JDHS cross-country teams storm Vikings territory

Crimson Bears run through the hills and dales of Petersburg

Members of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé girls cross country runners pose for a photo in Petersburg on Saturday, Sept.19, 2026, after their race. From left-to-right are freshman Nayeli Hood, senior Dez Bos, fr Cianna Kahl, sr Reagan Adams, sophomore Lucy Wall, sr Callie Stickle, so Eliza Albrecht, so Eleanor Peterson, so Kira English, sr Anna Reiter and so Kara Shrader. (Photo courtesy JDHS XC)

By Klas Stolpe  

Juneau Independent

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears split their runners over the weekend, sending half to the Petersburg Invitational and keeping the rest at home for a practice run at Eagle Beach.

“This group had a lot of our newer runners,” JDHS coach Zack Bursell said of those running at the Petersburg Invitational. “I am impressed with how enthusiastically they have been working this season. I think many of them pushed themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of. My favorite quote from the day was Robert saying ‘That was the hardest I’ve ever run.’”

The Petersburg course is two laps with a long uphill through the first half mile that rises in elevation 161 feet and then a fast downhill that brings runners back through a sandy beach after 1.46 miles. Then it repeats. A challenging course that keeps heart rates elevated.

“The hardest part of the race was running up the big hill the second time,” JDHS senior Callie Stickel said. “And I just looked at the person that was in front of me, and I also remember some very helpful advice from my coach… She told me to make sure I was pumping my arms while I was going up the hill. And also think in my head, ‘push, push, push’ whenever each of your feet hit the ground. That helped. And then I went really fast.”

Sitka won both the girls and boys team scoring. The Wolves girls totaled 24 points, Petersburg 31 and JDHS 78. The Wolves boys scored 22 points, Petersburg 38 and JDHS 72.

Wrangell sophomore Jenna Meissner had the fastest girls time with 20 minutes 43 seconds. Rounding out the top 10 were Petersburg junior Arielle Tucker second in 21:19, Sitka sophomore Novah Schmidt third in 21:37, Petersburg junior Cadence Flint fourth in 22:06, Wrangell senior Alana Harrison fifth in 22:07, Sitka sophomore Lola Hitchcock sixth in 22:17, Sitka sophomore Mari Fujioka seventh in 22:21, Sitka sophomore Grace Hall eighth in 22:26.65, Sitka freshman Ruby Richter ninth in 22:55 and Haines sophomore Sophia Hedden 10th in 23:23.

JDHS sophomore Dez Bos was 16th in 24:05, freshman Nayeli Hood 17th in 24:07, sophomore Kira English 20th in 25:24, freshman Cianna Kahl 22nd in 25:40, sophomore Eleanor Peterson 26th in 27:06, sophomore Eliza Albrecht 27th in 27:11, sophomore Lucy Wall 34th in 29:47, sophomore Kara Shrader 36th in 30:14, senior Anna Reiter 37th in 32:11, senior Raegan Adams 39th in 34:28 and Stickel 40th in 34:30.

Members of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé boys cross country runners pose for a photo in Petersburg on Saturday, Sept.19, 2026, after their race. From left-to-right are junior Craig Thorsteinston, freshman Riley Humphrey, fr Robert Hickman, fr William Olmsted, fr Wesley Swanson, fr Yakobi Cole, senior Dan Degener, fr Jack Coutu and jr Georgi Gagliashvili. (Photo courtesy JDHS XC)

“The hardest part of the race was on the second lap, the downhill stretch of the course,” JDHS freshman Wesley Swanson said. “The person I just passed was faster than me on the previous downhill and I had to sprint the entire downhill to stay ahead of him.”

Sitka senior Derek Wilson had the fastest time in 17:19 with sophomore teammate Owen Mork second in 18:05, edging Wrangell senior Jackson Carney in 18:06. Sikta sophomore Silas Marley finished fourth in 18:25, Petersburg sophomore Andi Mihai fifth in 18:26, Wrangell junior Carter Howell sixth in 18:32, Wrangell sophomore Ryder Ritchie seventh in 18:42, Sitka junior Andrew Mullin eighth in 19:00, Sitka junior Silas Todd ninth in 19:01 and Haines sophomore Yeshey Galindo-George 10th in 19:12.

JDHS senior Daniel Degener placed 13th in 19:26, freshman Yakobi Cole 19th in 20:39, Swanson 29th in 23:26, junior Craig Thorsteinson 30th in 23:36, freshman Robert Hickman 31st in 24:04, freshman Riley Humphrey 34th in 25:26, freshman William Olmstead 40th in 33:54, junior Giorgi Gagliashvili 41st in 33:54 and freshman Jackson Coutu 43rd in 38:26.

GIRLS RESULTS

1. WRG so Jenna Meissner 20:43; 2. PSG jr Arielle Tucker 21:19; 3. SIT so Novah Schmidt 21:37; 4. PSG jr Cadence Flint 22:06; 5. WRG sr Alana Harrison 22:07; 6. SIT so Lola Hitchcock 22:17; 7. SIT so Mari Fujioka 22:21; 8. SIT so Grace Hall 22:26; 9. SIT fr Ruby Richter 22:55; 10. HNS so Sophia Hedden 23:23; 11. PSG fr Arya Holmgrain 23:27; 12. PSG jr Zia Hulebak 23:32; 13. PSG sr Maria Toth 23:47; 14. PSG fr Devyn Flint 23:51; 15. SIT fr Elizabeth Crosiar 23:57; 16. JDHS so Dez Bos 24:05; 17. JDHS fr Nayeli Hood 24:07; 18. HNS fr Violet Crowe 24:59; 19. SIT so Cedar Bethune 25:11; 20. JDHS so Kira English 25:24; 21. SIT so Taylor McCarty 25:29; 22. JDHS fr Cianna Kahl 25:40; 23. WRG fr Natalie McGee 25:41; 24. SIT sr Zoe Tydingco 26:13; 25. SIT so Piper Johansen 26:55; 26. JDHS so Eleanor Peterson 27:06; 27. JDHS so Eliza Albrecht 27:11; 28. HNS jr Anna Bell 27:12; 29. YAK fr Abigail Holcomb 27:42; 30. SIT sr Sarah Todd 27:51; 31. YAK fr Britta McBroom 28:20; 32. HNS fr Ivy Elliott 29:04; 33. MET sr Mackenzie Williams 29:28; 34. JDHS so Lucy Wall 29:47; 35. YAK fr Avery Jensen 29:56; 36. JDHS so Kara Shrader 30:14; 37. JDHS sr Anna Reiter 32:11; 38. MET so Elizabeth Olsen 32:14; 39. JDHS sr Raegan Adams 34:28; 40. JDHS sr Callie Stickel 34:30

BOYS RESULTS

1. SIT sr Derek Wilson 17:19; 2. SIT so Owen Mork 18:05; 3. WRG sr Jackson Carney 18:06; 4. SIT so Silas Marley 18:25; 5. PSG so Andi Mihai 18:26; 6. WRG jr Carter Howell 18:32; 7. WRG so Ryder Ritchie 18:42; 8. SIT jr Andrew Mullin 19:00; 9. SIT jr Silas Todd 19:01; 10. HNS so Yeshey Galindo-George 19:12; 11. SIT so Cedar Starbuck 19:18; 12. WRG jr Lucas Stearns 19:20; 13. JDHS sr Daniel Degener 19:26; 14. SIT jr Calvin Strong 19:37; 15. SIT jr Leyton Larson 19:55; 16. SIT fr William Edwards 20:15; 17. SIT so Reece Howard 20:26; 18. SIT fr Quentin Richter 20:26; 19. JDHS fr Yakobi Cole 20:39; 20. PSG sr Waylon Jones 20:51; 21. SIT so Boyd Branch 21:22; 22. SIT so Cooper Smith 21:24; 23. PSG fr Declan Olsen 21:42; 24. WRG fr Quinton Davies 21:49; 25. SIT so Wyatt Kirkness 22:27; 26. SIT fr Sam Ploetzner 22:34; 27. SIT fr Marshall Branch 22:55; 28. SIT so Fisher Steinson 23:13; 29. JDHS fr Wesley Swanson 23:26; 30. JDHS jr Craig Thorsteinson 23:36; 31. JDHS fr Robert Hickman 24:04; 32. SIT so Nolan Calhoun 24:04; 33. YAK jr Tyler Wolf 24:52; 34. JDHS fr Riley Humphrey 25:26; 35. MET sr Xavier Olsen 25:41; 36. MET jr Sam Charles 25:58; 37. SIT so Jack Mickelson 26:30; 38. PSG so William Desposato 27:29; 39. HNS fr Edgar Nash 30:24; 40. JDHS fr William Olmstead 33:54; 41. JDHS jr Giorgi Gagliashvili 33:54; 42. MET so Isaiah Blandov 35:52; 43. JDHS fr Jackson Coutu 38:26

JDHS will host the Region V Division I, II and III Cross Country Running Championships on the Historic Treadwell Mine Trail at Douglas’ Sandy Beach on Saturday, Sept. 26.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com