by Greg Lincoln
The Lower Kuskokwim School District 1A Cross Country race took place in Bethel at the Sand Pit this past weekend, September 30th, 2023. Teams from Chefornak, Akiuk, Kipnuk, Kongiganak, Kwethluk, Kwigillingok, Mertarvik, Newtok, Toksook Bay, and Tuntutuliak participated in the event.
The top five runners from the 1A Lower Kuskokwim School District cross country meet will be headed to the State Division III Cross Country finals to be held in Palmer, AK on October 7th, 2023.
Winning the girls race was sophomore Destiny Panruk of Chefornak. Her time was 27.54. Coming in second was her teammate junior Abigail Mael, 5 seconds after with a time of 27:59. In third was Akiuk’s Teana Pavilla, crossing the finish line at 29:08. In fourth was freshman Shawna Paul of Kipnuk. Rounding out the top 5 was senior Mariah Tinker of Kongiganak.
There were twenty racers in all for the girls division.
The 1A boys started their race after the girls. Twenty-eight boys total participated in the run. Coming in for the top spot was Kwethluk’s senior Abraham Fisher. His time was 22:54. In second place was senior Jordan Carl of Tuntutuliak with a time of 23:04. Third place winner was sophomore Klayton Maxie, another Kwethluk runner. In fourth was Jarret Brown, a senior from Kongiganak. His finishing time was 23:52. In the fifth and final berth for state was senior Andrew Paul of Kipnuk. He crossed the finish line at 23:57.
Division III boys will start at 10am and the race for Division III girls will be at 10:45am at the Janecek Trails in Palmer.
1A LKSD Cross Country Regionals
Bethel Sand Pit
September 30, 2023
Girls Results
1 Destiny Panruk (10) 27:54 Chefornak
2 Abbigal Mael (11) 27:59 Chefornak
3 Teana Pavilla (10) 29:08 Akiuk
4 Shawna Paul (9) 30:17 Kipnuk
5 Mariah Tinker (12) 30:29 Kongiganak
6 Glennesha Carl 30:41 Mertarvik
7 Jasmine Simons (12) 32:12 Toksook Bay
8 Jojean George 32:53 Mertarvik
9 Daisy Carl 33:10 Mertarvik
10 Shalisa Mcdalton (10) 33:18 Tuntutuliak
11 Rosie Carl (9) 33:34 Toksook Bay
12 Natalia Slim (11) 33:49 Akiuk
13 Nicole Hunt (9) 34:39 Tuntutuliak
14 Erica Mael (9) 35:30 Chefornak
15 Claire Schneidler (12) 35:31 Akiuk
16 Janel Lincoln-John (10) 36:24 Kwigillingok
17 Cecelia Hunt (10) 36:26 Tuntutuliak
18 Kaliegh Charles 36:51 Mertarvik
19 Emerald Carl 36:56 Mertarvik
20 Katya Carl (12) 41:59 Kwigillingok
Boys Results
1 Abraham Fisher (12) 22:54 Kwethluk
2 Jordan Carl (12) 23:04 Tuntutuliak
3 Klayton Maxie (10) 23:51 Kwethluk
4 Jarett Brown (12) 23:52 Kongiganak
5 Andrew Paul (12) 23:57 Kipnuk
6 Lucius Michael (9) 23:58 Kwethluk
7 Carson John (11) 24:05 Kwigillingok
8 Jayden R Carl (11) 24:34 Toksook Bay
9 Adrian Post (9) 24:38 Chefornak
10 Theodore Andrew (11) 25:15 Akiuk
11 Ashton Mathew (12) 26:06 Chefornak
12 Montel Waska (10) 26:14 Akiuk
13 James Brink (11) 26:15 Kwigillingok
14 Evon Phillip (11) 26:30 Kwigillingok
15 William Charlie (10) 26:34 Tuntutuliak
16 Gordon Pitka (9) 26:47 Toksook Bay
17 Jordan Jimmy (11) 26:52 Chefornak
18 Carl Tom 26:53 Mertarvik
19 Sam Lewis (11) 28:51 Kongiganak
20 Zachary Angaiak (11) 28:56 Toksook Bay
21 Vladimir White (9) 29:40 Tuntutuliak
22 Quinn Carl (9) 30:04 Toksook Bay
23 Robert Jimmy II (11) 30:47 Chefornak
24 Tyler Daniel (10) 31:17 Kongiganak
25 Larry Charles 32:24 Mertarvik
26 Bruce Azean (11) 33:58 Kongiganak
27 Keon Fancyboy (10) 34:09 Kongiganak
28 Brenton Dock (12) 34:18 Kipnuk
3A Big West Cross Country State Division II Qualifiers
The Bethel Sandpit was the venue for the 2023 3A Big West Cross Country Meet where teams from Barrow, Kotzebue, and Nome joined the Bethel Warriors host team for the race that would determine the state qualifiers for the Division II State XC finals in Palmer.
The top eight runners and the top winning team will be headed to the state meet in Palmer on Saturday, October 7th, 2023.
Coming in first place for the girls was junior racer Awaluk Wookie Nichols of the Nome Lady Nanooks. She crossed the finish line in 24:03. Following her was her teammate Lauren Kingstrom – also a junior, her time was 24:05. Bethel’s sophomore Rosemarie Dyment finished in third position.
Nichols said that this was her first time running at the Bethel Sand Pit. She is also the 2022 World Eskimo Indian Olympics Race of the Torch winner.
There was a total of 22 racers in the girls division. For the boys there was 28 runners.
On the boys’ side junior Orson Hoogendorn of Nome-Beltz won the race with a finishing with a time of 19:23. Coming in second was Bethel Warrior Ned Peters, a junior, his time was 19:37.
His teammate, freshman Jackson Iverson of Bethel placed third with a time of 20:23.
3A Team GPA Award
The Kotzebue Huskies, both boys and girls, were awarded the 3A Team Highest GPA award for their 3.68 gpa. Congratulations to all the teams and winners!
There are three divisions, schools with 501 students and above are in Division I, schools with 151-500 students are in Division II and schools with 1-150 students are in Division III.
Below are the results and the State Qualifiers that came out of the 2023 3A Big West Meet that was held in Bethel, AK.
2023 3A Big West Cross Country Meet
Oct. 1st, 2023
3A Girls Results
1. AwaLuk Nichols (11) Nome-Beltz 24:03
2. Lauren Kingstrom (11) Nome-Beltz 24:05
3. Rosemarie Dyment (10) Bethel Regional 26:04
4. Xiimara Salazar (11) Kotzebue 26:49
5. Kyana Harpak (11) Bethel Regional 27:15
6. Kiara Burnell (12) Barrow 27:36
7. Forrest Olemaun (10) Barrow 27:38
8. Katelyn Piper (12) Kotzebue 27:46
9. Lacey Sherman (11) Nome-Beltz 28:10
10. Kimberly Wolgemuth (12) Barrow 28:18
11. Kayleigh Bell (9) Bethel Regional 29:37
12. Julianna Hernandez (12) Kotzebue 29:51
13. Jordan Klejka (12) Bethel Regional 29:56
14. Hannah Leinberger (10) Bethel Regional 30:04
15. Bristol Huffman (12) Kotzebue 31:18
16. Riley Boney (9) Bethel Regional 31:50
17. Taegan Edwardsen (12) Barrow 32:46
18. Miriam Mongoyak (10) Barrow 33:23
19. Caris Nanouk (10) Kotzebue 34:04
20. Ashlynn Lonewolf (9) Bethel Regional 36:31
21. Alyssa Conwell (11) Kotzebue 37:54
22. Ava Edwardsen (9) Barrow 40:38
Winning Team – Bethel Regional
Kayleigh Bell (9)
Kyana Harpak (11)
Jordan Klejka (12)
Hannah Leinberger (10)
Riley Boney (9)
Rosemarie Dyment (10)
Ashlynn Lonewolf (9)
Team Scores
Bethel Regional – 33 Pts.
Kotzebue – 45 Pts.(WON TIE BREAKER WITH 6TH RUNNER IN 18TH PLACE)
Barrow – 45 Pts. (LOST IN TIE BREAKER WITH 6TH RUNNER IN 19TH PLACE)
Nome-Beltz – No Score with only 3 Runners
3A Boys Results
1. Orson Hoogendorn (11) Nome-Beltz 19:23
2. Ned Peters (11) Bethel Regional 19:37
3. Jackson Iverson (9) Bethel Regional 20:23
4. Benjamin Milton (10) Nome-Beltz 20:39
5. Madden Cockroft (11) Bethel Regional 21:33
6. Sheldon Smith (11) Bethel Regional 21:34
7. Son Erickson (12) Nome-Beltz 21:34
8. Deacon Callahan (12) Nome-Beltz 22:03
9. Uriel Zuniga (10) Kotzebue 22:09
10. Young Erickson (10) Nome-Beltz 22:20
11. Paul Dyment (12) Bethel Regional 22:30
12. Ethan Wheeler (9) Bethel Regional 22:38
13. Benjamin Marcus (10) Kotzebue 22:54
14. Joshua Barron (9) Kotzebue 22:58
15. Mason Beans-Polk (10) Bethel Regional 23:00
16. Zachary Roetman (12) Kotzebue 23:40
17. Wyatt Stein (9) Barrow 24:05
18. Wyatt Ahmasuk (11) Nome-Beltz 24:33
19. John Adams (10) Barrow 24:35
20. Jonathan Smith (12) Nome-Beltz 24:54
21. Donald Adams-Tookak (11) Barrow 27:08
22. Manu Olemaun (9) Barrow 27:39
23. Tucker Edwardsen (9) Barrow 28:37
24. James Riley (9) Kotzebue 29:40
25. Caleb Staelens (9) Barrow 30:06
26. Agitun Frantz (10) Barrow 30:27
27. Anthony Lambert (10) Kotzebue 35:36
28. Koe Staheli (11) Kotzebue
Winning Boys Team – Bethel Regional
Mason Beans-Polk (10)
Madden Cockroft (11)
Paul Dyment (12)
Jackson Iverson (9)
Ned Peters (11)
Sheldon Smith (11)
Ethan Wheeler (9)
Boys Team Scores
Bethel Regional – 27 Pts.
Nome-Beltz – 30 Pts.
Kotzebue – 76 Pts.
Barrow – 102 Pts.
