By Klas Stolpe
Sentinel Staff Report
The Sitka High boys track and field team placed second at the 2019 Alaska School Activities Association State Track and Field Championships at Palmer over the weekend.
The boys finished with 94 team points, placing just behind Anchorage Christian’s 113, out of 18 teams, to place as the state runner-up for the second season in a row. Chugiak won the DI title with 123 points. The top Southeast large school was Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé in 11th with 12 points.
Wolves junior Dominic Baciocco, and seniors Jacob Gagner, Joe Pate, and Skyler McIntyre circled the track twice each to set a new Sitka High 800 relay record, winning the state championship in 8:22.77 for the boys only top state placing of the meet.
“I tried to put my team in a good place that would give us a good chance to win,” Baciocco said. “I knew the ACS kid I was running against in my leg would be fast so I ended up just trying to stay with him.”
The two opponents went through 400 meters at 61 seconds and split about 2:03 for their full 800. Gagner took the hand-off and extended the lead and Pate did the same.
The Sitka High School Wolves boys track and field team is shown with their Division II second place team trophy at the 2019 ASAA State Track and Field Championships in Palmer on Saturday. (Photo provided to the Sentinel)
“Joe was the third leg and got us a nice lead so once I received the baton from him I bolted off the line really hard, because I knew that if I didn’t run my hardest a state champ and super talented runner from ACS, named Tristian Merchant, might catch me,” McIntyre said. “I just went out pretty hard the first lap and tried to bring it back the second lap. Crossing the line with the baton knowing that we finally had won a state championship was an amazing feeling. Everyone on the relay team has been working super hard for a state championship and we had gotten second two years in a row before this year so when we finally won it this year it was awesome.”
Baciocco said their depth of quality runners separated them from the competition.
“I have had a ton of fun training every day with these guys and I look forward to seeing them excel in college,” he said.
McIntyre and Baciocco placed second and third in the 3200 with 9:43.32 and 9:45.07, respectively, won by ACS sophomore Tristian Merchant in 9:31.76.
McIntyre was second in the 1600 with a PR 4:28.64, won by Merchant in 4:25.98, Baciocco fourth in a PR 4:30.15, and junior Asa Demmert ninth in a PR 4:45.07.
The Sitka 4x400 relay of senior Tabor Buxton, Gagner, Baciocco, and Pate placed second in 3:38.58, won by ACS (Jayden Thomas, Joshua Davis, Kaleb Smith, Merchant) in 3:38.14.
Wolves senior Garrison Lass placed second in the high jump at 5-08, won by Valdez senior Kyler LaBonte at 5-10.
Wolves senior Aedon Dumag placed second in the long jump in a PR 19-05.25, won by ACS senior William Parks at 20-02.25, and junior Rheece Heim and sophomore Jemar Diga, were eighth and 11th, with 17-01.25 and 16-11, respectively.
Parks also won the triple jump at 39-06.00, Dumag third at 38-05.50, Heim fifth 37-01, and Diga sixth 37-08.50.
Dumag was fifth in the shot put at 40-01, won by Grace senior James Coulombe at 48-01, and Lass was15th with a PR 36-03.50.
The Sitka 4x100 relay of Dumag, Buxton, sophomore Carson Grant, and senior Thomas Bailey ran third at 47.51, won by Valdez (Hayden Howard, LaBonte, Jalen Freeman, Owen Chadwick) in 45.44.
The 4x200 of Buxton, sophomore Levi Danielson, Grant, and Bailey placed fourth in 1:38.28, won by ACS (Jonathan Earhart, Davis, Thomas, Fredrick Onochie) in 1:34.24.
Gagner and Pate placed fourth and fifth in the 800 with a PR 2:03.66 and a SR 2:03.69, respectively, won by Kenai sophomore Maison Dunham in 2:00.88, and Demmert was 14th in a PR 2:11.48.
Gagner was fifth in the 400 in 53.58, won by ACS senior F. Onochie in 51.06, and Pate eighth in 55.91 and freshman Gaige Rosas 10th in 55.58.
Danielson was eighth in the 110 hurdles with 19.60, won by Kenai senior Jarett Wilson at 16.11, and 15th in the 300 hurdles at 54.21, won by Valdez junior O. Chadwick at 41.07.
Bailey placed 13th in the 100 in 12.40, won by Valdez’ Chadwick in 11.51, Buxton 14th in 12.45.
Grant placed 11th in the 200 in a PR 24.57, Danielson 15th in 25.32, won by ACS’ Onochie in 22.93.
In Unified events Sitka’s John Morrow and Jemar Diga won the Unified Long jump; Morrow and Dumag won the Unified shot put; Morrow and Danielson placed second in the unified 100 meter.
TEAM SCORES
DII Boys - ACS 113, Sitka 94, Grace Christian 63, Valdez 56, Su Valley 38, Kenai 36, Monroe 29, Eielson 27, Haines 27, Petersburg 25, Seward 21, Delta Junction 15, Skagway 8, Galena 7, Nikiski 6, Hutchison 5, Houston 4, Homer 3.
DI Boys -Chugiak 123, West Valley 100, Bartlett 63, Dimond 47, East Anchorage 42, Soldotna 42, Service 30, Eagle River 29, Wasilla 15, Colony 12, Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé 12, South Anchorage 12, Kodiak 11, West Anchorage 6, Palmer 4.
EVENT WINNERS
(DII winner, SE placers//DI winner, SE placers)
100 - 1. sr. Fredrick Onochie ACS 11.51; 2. so. Aiden Luhr PSG 11.66; 10. so. Gavin Goebel SKG 12.15; 13. sr. Thomas Bailey SIT 12.40; 14. sr. Tabor Buxton SIT 12.45. // 1. sr. Colton Herman EA, 10.94; 14. so. Ali Beya TM 11.55.
200 - 1. Onochie ACS 22.74PR; 4. Luhr PSG 23.77; 6. Goebel SKG 24.19; 11. so. Carson Grant SIT 24.57PR; 15. so. Levi Danielson SIT 25.32. // 1. Herman EA 22.11PR; 11. Beya TM 23.81PR.
400 - 1. Onochie ACS 51.06; 5. sr. Jacob Gagner 53.47PR; 8. sr. Joe Pate SIT 54.80; 10. Rosas SIT 55.58. // 1. sr. Carter Gladwill ER 50.30PR; 15. so. Aiden Hollingsworth JD 56.01.
800 - 1. so. Maison Dunham KEN 2:00.88PR; 4. Gagner SIT 2:03.66PR; 5. Pate SIT 2:03.69PR; 9. sr. Danny Brady SKG 2:05.90PR; 13. sr. Tolin Eddy PSG 2:10.98PR; 14. jr. Asa Demmert SIT 2:11.48PR. // 1. Gladwill ER 2:00.32; 10. so. Dalton Hoy JD 2:04.95.
1600 - 1. so. Tristian Merchant ACS 4:25.98; 2. sr. Skyler McIntyre SIT 4:28.64PR; 4. jr. Dominic Baciocco SIT 4:30.15PR; 5. jr. Siyel George HNS 4:42.53PR; 7. Eddy PSG 4:43.99PR; 8. Brady SKG 4:44.83; 9. Demmert SIT 4:45.07PR; 15. sr. Wyatt Belisle 4:59.94. // 1. sr. Daniel Bausch CHG 4:13.60PR; 8. sr. Arne Ellefson-Carnes JD 4:35.09; 9. jr. Tucker Kelly TM 4:35.28.
3200 - 1. Merchant ACS 9:31.76; 2. McIntyre SIT 9:43.32; 3. Baciocco SIT 9:45.07; 6. George HNS 10:07.24PR; 7. Eddy PSG 10:17.29PR; 14. jr. Kirby Faverty HNS 11:02.30. // 1. Bausch CHG 9:21.78; 3. Ellefson-Carnes JD 9:45.47PR.
110 Hurdles - 1. sr. Jarett Wilson KEN 16.11SR; 8. Danielson SIT 19.60; 11. so. Owen O’Brocta PSG 19.85; 12. jr. Joseph Wilhour RED 20.15. // 1. so. Logan Mathieu CHG 15.58PR; 13. sr. Chris Carlson KTN 17.87; 14. sr. Ivers Credito KTN 17.89; 15. sr. Tyler Weldon JD 18.08.
300 Hurdles - 1. jr. Owen Chadwick VDZ 40.80PR; 6. so. Carson Crager HNS 45.44; 7. so. Mark Davis HNS 45.98; 15. Danielson SIT 54.21; DNS so. Julian Cumps PSG. // 1. sr. Terrell Johnson WV 40.28; 14. Credito KTN 44.16.
4x100 - 1. VDZ 45.44; 3. SIT 47.51. // 1. CHG 43.71; 6. JD 46.43.
4x200 - 1. ACS 1:34.24; 4. SIT 1:38.28. // 1. WV 1:30.79; 8. KTN 1:38.32.
4x400 - 1. ACS 3:38.14; 2. SIT 3:38.58; 6. SKG 3:49.59; DNS HNS. // 1. WV 3:28.88; 8. JD 3:49.39.
4x800 - 1. SIT 8:22.77; 5. HNS 9:17.64. // 1. DMD 8:18.10; 4. JD 8:33.79.
Shot Put - 1. sr. James Coulombe GC 48-01PR; 2. so. Wesley Verhamme HNS 45-07.5PR; 5. sr. Aedon Dumag SIT 40-01; 10. sr. Kamakana Kanahele HNS 38-0; 15. sr. Garrison Lass SIT 36-03.5PR. // 1. sr. Thomas Sio BAR 58-05.50; 12. sr. Tarrant Sasser KTN 40-11.5; 12. sr. Justice Yoder KTN 40-11.5; 14. sr. Brendan Wong KTN 40-08; 15. jr. Maikeli Tupou TM 39-0.
Discus - 1. Coulombe GC 156-0PR; 2. Verhamme HNS 127-05PR; 5. sr. Koren sperl PSG 119-08PR; 8. Kanahele HNS 112-06SR. // 1. Sio BAR 163-08; 11. Yoder KTN 121-04.
High Jump - 1. sr. Kyler LaBonte VDZ 5-10; 2. Lass SIT 5-08; 5. Goebel SKG 5-08; 10. Luhr PSG NH. // 1. sr. Terrell Johnson WV 6-03.
Long Jump - 1. sr. William Parks ACS 20-02.25SR; 2. Dumag SIT 19-05.25; 3. Cumps PSG 18-10.25; 8. jr. Rheece Heim SIT 17-01.25; 11. so. Jemar Diga SIT 16-11; 15. Verhamme HNS 16-06.75. // 1. Johnson WV 21-03.5; 12. fr. Colton Johns JD 18-08.5.
Triple Jump - 1. Parks ACS 39-06; 3. Dumag SIT 38-05.50; 5. Heim SIT 38-01; 6. Diga SIT 37-08.50; 8. Crager HNS 37-07.75. // 1. sr. Rian King BAR 44-0; 14. Beya TM 36-05.
