Kaia Mangaccat runs Alaska’s fastest girls time this season

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JDHS senior places fifth at prestigious Nike XC Invitational

East Anchorage High School senior Katahdin Staples and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Kaia Mangaccat are shown at the prestigious Nike Hole In The Wall XC Invitational at Washington's Lakewood High School, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Staples placed 12th in 15:08 in the elite boys race and Mangaccat fifth with 17:41 in the girls race. (Photo courtesy JDHS coach Abby Jahn)

By Klas Stolpe

Juneau Independent

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Kaia Mangaccat, age 16, continued her aptitude for collecting fast 5-kilometer times with a personal best of 17:41 for fifth place at last weekend’s prestigious Nike Hole In The Wall XC Invitational at Washington’s Lakewood High School.

Only four women ran faster in the Nike Invite Womens Elite race, Mt. Si (Snoqualmie, WA) senior Sophia Rodriguez, 18, ran a PB 17:12; Eagle (Eagle, ID) freshman Adalyn Bello, 15, ran a PB 17:23; and Sehome (Bellingham, WA) juniors Kirsten Ludeman, 16, and Sloane Clines, 16, ran 17:35 and 17:39, respectively.

The female meet record of 16:43 was set in 2024 by Ballard (Seattle, WA) junior Cassidy Armstrong, 16, now running at Duke University.

“The weekend in Washington was a great cap to our 2026 season,” JDHS coach Abby Jahn said. “We like to take these trips with the kids to gain experience racing in bigger, competitive fields. It is also an opportunity to improve your time and see how you can run on a faster Lower 48 course. There was jostling and tight quarters, but the kids didn’t let it get them down. They ran really well and finished strong.”

Members of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé cross country running team are shown at the prestigious Nike Hole In The Wall XC Invitational at Washington's Lakewood High School, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Photo courtesy JDHS coach Abby Jahn)

According to Athletic.net, Mangaccat’s run is the fastest high school girls time in Alaska this year. The top five Alaska times were all set at the Nike race on Saturday, October 10. Chugiak freshman Claire Shaha, 14, ran 18:05; West Anchorage sophomore Chloe Hayner, 15, ran 18:17; West Anchorage senior Kendall Barnett, 18, ran 18:30; and Eagle River senior Ashlyn Paynter, 17, ran 18:31.

Mangaccat won the ASAA cross country state championship on Oct. 3, with a time of 18:32, Shaha placed second in 18:44, Hayner third in 19:03, Barnett fourth in 19:05 and Paynter was 11th in 19:32.

Hayner won Saturday’s Nike Invite Womens Varsity Gold race (AQT 19:40-20:59), in 18:17 with Barnett fourth in 18:30 and Paynter sixth in 18:31. JDHS junior Nevah Lupro placed 117th in 20:52 and junior Sigrid Eller 146th in 21:21. Chugiak’s Shaha was 17th in the Womens Elite race with 18:05.

The Womens Varsity Silver race (AQT 21:00-22:29) was won by Unity Christian (Chilliwack, BC, CAN) junior Tielmann Jayda, 16, in 18:52. South Anchorage senior Alise Elliott was fastest Alaskan, placing 13th in 19:43, and Kodiak freshman Lilly Brown 23rd with 20:05. JDHS senior Kaycee Parady placed 80th in 21:26, junior Larkyn Woltring 134th in 22:18, senior Adele Fanning 164th in 22:49, junior Sunna Schane 23:16, senior Sabine Auger 187th in 23:18 and senior Ellie Jo Wall 210th in 24:32.

JDHS senior Jillian Levy placed 243rd with a time of 27:45 in the Womens JV Silver race (AQT over 24:00-25:29), and senior Raegan Adams 253rd in 29:31. Lincoln (Seattle, WA) senior Anna Haber won the race in 20:27.

The combined girls races had 142 teams represented and 1,491 runners.

Among all female race times combined, Mt. Si’s Sophia Rodriguez topped the charts with 17:12.9, JDHS’ Mangaccat (17:41.4) still placed fifth, Chugiak’s Shaha (18:05.4) 17th, West’s Hayner (18:17.6) 27th, West’s Barnett (18:30.7) 38th, Eagle River’s Paynter (18:31.7) 40th, JDHS’ Lupro (20:52.9) 338th, JDHS’ Eller (21:21.5) 426th, JDHS’ Parady (21:26.5) 442nd, JDHS’ Woltring (22:18.5) 605th, JDHS’ Fanning (22:49.9) 701st, S. Schane (23:16.0) 778th, Auger (23:18.4) 7891st, Wall (24:32.8) 991st, Levy (27:45.4) 1289th, and Adams (29:31.0) 1381st.

The male Nike meet record of 14:36.80 was set in 2025 by Camas (Camas, WA) senior Cohen Butler, 17, now running at the University of Washington.

In Saturday’s Mens Elite (AQT under 16:20), Shorewood (Shoreline, WA) senior Elijah Graves won in 14:36.9 and East Anchorage ASAA state champion senior Katahdin Staples placed 12th in 15:08 - now the fastest Alaskan high school boys time this season.

In the Men’s Varsity Gold race (average qualifying times 16:30-17:59), JDHS senior Logan Fellman placed 100th in 16:55 and senior Austin Huang placed 248th in 18:01. West Anchorage senior Atlin Frederick, 18, was top Alaskan, placing seventh in 15:49 and South Anchorage sophomore Ethan Elliott 11th in 15:53. Frederick and Elliott now have the second and fourth fastest Alaskan times this season.

Bishop Blanchet (Seattle, WA) senior William Knox, 17, won the Gold race in 15:31, and Craig senior Aulis Nelson had the fastest boy’s Southeast Alaska time, placing 36th in 16:17. His time is 10th fastest on the Alaskan times list for this season.

In the Men’s Varsity Silver race (AQT 18:00-19:29), Hockinson (Brush Prairie, WA) senior Tanner Hood, 17, won in 16:07. The fastest Alaskan was East Anchorage junior Holden Aquino in 16th place with 16:55 and Kodiak junior Valentine Trout in 20th with 16:59. JDHS junior Niklas Uschmann placed 175th in 18:31, junior Anderson Murray 203rd in 18:43, and junior Caleb Schane 220th in 18:54.

The combined boys races were represented by 152 teams and 2,657 runners.

Among all the male race times combined, Shorewood’s Elijah Graves was fastest with 14:36.9, East’s Staples (15:08.7) 12th, Craig’s Nelson (16:17.3) 131st, JDHS’ Fellman (16:55.0) 284th, JDHS’ Huang (18:01.0) 687th, JDHS’ Uschmann (18:31.7) 934th, JDHS’ Murray (18:43.7) 1015th, and JDHS’ C. Schane (18:54.5) 1102nd.