Service serves up a sweep at Alaska high school ski championships

The Service girls team (from left) Meredith Schwartz, Neena Brubaker, Zoe Chang and Marit Flora celebrate their victory during the girls 4 X 3K relay race on the final day of the 2022 ASAA State Cross Country Skiing Championships Saturday, February 26, 2022, held on the Jim Whisenhant Ski Trails at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks. The first two legs were skied in the classic technique, with the last two legs being in the freestyle technique. The three-day event was hosted by Lathrop High School and organized by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks. Service High School won both the Boys and Girls Team Championships, with skiers Marit Flora and Aaron Power earning the Skimeister titles. Photo by Eric Engman

The Service ski teams served up a sweep this weekend at the Birch Hill Trails in Fairbanks, taking the team, relay and individual titles, including the Skimeister awards.

On the girls side, senior Marit Flora swept both the classic 7.5K race and the freestyle 5K while anchoring the Cougars’ winning 4x3K relay team.

Flora was dominant in the individual races, finishing the 7.5K in 24 minutes, 7.4 seconds. That was a full 35 seconds ahead of her teammate Meredith Schwartz.

Skiers, including West Anchorage's Samantha Legate, front left, and Service's Neena Brusker, front right, climb Stadium Hill during the first leg of the girls 4 X 3K relay race on the final day of the 2022 ASAA State Cross Country Skiing Championships Saturday, February 26, 2022, held on the Jim Whisenhant Ski Trails at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks. The first two legs were skied in the classic technique, with the last two legs being in the freestyle technique. The three-day event was hosted by Lathrop High School and organized by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks. Service High School won both the Boys and Girls Team Championships, with skiers Marit Flora and Aaron Power earning the Skimeister titles. Photo by Eric Engman

In the 5K, her performance was just as commanding. She won the race in 15:04.4, finishing 30 seconds ahead of Palmer’s Katie Houser. The Service relay team breezed to a 70-second victory over Anchorage’s West High with West Valley coming in third.

While Service’s Aaron Power also swept both individual races, but the junior found himself in a pair of hotly contested battles.

Power edged Josh Baurick of West Valley by less than 2 seconds in the classic 10K, winning with a time of 28:52.7. Baurick came in at 28:54.6.

In the 7.5K freestyle race, it was another close contest for Power, but this time his closest rival was a teammate. Power won the race in 21:05.2, three seconds ahead of Elias Soule. Oskar Flora finished third to complete a 1-2-3 sweep for Service in the event.

Service first leg skier Justin Lucas, left, tags his second leg teammate Aaron Power, right, during the boys 4 X 5K relay race on the final day of the 2022 ASAA State Cross Country Skiing Championships Saturday, February 26, 2022, held on the Jim Whisenhant Ski Trails at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks. The first two legs were skied in the classic technique, with the last two legs being in the freestyle technique. The three-day event was hosted by Lathrop High School and organized by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks. Service High School won both the Boys and Girls Team Championships, with skiers Marit Flora and Aaron Power earning the Skimeister titles. Photo by Eric Engman

Service also won the relay with Justin Lucas joining Power, Flora and Soule.

With their respective sweeps of the individual events, Power and Marit Flora earned the Skimeister titles.

Boys

Classic 10K top 10

1. Aaron Power, Service, 28:52.7; 2. Josh Baurick, West Valley, 28:54.6; 3. Murphy Kimball, West, 30:27.2; 4. PJ Bragonier, West Valley, 30:41.3; 5. Hatcher Menkens, West, 30:43.2; 6. Justin Lucas, Service, 30:46.5; 7. Eli Merrill, West Valley, 30:48.3; 8. Nicholas Buth, West Valley, 30:55.2; 9. Ethan Howe, East, 30:58.3; 10. Owen Young, South, 31:04.4.

Freestyle 7.5K top 10

1. Aaron Power, Service, 21:05.2; 2. Elias Soule, Service, 21:08.7; 3. Oskar Flora, Service, 21:26.5; 4. Hatcher Menkens, West, 21:32.5; 5. Josh Baurick, West Valley, 21:46.7; 6. Caleb Peterson, West Valley,21:48.7; 7. Justin Lucas, Service, 21:56.3; 8. Eli Merrill, West Valley, 22:07.0; 9. Ethan Howe, East 22:10.2; 10. Liam Chisholm, West, 22:13.5.

Boys 4x5K relay (classic, classic, free, free) top 10

1. Service, 57:04.5, (Justin Lucas, Aaron Power, Oskar Flora, Elias Soule)

2. West Valley, 57:35.9, (Josh Baurick, PJ Bragonier, Eli Merril, Caleb Petersen)

3. West, 58:15.4, (Hatcher Menkens, Murphy Kimball, Blake Hanley, Liam Chisholm)

4. East, 1:02:02.1, (Ethan Howe, Miles Numme-Worrell, Nathan Rehberg, Elias Stierwalt)

5. South, 1:02:13.0, (Kyle Fischer, Nolan Mille, Scott Johnson, Owen Young)

6. Dimond, 1:02:26.5, (Owen Saltzman, Noa Kam-Magruder, Jacob Johnson, Paul Cvancara)

7. Colony, 1:02:45.6, (Layne Buchanan, Coby Marvin, Tobias Buchanan, Jayden Rice)

8. Kenai Central, 1:03:55.4, (Gregory Fallon, Ben Boersma, Jack Laker, Tyler Hippchen)

9. Chugiak, 1:06:15.5, (Rylan Allwright, Ryan Urbanus, Evan Sosinski, Samuel CryderGrade)

10. Eagle River, 1:07:26.9, (Keenan VedrosGrade, Jack Molloy, Henry Mischener, Dean Toole)

Members of the Betty Davis East Anchorage ski team cheer for their teammates during the boys 4 X 5K relay race on the final day of the 2022 ASAA State Cross Country Skiing Championships Saturday, February 26, 2022, held on the Jim Whisenhant Ski Trails at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks. The first two legs were skied in the classic technique, with the last two legs being in the freestyle technique. The three-day event was hosted by Lathrop High School and organized by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks. Service High School won both the Boys and Girls Team Championships, with skiers Marit Flora and Aaron Power earning the Skimeister titles. Photo by Eric Engman

Girls

Classic 7.5K top 10

1. Marit Flora, Service, 24:07.4; 2. Meredith Schwartz, Service, 24:42.5; 3. Katie Houser, Palmer, 24:52.7; 4. Robyn Miller, South, 24:55.7; 5. Lily Pannkuk, West, 25:03.5; 6. Abigail Haas, Lathrop, 25:06.4; 7. Emily Erickson, Dimond, 25:15.2; 8. Zarah Laker-Morris, West Valley, 25:52.2; 9. Neena Brubaker, Service, 26:00.4; 10. Natalie Hood, West, 26:15.1.

Freestyle 5K top 10

1. Marit Flora, Service, 15:04.4; 2. Katie Houser, Palmer, 15:35.2; 3. Natalie Hood, West, 15:46.5; 4. Abigail Haas, Lathrop, 15:47.6; 5. Meredith Schwartz, Service, 15:49.9; 6. Rosie Whitington-Evans, Palmer, 15:50.4; 7. Lily Pannkuk, West, 15:51.7; 8. Samantha Legate, West, 15:59.4; 9. Neena Brubaker, Service,16:00.6; 10. Zarah Laker-Morris, West Valley, 16:12.2.

4x3K relay (classic, classic, free, free) top 10

1. Service, 38:06.7, (Neena Brubaker, Meredith Schwartz, Zoe Chang, Marit Flora)

2. West, 39:17.0, (Samantha Legate, Piper Sears, Lily Panukuk, Natalie Hood)

3. West Valley, 40:47.5, (Leni Stolz, Ingrid Baurick, Hjelle Personius, Zarah Laker-Morris)

4. Palmer, 40:47.8, (Rosie Whittington-Evans, Ellie Hennemann, Josie Peace, Katey Houser)

5. Dimond, 42:23.4, (Emily Erickson, Anna Halsey, Amaeli Kam-Magruder, Emily Taylor)

6. Kenai Central, 42:45.6, (Jayna Boonstra, Emily Moss, Summer Foster, Leah Fallon)

7. East, 43:39.6, (Marley Ireland, Svea Thomas, Brynn Rathert, Madeline Sivils)

8. Chugiak, 43:51.3, (Kaliegh Amundson, Patricia Casey, Jillian Gavalya, Kiley Dennis)

9. South, 44:04.6 (Maggie Keffalos, Kintla Penn, Elise Matthews, Robyn Miller)

10. Colony, 44:11.2 (Anna Bell, Abby Novak, Nicole (Niki) Riz, Lucy Shea)

Service's Elias Soule, right, congratulates South Anchorage's Owen Young, left, after the pair completed the final leg during the boys 4 X 5K relay race on the final day of the 2022 ASAA State Cross Country Skiing Championships Saturday, February 26, 2022, held on the Jim Whisenhant Ski Trails at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks. The first two legs were skied in the classic technique, with the last two legs being in the freestyle technique. The three-day event was hosted by Lathrop High School and organized by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks. Service High School won both the Boys and Girls Team Championships, with skiers Marit Flora and Aaron Power earning the Skimeister titles. Photo by Eric Engman