Ariana Cannava, Sol, 9:29.95; 3. Mikayla Kalicin, Was, 10:02.65; 4. Laurel Johnson, Sol, 10:16.14.

400 relay — 1. Tri-Valley (McKinley Eddington, Ellie VanDeventer, Kayla Mayo, Taylor Eddington), 53.40; 2. Soldotna, 53.83; 3. Colony, 54.05; 4. Homer, 54.84; 5. Palmer, 54.90; 6. Seward, 55.22.

800 relay — 1. Colony (Denali Anderson-Berghoff, Xaida Zellmer, Sophia Allen, Malia Matthews), 1:53.53; 2. Soldotna, 1:54.25; 3. Grace, 1:57.06; 4. Tri-Valley, 1:59.97; 5. Homer, 2:05.58; 6. Redington, 2:08.46.

1,600 relay — 1. Soldotna (Annie Burns, Sasha Brott, Shiloh Zichko, Anaulie Sedivy), 4:19.75; 2. Colony, 4:23.62; 3. Homer, 4:26.22; 4. Palmer, 4:32.17; 5. Grace, 4:35.19; 6. Seward, 4:42.82.

3,200 relay — 1. Soldotna (Tania Boonstra, Sasha Brott, Annie Burns, Kathryn DeBardelaben), 10:18.50; 2. Colony, 10:19.50; 3. Homer, 10:49.79; 4. Seward, 11:02.77; 5. Colony, 11:26.42; 6. Soldotna, 12:00.99.

Shot put — 1. Abby Pettit, Pal, 35—7; 2. Meg Roberts, Sol, 34—5; 3. Emma Beck, Ken, 33—2.5; 4. Katie Nye, Sol, 30—6.5; 5. Brook Lentfer, Gra, 30—5; 6. Auden Cress, Hom, 29—6.5.

Shot put unified — 1. Pepper Noel, Ken, 10—10.5.

Discus — 1. Emma Beck, Ken, 112—2; 2. Alexia Pike, Red, 102—0; 3. Juliet Innes, Sol, 94—8; 4. Auden Cress, Hom, 91—0; 5. Willow Graham, Ken, 87—5; 6. Audrie Fischer, Col, 87—1.

High jump — 1. Avery Johnson, Pal, 4—8; 2 (tie). Jaelynn Kennon, Hom, Hallie Fischer, Sol, Ellie VanDeventer, TV, 4—6; 3; 5. Robin Cronin, Sew, 4—6; 6. Rylee McIntosh, Col, 4—6.

Long jump — 1. Mya Campbell, Red, 15—7.25; 2. Taylor Eddington, TV, 14—11; 3. Hope Jackson, Gra, 14—7; 4. Angelina Chavarria, Sol, 14—4; 5. Sophia Dickson, Hou, 14—3; 6 (tie). McKinley Hafen, Was, Adelyn McCorison, Nin, 14—1.

Long jump unified — 1. Pepper Noel, Ken, 3—9.

Triple jump — 1. McKinley Eddington, TV, 32—1.5; 2. Kichelle Frizzelle, Was, 31—3.5; 3. Mya Campbell, Red, 31—1; 4. Robin Cronin, Sew, 30—11; 5. Kayla Mayo, TV, 30—6.5; 6. Kathryn DeBardelaben, Sol, 30—1.5.

Editor’s note: This story updates Bob Ostrom’s statement on whether a steeplechase had previously been run in Alaska.