The Bethel boys and girls cross country teams competed on Sept. 14 at the State Preview meet hosted by Bartlett High School in Anchorage. There, the Bethel Warriors boys cross country team proved to be one of the top Division II teams in the state.
The State Preview race challenges hundreds of the fastest runners in Alaska to see where they are as they head into the final quarter of the season. The race uses the same course as the Alaska School Activities Association championship in October.
The race is commonly dominated by larger Division I schools, but the Warriors boys team was one of just two middle-sized Division II teams to place in the top 10. They placed ninth overall in team scoring with 211 points.
The only Division II school to do better for the boys was Grace Christian, claiming fourth overall with just 125 points. Another potential top Division II competitor, Homer, fell just short of the top 10, finishing 11th with 283 points.
As for individual results, the Warriors boys were led by senior standout Ned Peters, who placed 10th overall, running the 5K in 17 minutes, 18 seconds. Sophomore Jackson Iverson was the next fastest for Bethel, finishing in 25th with a time of 17 minutes, 52 seconds. Scoring duties for the Warriors were handled by freshman Cole Iverson, senior Sheldon Smith, and sophomore Ethan Wheeler.
Meanwhile, the Lady Warriors were led by freshman Claire Dyment, who beat out over half the varsity field, taking 49th place with a time of 22 minutes, 21 seconds. Scoring duties for the Lady Warriors were handled by senior Kyana Harpak, junior Rosemarie Dyment, sophomore Kayleigh Bell, and freshman Sally Peters.
Overall, the top boys varsity team was South Anchorage with 94 points. For girls varsity, Chugiak took the top spot with 59 points.
Both Bethel teams will compete at the Big West Regional meet in Utqiaġvik on Sept. 22, where the top team and top 10 individuals will be headed to the state championship. Last year, both the Bethel boys and girls advanced to state after winning the regional meet held at the sandpit in Bethel.
