JDHS harriers run along Sitka’s Totem Park trail

Klas Stolpe
1 hour ago
4 min read

Crimson Bears chased by Kings, Wolves, Vikings and more in first official race

Boys cross country runners from schools across Southeast set off on Lincoln Street Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, for a cross country course through Sitka National Historical Park. (James Poulson / The Daily Sitka Sentinel)

By Klas Stolpe

Juneau Independent

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears cross country running team placed first for girls and fourth for boys at the Sitka Invitational Cross Country meet at Sitka’s Totem Park on Saturday.

“We are really proud of this group,” JDHS coach Zack Bursell said. “They really showed some resilience with some unfortunate flight delays on our way to Sitka. We were stuck waiting in the Juneau airport for seven hours on a mechanical delay before our flight was cancelled and we got rebooked on a flight the morning of the race. They bounced back and many of them hit personal best times.”

Juneau Douglas High School junior Carson Kautz (975), Juneau's top finishing runner at the Sitka Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, is shown on the Sitka National Historical Park course during the race. (James Poulson / The Daily Sitka Sentinel)

Sitka senior Derek Wilson won the boys race in 17 minutes 16.73 seconds and JDHS junior Carson Kautz led the Crimson Bears with a sixth-place finish in 18:16.69.

Wrangell sophomore Jenna Meissner won the girls race in 21:27.58 and JDHS freshman Nayeli Hood was the first Crimson Bears runner across the line, placing ninth with 23:08.99.

The JDHS girls showed that pack running was key in the sport in the field of 54 runners. Their five scoring athletes all finished in the top 18. Freshman Grace Rumsey was 11th with 23:31.27, senior Ellie Jo Wall 13th in 23:46.10, sophomore Emmalynn LaPlante 16th in 23:58.53 and sophomore Dezerae Bos 17th in 23:59.55. The two scoring alternates, senior Kaycee Parady, placed 18th in 24:00.49 and sophomore Eliza Albrecht 29th in 26:07.93.

JDHS senior Jillian Levy hit her best time of the season, placing 42nd in 27:51.43.

“I was thinking about how water boils at 212 degrees,” Levy said. “So I think about how when you are at 211 degrees and you always give that one more degree to get boiling. I was just thinking go one more degree.”

Juneau Douglas High School freshman Nayeli Hood, Juneau's top runner, crosses the finish line Saturday, Aug.22, 2026, in Sitka during a regional cross country meet. (James Poulson / The Daily Sitka Sentinel)

Ketchikan topped the boys team scoring by placing senior Henry Vail second in 17:47.88 and freshman Benjamin Thompson third in 17:52.60 and their next three scorers placing seventh, ninth and 13th.

After Kautz in the top 10, JDHS placed their scoring runners with senior Max Webster 18th in 19:12.87, senior Atagan Hood 23rd in 19:20.20, freshman Luke Miller 29th in 19:41.58, and junior Caleb Schane 31st in 19:51.98. The two scoring alternates were sophomore Brooks Pinney 37th in 20:12.16 and senior Caden Morris 42nd in 21:07.96.

“I am happy I was able to run well today,” Morris said. “After a few seasons of not being able to compete with illness and injuries, it was great to be able to run at a full effort today.”

Boys Team

1. Ketchikan, 34; 2. Sitka, 59; 3. Wrangell, 89; 4. JDHS, 105; 5. Unalaska, 108; 6. Skagway, 110; 7. Metlakatla, 214

Girls Team

1. JDHS, 37; 2. Sitka, 43; 3. Ketchikan, 49

Girls cross country runners from schools across Southeast set off on Lincoln Street Saturday, Aug, 23, 2026, on a course that winds through Sitka National Historical Park. (James Poulson / The Daily Sitka Sentinel)

Individual Results (Top 10 and JDHS runners)

Boys

1. Derek Wilson, SIT, 17:16.73; 2. Henry Vail, KTN, 17:47.88; 3. Benjamin Thompson, KTN, 17:52.60; 4. Logan Rupprecht, SKG, 17:56.72; 5. Carter Howell, WRG, 18:10.37; 6. Kautz, JDHS, 18:16.69; 7. Maxton Glover, KTN, 18:31.63; 8. Owen Mork, SIT, 18:34.68; 9. Blaine Garlick, KTN, 18:39.03; 10. Zane Coughran, SKG, 18:41.74; 18. Webster, JDHS, 19:12.87; 23. Hood, JDHS, 19:20.20; 29. Miller, JDHS, 19:41.58; 31. Schane, JDHS, 19:51.98; 37. Pinney, JDHS, 20:12.16; 42. Morris, JDHS, 21:07.96; 46. Yakobi Cole, JDHS, 21:18.96; 56. Knox Francis, JDHS, 22:44.38; 64. Craig Thorsteinson, JDHS, 24:12.90; 67. Robert Hickman, JDHS, 24:40.88; 68. Riley Humphrey, JDHS, 25:22.88

Girls

1. Jenna Meissner, WRG, 21:27.58; 2. Cadence Flint, PSG, 21:39.84; 3. Alana Harrison, WRG, 21:40.95; 4. Ryan Elerding, KTN, 22:01.24; 5. Novah Schmidt, SIT, 22:04.57; 6. Grace Hall, SIT, 22:08.33; 7. Nadia Whitaker, Unalaska, 22:56.86; 8. Sarah Kleeman, KTN, 23:04.97; 9. Hood, JDHS, 23:08.99; 10. Erika Jabusch, WRG, 23:15.90; 11. Rumsey, JDHS, 23:31.27; 13. Wall, JDHS, 23:46.10; 16. LaPlante, JDHS, 23:58.53; 17. Bos, JDHS, 23:59.55; 18. Parady, JDHS, 24:00.49; 29. Albrecht, JDHS, 26:07.93; 31. Kira English, JDHS, 26:16.38; 32. Cianna Kahl, JDHS, 26:16.72; 33. Katie Rosson, JDHS, 26:21.55; 36. Leighton Zararzua, JDHS, 26:30.84; 40. Eleanor Peterson, JDHS, 27:00.99; 41. Lucy Wall, JDHS, 27:30.60; 42. Jillian Levy, JDHS, 27:51.43; 52. Kara Schrader, JDHS, 30:52.18; 54. Callie Stickel, JDHS, 34:46.17

JDHS will next race at Anchorage’s Bartlett High School trails on Saturday, Aug 29.