By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka cross country runners finished the season with a strong performance on a hilly, muddy course in Anchorage Saturday. After leading the pack in numerous races around Southeast during the regular season, the Sitka High men’s team took second place out of all Division II teams in Alaska, while the Lady Wolves took fourth. Individually in the women’s race, Sitka’s Anna Prussian was first across the finish line, closely followed by her friend and longtime running partner, Clare Mullin.
For Prussian, Saturday marked the end of an era. As a senior, it was her final high school cross country race.
“It didn’t really hit for a while, but I was just incredibly happy with how I felt throughout the race. Especially coming off of last year where I didn’t feel good, like pretty much the entire race. I felt really strong and smooth,” Prussian recalled.
Sitka High’s Anna Prussian, front left, and Clare Mullin, center, run side by side in the state championship race in Anchorage, Saturday. Prussian finished first, with Mullin a step behind in second place. (Photo provided by Erica Knox)
She took first place in the D2 race in 20:01, a single second ahead of Mullin. Prussian and Mullin were far ahead of the remainder of the women’s slate. Kenai Central’s Jayna Boonstra came in third in 20:23.
Unlike last year, when the running duo began the race at a high tempo and burned out by the end, this year Prussian and Mullin stuck with the pack for the first four kilometers of the 5k event before making a break for it.
“We started the race off, and to be honest it felt slower than all of our other races. The time definitely was slower, but we went into it knowing that we wanted to stick on the shoulders of some of the other girls that would probably lead the race, too, and we just didn’t want to lose contact with them... And then with 1k to go I was heading up the last hill and I decided to start pushing it and then got to the top of the hill and it’s pretty much a down and then flat all the way to the finish,” Prussian said.
Unlike in 2021, this year the Lady Wolves fielded a full seven-member running squad, an upgrade Prussian described as “a huge highlight” of the season.
With her time as a high school cross country runner finished, Prussian looked back positively on the experience.
“It’s pretty mixed emotions. It was probably the best way I could have ended my season. But also I’m pretty sad to be leaving the team. It’s a great team dynamic. I love the coaches. I love all the trips that we go on and all the meets and all my competitors.”
She’s not done running for the Wolves, however. Track and field season begins in the spring.
Another Sitka senior, Silas Demmert, secured a fifth-place finish in 16:56, helping anchor his team’s overall second place result.
“I really did put it all out there. You know, I decided – like I did for regions – that it’s state but really, it’s just another race. I can’t really do anything but enjoy myself and put out my best effort. I think I would have liked a best time. But, you know, nothing I can do about that,” Demmert said.
The Wolves had three other seniors on their squad this year: Hank Maxwell, Dylan Crenna and James Helem.
Demmert went into the race with a goal of breaking the 17-minute barrier and achieved that, but said he would have liked to drop into the high 16:40s if possible.
He was happy with how the team did, especially at the close of the season.
“I think we did really great. Everybody really pulled through,” the senior said. “I think we had a guy or two that were in a rough spot this season, but they really got past that in that race. I think we had some breakthroughs, for sure.”
Though he and a number of other seniors are done with high school cross country, Demmert is confident that the team has what it needs to perform well again in 2023.
“It’s going to be a very young team next year. The varsity boys are losing four seniors. I think varsity girls are losing one senior, but still Clare’s going to be a junior and then it would be a lot of sophomores. But they’re capable of being at a high competing level,” he said. “Anna and Claire going one-two at state, and then we were state runners up. I think that they’re capable of winning state.”
Junior runner Annan Weiland was a few seconds ahead of Demmert on the hilly course at Bartlett High School. Weiland took fourth place in 16:44. David Sliwinski, of Grace Christian High, took first in 15:55. Grace won the men’s state title this year, and Seward claimed the women’s championship. In the Division I races, Colony High’s men took first place, and in the women’s D1 race Chugiak claimed the state title.
Weiland said he went into the last race of the season feeling good.
“I felt great… I had a good pre-race routine and so throughout the whole race I felt great going up the hills and going down the hills. And so I made a break for it,” he said.
Though he’s a talented runner, Weiland said he most enjoys the time spent with his team.
“I love our team so much. Communicating and interacting with all of our team members – it just makes cross country so fun.”
With one year left on the cross country trails, Weiland is already looking forward to his senior season.
“My hopes are high. I’m looking forward to being the top runner for Sitka High and leading these younger kids,” he said. “And then state-wise I guess we’ll see. I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, but I’m feeling pretty confident next year. It’s going to be a little weird being a leader of the pack.”
Coming off of a second-place finish in her second state championship race, sophomore Clare Mullin was ecstatic.
“It’s pretty incredible, really. Lots of times in races anything can happen, it’s never what you expect, but I feel like that race was like pretty much a perfect wrap-up to our season,” she said.
She was happy for the final chance to run a cross country race shoulder to shoulder with Prussian.
“Everything (went) according to the plan there and, you know, getting to finish right with Anna and running with her the whole time, and for us to go one and two was pretty great.”
Much like Prussian, Mullin was glad the Lady Wolves had a full team this year.
“Having a girls team this year – like a full girls team – was really awesome. Because I felt like we were working towards goals together,” she said.
After years of running side by side, Mullin credited Prussian, as well as her other teammates and coaches, with her development as an athlete.
“I’m just really grateful for my teammates and my family and my coaches (and) especially Anna, because it’s our last cross country season (together). I feel like she made me a better runner,” Mullin said.
The results from the Division II state championship cross country meet are below.
Women’s Results
1. Anna Prussian 20:01 Sitka
2. Clare Mullin 20:02 Sitka
11. Tessa Anderson 22:08 Mt. Edgecumbe
22. Natalie Hall 22:53 Sitka
34. Aliyah Merculief 24:00 Sitka
41. Aries Bioff 24:35 Mt. Edgecumbe
43. Jadelynn Kubik 25:02 Sitka
50. Sarah Bahnke 25:55 Mt. Edgecumbe
52. Bessie Williams 26:04 Mt. Edgecumbe
54. Jelsey Gologergen 26:37 Mt. Edgecumbe
56. Marina Marley 28:14 Sitka
58. Leilynn Swain 28:41 Sitka
Men’s Results
4. Annan Weiland 16:44 Sitka
5. Silas Demmert 16:56 Sitka
8. Trey Demmert 17:06 Sitka
9. Connor Hitchcock 17:22 Sitka
26. Hank Maxwell 18:55 Sitka
31. James Helem 19:16 Sitka
33. Dylan Crenna 19:20 Sitka
36. Jacob Friske 19:30 Mt. Edgecumbe
47. Connor Journey 20:23 Mt. Edgecumbe
51. Colton Paul 20:50 Mt. Edgecumbe
