Speedy sophomores sweep Big 8 cross-country races

The expectations may have been low for Service’s Miyana Kam-Magruder and Bettye Davis East’s Katahdin Staples at the Big 8 Invitational cross-country meet at Kincaid Park on Saturday.

But the results the two sophomores produced were exceptional, sweeping the top spots in the girls and boys races, respectively.

Kam-Magruder, coming off a quad injury, was running her first race of the season and had to contend with the defending state champion, Chugiak’s Hannah Shaha.

“I didn’t really expect to stay with her,” Kam-Magruder said. “She’s such a strong runner and I really look up to her since last year, when I first met her racing.”

{Alaska sports scoreboard]

Kam-Magruder broke a personal record and was essentially running a two-person race with Shaha when she broke away at the end of the Mize Loop.

“I didn’t really have a strategy,” she said. “I just went into and tried to stick up front.”

Chugiak finished with three runners in the top 10, while Dimond and Service had two each.

Staples had produced some good finishes this season, but breaking through with a win was a major confidence booster. Despite only being a sophomore, he has ambitions to race at the Division I level.

“To finally get the win, it’s amazing,” he said. “I never thought I’d be winning. If you’d have asked last year, my freshman self, I’d have laughed at the thought.”

On a warm and sunny day at Kincaid Park, Staples said his summer training is starting to pay off. He ran much of the race from the front, which he said required a different strategy.

“It’s a different beast,” he said. “It’s about moderating yourself and that’s a bit harder.”

Despite not having an individual land in the winner’s circle, Chugiak dominated the team competitions on both the boys and girls sides.

The girls team finished with 33 points, outpacing runner-up Dimond (60). The Mustangs boys team had 32 points, besting runner-up Service (47).

The Mustangs also swept both the JV and Open Divisions.

Team results

Varsity Girls

1. Chugiak 33; 2. Dimond 60; 3. Service 104; 4. West 114; 5. South 116; 6. East 118; 7. Ketchikan 164.

Varsity Boys

1. Chugiak 32; 2. Service 47; 3. Dimond 90; 4. West 97; 5. Ketchikan 115; 6. East 129; Bartlett 182.

Individual results

Varsity Girls

1. Miyana Kam-Magruder, Service 19:46; 2. Hannah Shaha, Chugiak 19:50; 3. Avrey Campbell, Dimond 20:02; 4. Hannah Bodkin, Chugiak 20:05; 5. Ellie Stull, Dimond 20:11; 6. Fiona Selvik, Service 20:22; 7. Petra Knox, Chugiak 20:32; 8. Madeleine Lojewski, East Anchorage 20:35; 9. Alliyah Fields, Chugiak 20:47; 10. Meadow Bailly, South Anchorage 21:03; 11. Kyra Walter, Chugiak 21:06; 12. Molly McBride, Dimond 21:13; 13. Elsa Henderson, Eagle River 21:16; 14. Charlotte Knox, Chugiak 21:26; 15. Zoe Rodgers, West Anchorage 21:40; 16. Allison Macy, Chugiak 21:44; 17. Ashley Mann, Eagle River 21:55; 18. Eva Marley-Jester, East Anchorage 21:57; 19. Ryan Elerding, Ketchikan 21:58; 20. Madeline Lowen, Dimond 22:03; 21. Kendall Barnett, West Anchorage 22:11; 22. Adele Matthews, South Anchorage 22:24; 23. Lilah Klieforth, West Anchorage 22:28; 24. Eden Johnsen, Dimond 22:31; 25. Gigi Leonetti, Dimond 22:34; 26. Lillian Coy, South Anchorage 22:34; 27. Rylee Winn, Eagle River 22:34; 28. Shayla Lee, South Anchorage 22:48; 29. Neve Hagenstein, West Anchorage 22:54; 30. Maryjane Baxter, Dimond 22:54; 31. Delia Neroda, Service 23:06; 32. Emiko Wilson, Service 23:07; 33. Siera Chadwick, East Anchorage 23:07; 34. Abi Howe, East Anchorage 23:17; 35. Kinsey Garlick, Ketchikan 23:26; 36. Fiora Graziano, East Anchorage 23:32; 37. Grace Post, West Anchorage 23:49; 38. Aliyah Glover, Ketchikan 24:00; 39. Sarah Kleeman, Ketchikan 24:06; 40. Ruby Willman, South Anchorage 24:27; 41. Beatrix Brogan, East Anchorage 24:40; 42. Saida Felix, West Anchorage 24:48; 43. Jase Emerson, Service 24:52; 44. Sophie Laughlin, Service 24:52; 45. Katie Mitchell, Service 25:34; 46. Duna Snedgen, South Anchorage 27:35; 47. Lauren Tucker, Ketchikan 28:12

Varsity Boys

1. Katahdin Staples, East Anchorage 16:35; 2. David Penfield, Chugiak 16:50; 3. Jaxon Henrie, South Anchorage 17:05; 4. Elias Oswald, Service 17:09; 5. Thomas Ringsmuth, Chugiak 17:17; 6. Springer Moore, Service 17:24; 7. Kohen Galloway, Chugiak 17:24; 8. Jarrett Jackson, Dimond 17:27; 9. Andrew Krellner, Eagle River 17:29; 10. Mason Newell, Chugiak 17:35; 11. Maximilian Erickson, West Anchorage 17:42; 12. Levi Knickerbocker, Service 17:48; 13. Luke Shaw, Eagle River 17:49; 14. Maksim Millwood, Dimond 17:50; 15. Jaxson Cook, Chugiak 17:51; 16. Oliver Casurella, Service 17:52; 17. Carter Phillips, Ketchikan 18:04; 18. Noah Robbins, Ketchikan 18:06; 19. Trygve Solomonson, Eagle River 18:07; 20. Logan Cuddy, Service 18:12; 21. Dylan Autrey, Service 18:18; 22. Grayson Stanek-Alward, South Anchorage 18:19; 23. Elias Williams, West Anchorage 18:21; 24. Josean Olivieri, Eagle River 18:24; 25. Liam Dudley, West Anchorage 18:25; 26. Micah Redfearn, Dimond 18:36; 27. Finn Dudley, West Anchorage 18:36; 28. Pierce Thomas, Chugiak 18:38; 29. Holden Aquino, East Anchorage 18:39; 30. Noa Kam-Magruder, Dimond 18:40; 31. Henry Vail, Ketchikan 18:47; 32. Samuel Clements, Bartlett 18:48; 33. Jack Styles, Ketchikan 18:51; 34. Jacob Bell, Dimond 18:52; 35. Tate Skinner, Dimond 18:52; 36. Talven Wigglesworth, West Anchorage 18:57; 37. Silas Hartlieb, Dimond 19:15; 38. Micah Remick, East Anchorage 19:19; 39. Elliott Drake, Bartlett 19:42; 40. Tristen Lemerond, Ketchikan 19:52; 41. JT Gurney, West Anchorage 19:53; 42. Soren Briggs, East Anchorage 19:55; 43. Caleb Sharrock, East Anchorage 19:55; 44. Gavin Alderson-Bell, Ketchikan 20:16; 45. Jonathan Greenway, East Anchorage 20:30; 46. Aidan Dewey, Bartlett 21:04; 47. Tyler Drake, Bartlett 21:28; 48. Kai Finch, Bartlett 22:23; 49. Talon Dommek, Bartlett 23:59; 50. Jack Schamber, Chugiak 35:51