NOME CLASSIC INVITATIONAL—
After the relentless rain and storms last week, the skies cleared up just in time for the 2021 Nome Classic Invitational cross country run meet, held at Nome-Beltz on Saturday, Sept. 11. Nome hosted runners from Kotzebue, White Mountain and one Brevig Mission athlete.
The runners competed on a 5,000meter course starting at a dirt road off the Nome-Teller Highway to Moonlight Springs and looping to finish behind the Nome-Beltz campus.
Leading a field of 31 runners, 10grader Son Erikson of Nome won the boys varsity division with a time of 18:55. Nome Nanook Awaluk Nichols, ninth grade, won the girls varsity division in a time of 23:17.
Both won their races with a comfortable lead to the runner up. Kotzebue’s Aiden Ivanoff finished second behind Erikson with a time of 19:21 and 12-grader Zaida Baldwin, also of Kotzebue, came in second place after Nichols with a time of 24:39.
In the Middle School contest, Nome’s Benjamin Milton, eighth grade, won in a time of 21:23 in the boys division; Jocelyn Takak won the girls division in a time of 26:46.
All runners were cheered on along the way as coaches and supporters sprinted back and forth on the course.
Practice for cross country running started July 28 under coach Jeff Col
lins and assistant coach Corey Erikson. The team attempted to participate in the Teller XC run on August 28, but turned around en route to Teller due to bad road conditions.
The next meet is scheduled to take place in Kotzebue on Sept. 18, followed by the Big West XC meet in Kotzebue on Oct. 2 with the State meeting happening at Bartlett High in Anchorage on Oct. 9.
Nome Classic Invitational XC Results
Boys Varsity
1. Son Erikson, Nome, 18:55; 2. Aiden Ivanoff, Kotzebue, 19:21; 3. Orson Hoogendorn, Nome, 19:24; 4. Finn Gregg, Nome, 19:29; 5. Ezra Jones, Kotzebue, 19:40; 6. Paris Hebel, Nome, 20:14; 7. Colin McFarland, Nome, 20:19; 8. Hayden Leeper, Nome, 20:27; 9. Deacon Callahan, Nome, 20:28; 10. Kelvin Fry,
Nome, 20:30; 11. Jon Smith, Nome, 20:44; 12. Ethan Moore, Nome, 21:39;
13. Duke McDuffy, Nome, 21:41; 14. Tristen Hobbs, Nome, 21:41; 15. Kenyon Southall, Brevig Mission, 21:46; 16. Jadyn Barr, White Mountain, 21:52; 17. Jaden Jorgenson, Nome, 21:55; 18. Wyatt Ahmasuk, Nome, 22:16; 19. Bron Baldwin, Kotzebue, 22:45; 20. Joseph Martinson, Nome, 23:17; 21. Micah Mitchell, Kotzebue, 23:39; 22. Devin Sheldon, Kotzebue, 23:45; 23. Levi Moses, White Mountain, 25:10; 24. Brennan Beasley, Kotzebue, 25:52; 25. Zachary Gray, White Mountain, 25:56; 26. Tristan Ashenfelter, White Mountain, 26:06; 27. Jacob Williams, Kotzebue, 27:51; 28. Kaden Adams, White Mountain, 28:02;
29. Raymond Douglas, White Mountain, 28:42; 30. Ayden Wesley, Kotzebue, 29:08; 31. James Ione, White Mountain, 38:58.
Girls Varsity
1. Awaluk Nichols, Nome, 23:17; 2. Zaida Baldwin, Kotzebue, 24:39; 3. Della
Medlin, Nome, 24:41; 4. Kaila Short, Kotzebue, 25:03; 5. Natallie Tobuk, Nome, 26:35; 6. Katelyn Piper, Kotzebue, 27:37; 7. Alesha Norton, Kotzebue, 27:37; 8. Lacey Sherman, Nome, 28:26; 9. Melinda Henry, Kotzebue, 28:49; 10. Clara Hansen, Nome, 29:17; 11. Toby Pagel-Clark, Kotzebue, 32:46; 12. Cecilia Joule, Kotzebue, 34:18.
Middle School Boys
1. Benjamin Milton, Nome, 21:23; 2. Keanan Barr, White Mountain, 21:24; 3. Young Erikson, Nome, 22:07; Trace Tucker, Nome, 31:22; John Bergamaschi, White Mountain, 34:01.
Middle School Girls
1. Jocelyn Takak, Nome, 26:46; 2. Renee Brown, Nome, 26:54; 3. Lana Ashenfelter, White Mountain, 28:04; 4. Payton Lewis, Nome, 30:21; 5. Juliet Tobuk, Nome, 30:46; 6. Xevera Shanigan, White Mountain, 30:57; 7. Sara James, Nome, 40:30.