{"id":103154,"date":"2023-09-30T21:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-01T05:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/sports\/jdhs-sitka-sweep-region-xc-titles\/"},"modified":"2023-10-01T17:31:07","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T01:31:07","slug":"jdhs-sitka-sweep-region-xc-titles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/sports\/jdhs-sitka-sweep-region-xc-titles\/","title":{"rendered":"JDHS, Sitka sweep region XC titles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t
Both the boys and girls teams from Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé and Sitka High School won their respective races in the Region V Cross-Country Championships on Saturday along the Historic Treadwell Mine Trails.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“My plan was, if I was hurting, to just think about my team,” JDHS senior Edgar Vera Alverado said. “We really wanted to keep that record going. This was not going to be the team that broke that streak…I was really digging in for my team for sure.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
This was the 34th XC title in a row for the JDHS boys and the 47th of the last 50 championship races. JDHS scored 19 points, Thunder Mountain 57 and Ketchikan 59.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The Crimson Bears boys topped the DI field with Vera Alverado hitting 16 minutes 55.58 seconds, holding off sprinting Thunder Mountain freshman Erik Thompson who hit 16:55.77.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“Honestly, I was pretty satisfied with my finish and the way I ran,” Thompson said. “I think I could have done a little bit better on when I chose to sprint, maybe that could have got him but I did my best.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Thompson said he was trying to hit a sub-17.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I got to say I ran 16 minutes as a freshman,” he said. “I like the way the course is set up, the short burst of hills. I make up a lot of my ground that way. As a team this was the first time in years TM has had a chance to beat JD for regions. I am excited that I get to race Edgar again next weekend at state. It is great knowing that my teammates are right there with me, training with me, doing all this fun stuff as a team. It is super great. We are a really fun team…I wouldn’t trade it.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The combined DI\/DII race saw Sitka junior Connor Hitchcock hit the fastest male time of the day in 16:50.45.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I really wanted to catch him,” Vera Alverado said. “I was closer to him than last time so that was really good for me. And I am so proud of my teammates. This was a really hard race and I know that everyone was hurting. Finishing takes a lot and all of them finished with smiles on their faces so I am really proud.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Etta Eller (2868) leads JDHS junior Ida Meyer (2870), Sitka junior Clare Mullin (2929) and JDHS senior Rayna Tuckwood (2873) during the Region V Division I Girls Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Treadwell Mine Trails. (Klas Stolpe \/ For the Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
The Crimson Bears girls put all seven of their runners across the finish before any other DI team, giving them their 10th title in a row and 43rd of the past 46. JDHS scored 15 points, KTN 56 and TMHS 75.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Junior Ida Meyer pulled away from the combined DI\/DII field to win with the fastest girls’ time of the day at 19:15.92.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“Going into the race with the mentality of having room to ask myself could I go faster, could I do this, could I do that?” Meyer said. “I asked myself that question and I said, ‘yes’ and I kind of just broke apart from everyone else.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Meyer took charge halfway through the race on the second of three loops with senior teammates Rayna Tuckwood and Etta Eller and Sitka junior Clare Mullin falling back.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
JDHS placed all seven Crimson Bears atop the DI field as Tuckwood ran 19:30.70, Eller 20:03.33, freshman Kaia Mangaccat 20:41.74, sophomore Kate Schwarting 20:59.36, senior Iris White 21:12.24 and senior Ava Newell 21:22.55.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“My teammates are amazing,” Meyer said. “They push me so hard. Hearing people cheer for my teammates I am like, ‘Oh dang! They are doing amazing!’ These are the people I work out with every day. We are all working hard and right on each other.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
JDHS co-coach Abby Jahn, in an email sent after the meet, stated “our athletes ran stellar team races today.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“In the open races they worked in packs and helped each other to races they were proud of,” she wrote. “On the boys varisty side, the team executed an impressive strategic race by working together and continuously moving up throughout the race. In the last 1.5 kilometers they made significant moves up in the pack. On the girls varsity side, they were collected and relaxed, working on closing the gap and overcoming mental blocks. We couldn’t be prouder of them in their efforts.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Thunder Mountain sophomore Della Mearig sprints to the finish of the Division I Region V Girls Cross Country Championship race on Saturday at Treadwell Mine Trails. (Klas Stolpe \/ For the Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
TMHS sophomore Della Mearig led the rest of the DI field, finishing eighth in 22:00.33.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“It feels great to be leading our team,” Mearig said. “I am kind of set apart from them by a couple minutes so it is awesome to do well just for everyone and then going on to state next weekend. My teammates are so supportive. They are with me all the time. They are backing me up. They are amazing and I love practicing with them.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
TMHS coach Jon Stearns, in an email after the meet, observed “obviously we had planned on taking more of them kids (to state), but it was just that kinda of race.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“JD and Ketchikan brought their A game and made the races so exciting,” he stated. “Everyone ran their hearts out we had runners that were disappointed in their results, especially some of our seniors. Everyone ran as hard as they possibly could and that’s all we ask, for everyone to take what the race gives you and give it their all and that’s exactly what they did.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We’re going to celebrate this season for the great one it was for us all, go celebrate at the state race and then turn our attention for next year. Our team is young, fast and tenacious so we’re going to go for it this off season. I’ve already had better than half the team ask what the plan is for this off season.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
JDHS’ Eller commented on running the Crimson Bears’ home course for four years.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I just think about where, like, myself and my team has come in the last four years,” she said. “We have grown so much individually and together. Running on this team has taught me so much about life and all different aspects of it and really shaped who I am in a way nothing else could have done. I am really grateful. It is bittersweet but the gratitude overwhelms everything else.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Eller epitomizes the JDHS running culture, finishing first last season but graciously acknowledging Meyer this year.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“This season is different but it is not different in a bad way,” Eller said. “That is what I had to learn and it has been a challenge but ultimately the word synergy comes to mind because we are stronger together. If I were out here by myself running in the front I would not be as strong as I would running next to Ida and Rayna and the entire rest of the girls JD team. Our synergistic values really motivate us in the race and pushes me so much.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The top DI team and top 12 individuals advance to the state tournament in Palmer next weekend.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Etta Eller (2868) leads JDHS junior Ida Meyer (2870), Sitka junior Clare Mullin (2929) and JDHS senior Rayna Tuckwood (2873) during the Region V Division I Girls Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Treadwell Mine Trails. (Klas Stolpe \/ For the Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
DII: Sitka earns title repeat over Mt. Edgecumbe<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t On the DII side, behind Hitchcock the Wolves boys outpointed Mt. Edgecumbe 18-40 for a DII title repeat.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “It feels pretty good,” Hitchcock said. “It is definitely a stepping stone in my high school running career. Just happy to do it on such a nice day with good people. My teammates are amazing… Annan (Weiland) and Trey (Demmert) are my training buddies. I go on easy runs with them, training runs with them… definitely could not have done it without them and the rest of the team. The coaches are great, too. I owe a lot of this (the win) to them.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Wolves junior Clare Mullin helped the girls outpoint MEHS 15-42 for their DII title repeat with a winning time of 19:29.33, second overall in the girls’ combined race.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I really wanted to stay at the back of the front pack,” Mullin said. “To let the Juneau girls lead, they know this course better, and then just give it everything I had at the 4K mark. I am pretty happy with my time. I thought it was a good race. I have run this course for three years now. It doesn’t seem to get easier, the hills are still there.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Sitka placed five runners across the line before MEHS Braves junior Bessie Williams crossed in 24:16.99.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I feel so lucky to have our program, everybody there,” Mullin said. “They are so supportive. They make it really fun to go to practice every day, it keeps it going. I think they all really put it out there today. We’ve got a big day coming up next week.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t The top DII team and top 10 individuals qualify for state.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Runners start the Division III Region V Girls Cross Country Championship race on Saturday at Treadwell Mine Trails. (Klas Stolpe \/ For the Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t DIII AND JV: Kake wins DIII title for first time since 1980s<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Kake won the girl’s DIII title for the first time since their grandparents ran, said Kake coach Anthony Ross.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “For the girls it has been since the 1980s,” Ross said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t The Thunderbirds scored 36 points with Haines and Craig tallying 42 apiece.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t