By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka High boys and girls swept the Region V Division II team titles at Saturday’s Southeast championships on Juneau’s Thunder Mountain Field, and set two new Region V Tournament event records in the process.
“Regardless of classifications we had most of the best times and marks at the region meet,” Sitka coach Jeremy Strong said.
The Wolves girls had 184 team points while the closest competitor, Skagway, had 37 (Haines 35, Petersburg 23, Gustavus 22).
The Wolves boys tallied 162 to run away from Haines (63), Petersburg (62), and Skagway (30). Juneau-Douglas captured the DI girls title with 168 points (TMHS 50.5, KTN 32) and the boys title with 68 points (KTN 61, TMHS 40).
Sitka senior Joei Vidad swept the sprinting events, winning the 100 meters in 12.81 seconds, the 200 in a personal best 25.93, and the 400 in a new Region Championship time of 59.71 (PR), beating the 1:00.3 set by Sarah Lende of Haines in 2000.
“The 400 meters was my target,” Vidad said. “In the beginning of the season, Coach had printed out a sheet of all the Region V records so we could set goals for ourselves. So yeah, I guess it was kind of on my mind for some time.”
Vidad also anchored the winning 4x400 relay, following sr. Haley Bartolaba, soph. Lindsey Bartolaba, and freshman Tawny Smith to total a time of 4:17.36.
Sitka High senior Joei Vidad wins the 100 meter dash during the Region V Track and Field Championships at Juneau’s Thunder Mountain Falcons track on Saturday. From left: Petersburg sophomore Annie Christensen, Sitka freshman Adelaide Poulson, Haines freshman Avery Williamson, Skagway junior Jennifer Hansen, Vidad, Haines sophomore Haley Boron, Sitka sophomore Makayla Moore, and Petersburg sophomore Ruby Massin.
(Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
The boys 4x800 relay of sr. Joe Pate, jr. Dominic Baciocco, sr. Skyler McIntyre, and sr. Jacob Gagner set a new Region V record in 8:25.4, nipping the old record set by JDHS in 2015 by .1 seconds.
“This was the first time all season we had our best relay team come together and it was our only chance to get the region record,” McIntyre said. “It has definitely been our goal for this year to get that record and with one chance to do it we executed well. With injuries stopping us all season from getting our best relay team together it was amazing to finally run with Joe (Pate, who has been injured) and I’m so happy I got to run with him for the past 3 years and all our hard work has paid off in that record at our last regional meet together. I’m so proud of him coming back from injury and proud of the rest of the team and the work we put in. We are hoping that our hard work will, show not only in our region record, but also in a state championship next week.”
Baciocco said the team wasn’t looking to push super hard in the race because they all had individual events to run for state qualifications.
“We were super loose and stress free on the warmup jog and dynamic stretches,” Baciocco said. “However, for some reason once we were at the line with the race about to start, we made a joint decision to give it all we had and luckily that was .1 fast enough! We were super happy since 3 of the 4 members of the relay team are seniors and the region meet is the only opportunity to set region records so this meet was our only chance to try to go for it.”
Sitka senior Haley Bartolaba leads Petersburg sophomore Kendra Coonrad, left, and Gustavus junior Baily Seay, right, in the girls 100 meter hurdles final during the Region V Track and Field Championships at Juneau’s Thunder Mountain Falcons track on Saturday. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
The Wolves boys also won the 4x100 (sr. Aedon Dumag, sr. Tabor Buxton, soph. Carson Grant, sr. Thomas Bailey) in 46.71, the 4x200 (Buxton, soph. Levi Danielson, T. Bailey, Grant) in 1:43.22, and the 4x400 (Buxton, Gagner, Baciocco, Pate) in 3:40.76.
Sitka senior Aedon Dumag long jumps during the Region V Track and Field Championships at Juneau’s Thunder Mountain Falcons track on Saturday. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
The Wolves girls added the 4x100 (sr. Bailey Clifton, soph. Makayla Moore, H. Bartolaba, L. Bartolaba) in 53.72, the 4x200 (B. Clifton, Adelaide Poulson, Moore, L. Bartolaba) in 1:56.68, and the 4x800 (Smith, sr. Mattey Stroemer, soph. Kathleen Sweeney, fr. Razie Guillory) in 11:20.66.
Wolves sr. H. Bartolaba also defended her hurdle titles, winning the 100 in a season best 17.29 and the 300 in a season best 49.42.
“The 300 was a really smooth race, not quite as fast as I was hoping for but I’m really happy with it,” Bartolaba said. “I had a great last region meet. It’s sad to know that it was my last one, but I’ve still got a couple more weeks in the season.”
Seniors Gagner and Pate went 1-2 in the boys 400 with 54.32 and 54.73, respectively, while fr. Gaige Rosas was third with 55.47.
Pate and Gagner went 1-2 in the 800 with 2:07.67 and 2:07.96, respectively; and Baciocco and McIntyre went 1-2 in the 1600 (4:32.28 and 4:33.20 respectively) and the 3200 (9:42.65, 9:45.92).
Sitka senior Joe Pate, left, receives the baton pass from junior Dominic Baciocco
while Juneau-Douglas senior Dalton Hoy receives from senior Arne Ellefson-Carnes in the Wolves record setting 800 relay run during the Region V Track and Field Championships at Juneau’s Thunder Mountain Falcons track on Saturday. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
The throwing and jumping went mostly to the familiars with sr. Jessica Davis defended her region titles, winning the girls shot in 31-09.25 and the discus in 94-02.
Sitka senior Jessica Davis throws the discus during the Region V Track and Field Championships at Juneau’s Thunder Mountain Falcons track on Saturday. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
Stroemer won the girls high jump in 4-09 while soph. Tayler Clifton took the triple jump in 30-02.
Senior Garrison Lass hit a personal best in the boys high jump, winning in 6-02 and looking to be a favorite at state, and classmate Dumag won the triple jump with a PR of 39-10.
Danielson won the boys 110 hurdles in 19.45.
Underclassmen helped Sitka in the distance runs with Smith winning the girls 800 in 2:34.20 (PR) and the 1600 in 13:44.89, while Guillory won the 3200 in 13:44.89.
Sitka coach Strong said the team now will focus on the State Championships this coming weekend in Palmer.
“We are looking to be fast and comfortable next weekend,” Strong said. “We are excited to get up there and compete. “All the hay is in the barn” as they say.”
Sitka’s Vidad was also selected the DII Athlete of the Meet for girls, Petersburg’s Aiden Luhrs for boys, and for DI, JDHS’ Tuckwood and TMHS’ Beya.
The ASAA/First National Bank Alaska track state championships begin on Friday at Palmer High School. All Region V event winners automatically qualify for the meet, while non-winners that have top-16 marks in the state will also be invited to race on the big stage.
Following are the Region Championship times with Sitka placers and the top Division I time at the end:
GIRLS
100 - 1. Vidad 12.81; 5. Moore 14.35; 7. Poulsen 14.59; DI (JDHS fr. Trinity Jackson 13.24).
200 - 1. Vidad 25.93 PR; 5. Moore 30.35 PR; 6. Poulson 30.62; DI (JDHS Jackson 27.65).
400 - 1. Vidad 59.71 PR; 3. L. Bartolaba 1:02.66 PR; 4. B. Clifton 1:03.60 SR; DI (TMHS soph. Hannah Deer 1:01.64)
800 - 1. Smith 2:34.20 PR; 2. Guillory 2:45.98 PR; 5. Sweeney 3:12.09; DI (JDHS jr. Katherine MKenna 2:35.41).
1600 - 1. Smith 5:45.35 PR; 2. Guillory 6:16.06 PR; 3. Sweeney 6:59.39 PR; DI (JDHS jr. Sadie Tuckwood 5:17.45).
3200 - 1. Guillory 13:44.89 PR; 2. Sweeney 15.53.21; DI (Tuckwood, JDHS 11:14.71).
100 hurdles - 1. H. Bartolaba 17.29 SR; DI (TMHS soph. Iayanah Brewer 16.66).
300 hurdles - 1. H. Bartolaba 49.42 SR; 2. B. Clifton 52.34 PR; 5. Stroemer 55.25 PR; DI (KTN fr. Ada Odden 49.19).
4x100 - Sitka 53.72; DI (TMHS 52.85).
4x200 - Sitka 1:56.68; DI (JDHS 2:04.39).
4x400 - Sitka 4:17.36; DI ( JDHS 4:27.27).
4x800 - Sitka 11:20.66; DI (JDHS 10:45.93).
Shot Put - 1. Davis 31-09.25; 2. soph. Morgan Feldpausch 29-09 PR; 6. soph. Jocelyn Brady 23-09.75; DI (KTN fr. Jenae Rhoads 28-06).
Shot Unified - 1. Brady 23-09/soph. Grace McBride 9-10.
Discus - 1. Davis 94-02; 2. Brady 87-11 PR; 5. Feldpausch 80-06 PR; DI (JDHS fr. Lainey Rehder 85-09).
High Jump - 1. Stroemer 4-09 SR; 4. soph. Tayler Clifton 4-02; 5. soph. Audrey Saiz 4-00; DI (TMHS soph. Sophia Harvey 4-06).
Long Jump - 1. jr. Baily Seay, Gustavus 14-07.75; 3. Poulson 12-06.25 PR; DI (JDHS sr. Bailey Wery Tagaban 16-01.50).
Triple Jump - 1. T. Clifton 30-02 PR; 2. Saiz 29-09.50 PR; DI (JDHS sr. Bailey Wery Tagaban 34-07.75).
BOYS
100 - 1. soph. Aiden Luhr PSG 11.52; 3. Buxton 12.08 PR; 4. Bailey 12.17; 5. Grant 12.28; DI (TMHS soph. Ali Beya 11.58).
100 Unified - 1. jr. Rheece Heim 12.46; 2. sr. Lass 12.93; sr. JDHS Sahil Bathija 13.29; 4. sr. John Morrow 14.92; 5. JDHS soph. Gabriel Canon 17.70; 6. sr. David Williams 26.26.
200 - 1. Luhr PSG 23.59; 3. Grant 24.80; 4. Danielson 25.06; 7. Bailey 26.33; DI (TMHS Beya 23.84).
400 - 1. Gagner 54.32 PR; 2. Pate 54.73 PR; 3. Rosas 55.47 PR; DI (JDHS soph. Aiden Hollingsworth 55.24).
800 - 1. Pate 2:07.67 SR; 2. Gagner 2:07.96 PR; 4. jr. Asa Demmert 2:08.43 SR; DI (JDHS sr. Dalton Hoy 2:06.38).
1600 - 1. Bacon 4:32.28 PR; 2. McIntyre 4:33.20; 4. Demmert 4:47.16; DI (TMHS jr. Tucker Kelly 4:34.19).
3200 - 1. Baciocco 9:42.65; McIntyre 9:45.92; 5. jr. Derek Bartlett 10:52.62 PR; DI (JDHS sr. Arne Ellefson-Carnes 10:02.63).
110 Hurdles - 1. Danielson 19.45 PR; DI (KTN sr. Christopher Carlson 17.71).
300 Hurdles - 1. soph. Carson Crager HNS 44.54; 4. Danielson 47.80; DI (KTN sr. Ivers Credito 44.54).
4x100 - 1. Sitka 46.71; DI (JDHS 46.90).
4x200 - 1. Sitka 1:43.22; DI (KTN 1:39.41).
4x400 - 1. Sitka 3:40.76; DI (JDHS 3:42.62).
4x800 - 1. Sitka 8:25.40; DI (JDHS 8:37.09).
Shot Put - 1. soph. Wesley Verhamme HNS 44-05; 2. Dumag 40-08.75 PR; 4. Lass 35-10.75 PR; 5. jr. Maximus Johnson 33-02.75 PR; DI (TMHS Vaipuna Toutaiolepo 45-07.75).
Shot Put Unified - 1. Dumag 40-08.25; 2. Lass 35-06.50; 3. Canon JDHS 26-08.75; 4. sr. Steven Ireland-Haight JDHS 26-01; 5. Morrow 20-06; 6. Williams 8-11.
Discus - 1. Verhamme HNS 118-02; 4. Heim 95-02 PR; 5. Johnson 91-04; 6. Lass 89-09 PR; DI (KTN sr. Justice Yoder 127-01).
High Jump - 1. Lass 6-02 PR; DI (JDHS fr. Jake Sleppy 5-02).
Long Jump - 1. soph. Julian Cumps PSG 19-03; 2. Dumag 18-10 SR; 3. soph. Jemar Diga 18-00.50 PR; 4. Heim 17-09.50 PR; DI (JDHS fr. Colton Johns 18-11.75).
Long Jump Unified - 1. Heim 17-09.50; 2. Morrow 9-07 PR.
Triple Jump - 1. Dumag 39-10 PR; 2. Heim 29-04.50; 3. Diga 38-02.50 PR; DI (TMHS Beya 37-06.50).
