By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka High School cross country runners opened their season in Juneau over the weekend, with the boys team placing second and the girls ended up in sixth place. Juneau-Douglas came in first in both races.
Sitka High Coach Shasta Smith said the boys “race was fantastic!” Senior Dominic Baciocco ran a blistering 15:56, winning the boys race 43 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Smith noted that since the Juneau course required three laps to complete, Baciocco “was maneuvering through the traffic of other athletes he was passing.”
Dominic Baciocco crosses the finish line in Juneau, Saturday. (Photo provided by Shasta Smith).
Asa Demmert came in fourth in his debut race after running an impressive 16:59. Kobi Wieland finished in 18:32, and Silas Demmert ran the course in 18:52. Colton Ewers came in at 19:32.
The remaining boys varsity results: Asa Dow 19:41 (PR); Hank Maxwell 20:28; Jeremia Ferguson 21:42 (7 minute improvement); James Helem 21:53; Kanish Djaker 22:02; Levi Danielson 22:26 (PR); Maximus Johnson 27:04.
The girls team also was impressive. Anna Prussian came in a close second at 19:33. Smith noted that the race “came down to a sprint finish.” Juneau’s Skylar Tuckwood finished first at 19:30.
Tawny Smith was Sitka’s second runner to finish, running a personal record of 22:20. Addie Poulson ran a 25:43.
Alyssa Henshaw competed in her first-ever high school 5k race and ran a personal best of 26:19. Danish exchange student Nicolene Christensen ran 26:32. Katie Sweeney finished in 27:48.
Race conditions were warm, but Coach Smith said “the weather was amazing. High 60s, but nice and cool on the trails under the trees.”
Smith said that while high performance is important to the team, keeping her athletes in good health is what matters most. “Staying healthy despite travel, lack of sleep, and the stress of training is challenging,” Smith said.
She expressed thanks to Allen Marine for the smooth journey to and from Juneau.
The Wolves’ next cross country meet is coming up this weekend at Petersburg. Only the top seven runners from the boys and girls teams will attend. The final roster is expected to be available Wednesday.
