The Wrangell boys team took home first place in Division III at the Southeast cross-country championship meet in Juneau this past weekend, with the girls taking second place.
Continuing her winning season, Wrangell sophomore Jenna Meissner took first in the girls race, with a time of 20:32.2, finishing 21 seconds in front of Petersburg’s Arielle Tucker, running on the Treadwell Historic Mine Trail on Saturday.
In team scoring, Wrangell boys scored 11 points, outrunning Skagway with 21 points, and Craig at 29, followed by Petersburg, Kake, Hoonah, Klawock and Metlakatla.
In the girls race, Petersburg won the team scoring, with 11 points, with Wrangell in second at 19 and Craig at 26, followed by Haines, Skagway, Kake and Yakutat.
Teaming up with Meissner for the winning score, Wrangell senior Alana Harrison placed fifth and freshman Erica Jabusch finished 13th.
In the boys run, Craig senior Aulis Nelson took first, clocking in at 16:31.5. Wrangell senior and team captain Jackson Carney came in second, with a time of 17:59.5, a seasonal best.
Wrangell sophomore Ryder Ritchie also achieved a seasonal best, finishing fourth. Junior Carter Howell came in right behind his teammate, getting fifth.
Next up for the Wrangell runners will be the state championships at Anchorage’s Bartlett High School Trails on Saturday, Oct. 3. The girls won state last year — the first time ever for Wrangell — with the boys taking second.
The top three teams and top 15 individual runners at Southeast qualify for the state championships.
“Both teams did really well. I am super proud of my whole team and what they accomplished at regionals,” Meissner said.
She is definitely looking forward to this weekend’s race. “I can’t wait to see what happens at state for us, especially because we have a couple of seniors who have contributed to the team in so many ways,” Meissner said. “We want them to leave their last season with state titles.”
