The Bethel boys and girls cross country teams won the Big West regional championship meet on Sept. 28, guaranteeing both teams a trip to the state competition.
The regional meet took place in Utqiaġvik this year. Only the top placing team and the top eight individual runners advance to state. For the rest of the runners, the meet is the end of their season.
The Warrior boys left little room for other individuals to qualify, claiming five of the top eight spots.
Senior Ned Peters finished as the regional runner-up, and was followed by underclassmen brothers Jackson and Cole Iverson in third and fourth place respectively. Sophomore Ethan Wheeler took sixth place, followed by senior Sheldon Smith in seventh.
Like golf, a low score wins in cross country. By placing all five scoring runners in the top eight, the Bethel Warriors dominated in team points, scoring just 15.
The race was run primarily on a gravel course along the Arctic Sea.
The Lady Warriors were also able to advance to state, even after their top runner, freshman Claire Dyment, suffered an ankle injury during the race, costing her several spots.
Her sister, junior Rosemarie Dyment, was Bethel’s top racer, finishing in third place. Senior Kyana Harpak finished in fifth, followed by Claire Dyment in sixth.
While the Warrior varsity teams will be advancing to state, the Nome-Beltz Nanooks took the individual racing titles with Awaluk “Wookie” Nichols taking the girls' title and Orson Hoogendorn claiming the boys' title.
The Alaska Student Athletic Association (ASAA) State Competition will take place on Oct. 5 at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.
