Daily Sitka Sentinel

Reigning Champs Start Season, Title Defense

By BRIELLE SCHAEFFER

Sentinel Staff Writer

The Sitka High School boys’ cross country team plans to defend their Small Schools state champion title this season, while the girls are working on fielding a full team at state for the first time since 2012. The runners have been tightening their laces and hitting the trails in preparation for the 2016 schedule, which begins this weekend in Ketchikan. 

Sitka High School 2016 cross country team (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

The team has about 15 boys and seven girls this year, a little down from last year, Sitka head coach Shasta Smith said. While the coach lost nearly half of the members from last year’s state team, she said she has some strong boys coming up. Senior Colin Baciocco, the wolves’ fastest boy runner from last year, has a little brother who joined the team. Smith said she is expecting good things from freshman Dominic Baciocco. Senior Caleb Suarez should also be a contender, she said.

“I’m trying to put together the best team possible and trying to get the kids to do their personal bests,” Smith said. 

Colin Baciocco said he is hoping the boys’ team wins the Small Schools state title again.

“I’m looking forward to having a really good team overall and one that has a bit more experience with everything,” he said.

Coach Smith is also expecting her girl runners to have a good season and possibly field a team at the state competition Oct. 1 at Anchorage’s Bartlett High School. The Wolves haven’t taken a girls team to state since getting second in 2012, she said. While Sitka’s girls team competed at regions last year, only junior Ayla McNeilley qualified to run at state. 

The girls’ team has “small numbers historically because the season coincides with volleyball,” she said. “It’s hard to get those girls. Sometimes when it’s pouring down rain I’d rather be in the gym, too.”

The cross country team has strong, dedicated girls this year, though, Smith said. 

McNeilley said she was “lonely” as the only girl at state last year, so she’s looking forward to having a team or more individual girl runners go to the championships this year.

“I’m really excited to see how they do at competition,” she said.

Although Smith is planning on a strong season, she is also wary of the Wolves’ rival Mt. Edgecumbe.

“You really never know what Edgecumbe is going to bring to the table,” she said. “So many kids change from year to year.”

Sitka will host the Region V championships, which also gives the team an advantage. On Friday, the runners were completing 5K time trials through Totem Park. 

“The kids get lots of practice on the course at the park,” Smith said. 

Hosting the Region V race is also fun because it allows friends and families to watch and root for their runners, she said.

Regions are slated for Sept. 24 in Sitka.

Schedule 

Sept. 3 Petersburg

Sept. 9 Skagway

Sept. 10 Metlakatla

Sept. 17 Juneau

Sept. 24 Region V in Sitka

Oct. 1 State at Bartlett