Local Sports

Dillingham's Dull guts out tough win in New Stuyahok Saturday

KDLG 670AM

Published September 19, 2016 at 5:47 PM AKDT

The infamous gully challenged runners to find a little more at the New Stuyahok Invitational, where Dillingham topped Bristol Bay for top team spot.

DHS Hannah Berkoski, Anna Hansen (BB), and Sharon Hansen (BB) were the top three high schoolers in the girls race, but were bested by middle schoolers Meadow Phelps (BB) and Alessandra Bavilla (DMS).

Results:

DLG (Dillingham); KNW (New Stuyahok); TOG (Togiak); BB (Bristol Bay); KGK (Koliganek)

Overall Results: Boys HS/MS

1. Cole Dull 21:12 HS, DLG
2. Casey Konukpeok 21:39 HS KNW
3. Conner Romer 21:59 HS BB
4. Logan Phelps 22:12 HS BB
5. Austin King 22:32 HS BB
6. Samuel Calvert 22:37 MS DLG
7. Chris William 22:50 HS DLG
8. Tristan Chaney 23:38 HS DLG
9. Malachi Blue 24:02 HS T
10. Blunka Blunka 24:11 HS KNW
11. Demetry Hoseth 24:32 MS DLG
12. Kameron Bartman 25:04 HS DLG
13. Dillion Chaney 25:19 HS DLG
14. Thomas Tinker 25:24 MS DLG
15. Ty Desoto 25:50 HS DLG
16. Philip Christopher 26:16 MS KNW
17. Anthony Gust 26:44 MS KNW
18. Wassillie Johnson 26:51 MS KGK
19. Zach Tilden 27:34 HS DLG
20 Dakota Johnson 28:03 HS BB
21. Theodore Luckhurst 28:13 HS DLG
22. Edwin Peterson 28:16 HS BB
23. Nickolai Gust 28:20 MS KNW
24. Uzziah Dinen 28:25 MS
25. Deven Johnson 28:48 MS KGK
26. Pete Hill 30:19 MS BB
27. Mickia Walcott 30:44 MS KNW
28. Grant Williams 31:09 MS KNW
29. Maximus Gust 31:54 MS KNW
30. Zach Kolbe 32:44 MS DLG
31. Alan Pauk 45:08 MS TOG
32. Allen Fox 58:15 MS TOG

Overall Results: Girls HS/MS

1. Meadow Phelps 25:59 MS BB
2. Alessandra Bavilla 26:28 MS BB
3. Hannah Berkoski 26:29 HS DLG
4. Anna Hansen 27:27 HS BB
5. Sharon Hansen 28:15 HS BB
6. Anna Mose 28:54 HS BB
7. Cate Gom 30:20 HS DLG
8. Jean Kraus 30:48 HS DLG
9. Thersea Savo 30:54 MS DLG
10. Naiya Burraff 31:03 HS BB
11. Kiara Kapotak 31:06 HS KNW
12. Sammatha Riley 32:41 MS BB
13. Kiley Clouse 34:07 MS DLG
14. Tia Hansen 34:39 MS BB
15. Abbey Whitcomb 35:45 HS DLG
16. Kaeli Pulice 47:15 MS BB

The Gully Conquered. By Coach "Strider" Mike Halko

The Dillingham High School Boys Cross Country Team edged out the Bristol Bay Angels Saturday 41 to 47 on September 17at the New Stuyahok Invitational.

DHS junior Cole Dull paced himself to a first place finish to lead the Wolverines with a 21:12 personal best by 18 seconds. He followed New Stuyahok’s Casey Konukpeok and Bristol Bay’s Austin King into the gully, but rallied up and out of the gully to take grab a lead he held to the finish. Konukpeok took second place in 21:39 on his home course, followed by Conner Romer from Bristol Bay who finished in 21:58. Logan Phelps took fourth place, and last week's Dillingham Invitational champ Austin King from Bristol Bay finished fifth.

New Stuyahok's Casey Konukpeok had the lead on his home course, but Cole Dull pulled ahead after a second trip through the up and downs of New Stu's tough course.

DMS 8th grader Samuel Calvert was next to cross the finish line in 6^th place in 24:37 to win the Middle School Division.

The drama of the team competition between the Angels and Wolverines would be decided by the placement of each team’s fourth and fifth runners. It was exciting to watch the athletes push through the final 600 yards of the course; they had to climb a steep grade for over a quarter mile then sprint the last one hundred yards. Kameron Bartman and Dillon Chaney worked together to place 12^th and 13^th respectively, giving the Wolverines 41 team points. Their effort proved to be enough to edge out the Bristol Bay Angels by 6 points, turning the table on last week's team results at the Dillingham Invitational.

The crowds were treated to a glimpse of what will be great future races, as other middle schoolers showed they are ready to run with the "big dogs." There were nine middle schoolers in the top 25 boys finishers, including runners from New Stuyahok, Koligankek, and Dillingham.

The girls' race began at noon and proved to be just as exciting as the boys’ event even without team points in play. Here too, middle schoolers had the chance to shine. Meadow Phelps from Bristol Bay led the way, capturing first place in the bracket with a time of 25:59, with Dillingham’s Allesandra Bavilla behind less than thirty seconds. Hannah Berkoski (DHS) won the High School girls event in 26:30 followed by Anna and Sharon Hansen from Bristol Bay. Koliganek's Anna Mose took sixth, followed by Cate Gomez (DHS), Jean Krause (DHS), and Theresa Savo (DMS).

The New Stuyahok Eagles hosted a quality spectator-friendly event. The course was challenging starting and finishing at the Chief Ivan Blunka School. The infamous gully was only a short walk or four-wheeler ride from the school. Fans stood in a berry-studded tundra to encourage all runners as they descended into the pit, scaled the other side, looped around a four-wheeler to drop down again and gut out another climb. The cheering crowd got to see the runners' true grit in that gully.

Each week runners learn from the previous race. Courses change, as does the weather, but competitors persist. Individually each runner must learn how to set a steady pace, fight to stay with a teammate or chase down an opponent. They all are asked to dig deep and convince their mind that their body can do more. And then a little more past that. Watching the athletes strive for excellence is why coaches like me do what we do.

Next weekend Dillingham will host the Region I Southwest Cross Country Championship, featuring our own challenging new course. The top five high school boys and girls will earn a trip to the statewide competition at Bartlett High School in Anchorage on October 1. We hope you'll come out and cheer on these impressive young women and men.