by Delta Discovery Staff


Division II runners from 3A schools across Alaska ran in the state cross country 5K finals at Bartlett High Trails in Anchorage.
Schools with 151-500 students are in the Division II classification.
Winning the 3A girls race was senior Claire Mullin of Sitka. She is also the 2023 champion and the 2022 silver medalist. Coming in second was her teammate senior Marina Dill, her time was 19:55.7. Third place went to Seward’s Olive Jordan, a freshman. Her time was 20:11.6.
Senior Awaluk Wookie Nichols of Nome and the Region I North Slope Borough District Conference champion placed 6th overall, she crossed the finish line in 21:11.4. Her teammate freshman Kiyler West took 15th at 22:24.3.
The top two finishers for the Bethel Lady Warriors were freshman Claire Dyment and her sister junior Rosemarie Dyment. They finished 19th and 20th, their times were 22:43.7 and 22.44.1. Xiimara Salazar of Kotzebue, a senior, placed 27th, crossing the finish at 23:00.2.
Senior Kyana Harpak of Bethel also competed. She finished in 31st place at 23:05 flanked on all sides by four runners from Grace Christian.
Lady Warrior Kayleigh Bell placed 47th, her time 24:27.1. She was followed by freshman Zenae Billings of Galena and Aries Bioff of Mt. Edgecumbe High School. Their times were 24:31.4 and 24:46.1. A pair of Bethel runners Sally Peters and Hannah Leinberger finished 56th and 57th. Peters, a freshman, crossed the finish line in 26:00.1. Leinberger, a junior, finished the course in 26:35.5.
Bethel’s Ashlynn Lonewolf completed the race in 29:13. The sophomore placed 64th overall.
In the team standings, the Bethel Lady Warriors placed 7th. Seward, Sitka, and Homer took the top three spots.
The Seward Lady Seahawks were the winners of the 2024 ASAA First National Bank Alaska XC Running DII State Championship Academic Award.
3A Division II Girls XC State Finals
Top Ten Results
1. Clare Mullin, 19:47.6 Sitka; 2. Marina Dill 19:55.7 Sitka; 3. Olive Jordan 20:11.6 Seward; 4. Iris Haas 20:48.6 Delta Junction; 5. Sydney Mondeel 21:00.7 Grace Christian; 6. AwaLuk Nichols 21:11.4 Nome; 7. Claira Booz 21:15.6 Homer; 8. Beatrix McDonough 21:32.0 Homer; 9. Juniper Ingalls 21:32.1 Seward; 10. Aliyah Merculief 21:59.5 Sitka.
Team Scores
1. Seward 44; 2. Sitka 46; 3. Homer 74; 4. Grace Christian 113; 5. Delta Junction 129; 6. Monroe Catholic 142; 7. Bethel 149; 8. Mountain City Christian Academy 217.
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For the 3A boys competition, senior Robbie Annett of Grace Christian won first place. His time was 16:14.8. He is also the 2023 champion and 2022 bronze medalist. Coming in second was his teammate Colton Merriner and 2023 state bronze medalist at 16:21.6. Third went to Homer’s Johannes Bynagle who improved his finish from 11th (2023), his finishing time was 16:25.
Orson Hoogendorn, a senior from Nome and the Region I North Slope Borough District Conference (NSBSD) champion came in 5th place, crossing the finish line at 17:07.3 improving on his finish from last year (8th). Bethel Warrior senior Ned Peters and the Region I NSBSD runner up came in 8th place, his time was 17:18.4. His teammate freshman Cole Iverson narrowly missed cracking the top ten finishing in 11th place, his time was 17:30.2.
Bethel senior Sheldon Smith also competed, coming in 22nd place overall. He finished the course in 18:13.6 for the Warriors. His teammate sophomore Jackson Iverson crossed the finish line at 18:26 placing 26th. Aiden Crow, also sophomore from Bethel sprinted to the finish beating Landon Tinsley of Homer by one tenth of a second. He finished in 37th place, his time was 18:56.7.
Ethan Wheeler, also of Bethel, finished the course in 40th position, his time was 19:02.5. Senior Madden Cockroft placed 43rd for the Warriors at 19:21.5.
The Bethel Warrior boys were awarded the 2024 ASAA First National Bank Alaska XC Running DII State Championship Academic Award winner. This award is sponsored by Donlin Gold. For the team standings, Bethel placed 4th in the state.
3A Division II Boys XC State Finals
Top Ten Results
1. Robbie Annett 16:14.8 Grace Christian; 2. Colton Merriner 16:21.6 Grace Christian; 3. Johannes Bynagle 16:25.0 Homer; 4. Connor Hitchcock 16:28.8 Sitka; 5. Orson Hoogendorn 17:07.3 Nome-Beltz; 6. Lukas Underhile 17:10.0 Mountain City Christian Academy; 7. Breyden Nottingham 17:11.4 Mountain City Christian Academy; 8. Ned Peters 17:18.4 Bethel; 9. Owen Crotts 17:22.3 Grace Christian; 10. Trey Demmert 17:29.9 Sitka.
Team Scores
1. Grace Christian 40; 2. Homer 74; 3. Sitka 92; 4. Bethel 94; 5. Mountain City Christian Academy 132; 6. Valdez 155; 7. Seward 157; 8. Monroe Catholic 168.