Sitka’s Demmert Leads Wolves to Cross-Country Win at Juneau

Sitka junior Silas Demmert and Ketchikan senior Mickey Lapinski lead Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé junior Will Robinson and Petersburg senior Uriah Lucas in the Capital City Invite on Saturday at Sandy Beach. (Klas Stolpe

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Sitka High School junior Silas Demmert ran a 16 minute 51 second 5K to win the boys race in the Capital City High School Cross-Country Invitational on Saturday at Sandy Beach and help the Wolves defeat nine other schools for the team title.

  Demmert’s win ended a three-race win streak for Ketchikan’s Mickey Lapinski, who placed third in 17:50. Sitka sophomore Annan Weiland was second in 17:00.

  “It’s nice, especially during COVID when there wasn’t many races, it’s nice to see another person from somewhere you haven’t been very often,” Demmert said. “Another competitor and that connection you don’t get all the time - and someone to push you harder.”

  Lapinski said Demmert always pushes him.

  “This time he was a good amount in front of me,” Lapinski said. “But the last few races we were a few seconds away from each other, we were both pushing each other to get PRs and it has been a fun season running with him.”

  The Wolves scored 44 points, JDHS 59, Haines 106, Thunder Mountain 113, Petersburg 130, Ketchikan 146, Craig 151, Mt. Edgecumbe 229, Klawock 247 and Metlakatla 286.

  Demmert was asked what he loves and hates about the CCI course along the Treadwell Mine Trail.

  “I think both answers to that are the same - the hills,” Demmert said. “My coach (Shasta Smith) is really big on getting your hill training in on an easy day or maybe do some hill repeats. It is nice to know she is thinking ahead for that kind of thing and really pushing us for that.”

  Lapinski agreed.

  “You hate the hills but you love them,” he said. “If you practice for them and you are prepared, it can work out for you pretty well.”

  With Demmert’s Sitka teammate Weiland placing second, the Wolves opened a huge scoring opportunity.

  “I wasn’t expecting anything to happen,” Weiland said. “I love this course. I have only run on it once just to check it out. I wasn’t expecting to get as much of a PR as I did today. I feel great, the hills were fine. Our coaches really help us. We are really good with hills, we feel very strong. We all boost each other up. The team is all super happy together.”

  Haines junior Luke Davis placed fourth in 17:22 and was the top division three finisher.

  “All the guys that finished a head of me are in division one and two so it is looking good going into regionals,” Davis said. “I think it is helpful to have that competition so I can push myself and have other guys ahead of me to chase down. I like the start of this course. It is pretty spread out and nice on the sand. It’s a pretty nice course.”

  Thunder Mountain senior Matthew Johns was the top runner from the capital city, placing fifth in 17:25, just behind Davis and just ahead of Petersburg senior Uriah Lucas in sixth with 17:28 and Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé senior Aubrey Hekkers seventh in 17:34 and JDHS junior Will Robinson eighth in 17:42.

  “I think I did pretty good,” Johns said. “That was my fastest time that I have ever ran. Back in my sophomore year, I ran 17:29 and I am just trying to battle back. COVID kind of slowed everybody down. But, still, a total PR on your home course. Will Robinson slipped on the hill and tripped and fell. He still had a good race but I still feel good.”

  Johns said the competition has been important this season.

  “It is definitely way better than last year,” he said. “Last year was really hard to push yourself because we were only allowed to run with our team. This year with the other teams it really makes a difference. It really makes it good. You can pace yourself and try and pass people and push yourself.”

  Petersburg’s Lucas said he went out too fast at the start.

  “I went out pretty hard,” Lucas said. “I gave it a good effort. I think I just want to pace myself more and not go out at a five-minute pace. I feel like I kind of burned myself out a little bit. I had a bit left but I couldn’t seem to kick. I’ll just give it my best at regions and see what happens.”

  JDHS’ Hekkers said the dry course was fast.

  “Overall a pretty solid race,” Hekkers said. “It’s fun to have all these teams from out of town here. It gives us a lot of competition. Our team is looking good for regions, which is exciting. Individually you just need to give it your all in the workouts because that is what really helps. And as a team we just really have to work together and try and push each other.”

  The Region V Championships are in Ketchikan this Saturday, Oct. 2. The 3A/4A boys race at 9 a.m., 3A/4A girls at 9:35 a.m., 1A/2A boys at 10:15 a.m. and 1A/2A girls at 10:55 a.m.

  4A schools are: JDHS, TMHS and Ketchikan. 3A schools are: Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe. 2A schools are: Craig, Haines, Metlakatla and Petersburg. 1A schools are: Angoon, Gustavus, Hoonah, Klawock, Klukwan, Pelican, Skagway, Thorne Bay, Wrangell and Yakutat.

  Demmert said he loves the Region V championship course in Ketchikan.

  “When I went there my freshman year it was flooded,” he said. “That was my PR my freshman year and I honestly can’t wait. I like it a lot.”

  Regions will be Lapinski’s final race on his high school venue.

  “Home course, you have got to love it,” he said. “It’s a fast course. It doesn’t really seem like it, there’s a huge hill and a lot of ups and downs but overall a lot of people PR on it. It’s a fun course.”

  CAPITAL CITY INVITATIONAL BOYS RESULTS

  1. jr. Silas Demmert 16:51 SIT; 2. so. Annan Weiland 17:00 SIT; 3. sr. Mickey Lapinski 17:15 KTN; 4. jr. Luke Davis 17:22 HNS; 5. sr. Matthew Johns 17:25 TMHS; 6. sr. Uriah Lucas 17:28 PSG; 7. sr. Aubrey Hekkers 17:34 JDHS; 8. jr. Will Robinson 17:42 JDHS; 9. jr. Rogan Hanson 17:43 CRG; 10. so. Martin Holst 17:49 JDHS; 11. jr. Hank Maxwell 17:50 SIT; 12. so. Dominic Ross 17:51 Kake; 13. sr. Kaleb Jones 17:51 HNS; 14. fr. Trey Demmert 17:53 SIT; 15. sr. Michael Durkin 17:54 PSG; 16. so. Leo Wald 17:55 HNS; 17. jr. Eli Crupi 17:58 JDHS; 18. sr. Asa Dow 18:02 SIT; 19. sr. Samuel Holst 18:03 JDHS; 20. so. Edgar Vera Alvarado 18:05 JDHS; 21. sr. Tias Carney 18:09 JDHS; 22. fr. Joshua Reed 18:10 JDHS; 23. jr. Kona Atkins 18:10 Gustavus; 24. so. Wilder Dillingham 18:18 JDHS; 25. fr. Casey Styles 18:20 KTN; 26. sr. Kyle Congdon 18:20 KTN; 27. fr. Evan Durco 18:21 Gustavus; 28. so. Marley Kness 18:24 KLWK; 29. fr. Kael Nord 18:24 TMHS; 30. so. Malachi Peimann 18:28 JDHS; 31. jr. Justus Paden 18:32 TMHS; 32. so. Leif St Clair 18:33 JDHS; 33. fr. Connor Hitchcock 18:35 SIT; 34. jr. Finn Kesey 18:38 JDHS; 35. sr. Colton Ewers 18:51 SIT; 36. so. Daniel Aspery 18:53 CRG; 37. fr. Sage Janes 19:05 TMHS; 38. fr. Quinn Quiroga 19:09 TMHS; 39. sr. Darin Tingey 19:10 TMHS; 40. so. Justin Scussel 19:11 TMHS; 41. sr. John Magalhaes 19:11 TMHS; 42. so. Breiland Willis 19:14 PSG; 43. so. Keegan Hanson 19:14 CRG; 44. so. Theo Everson 19:27 SIT; 45. so. Jacob Friske 19:27 MEHS; 46. jr. Eric Gillham 19:36 HNS; 47. jr. Dylan Crenna 19:36 SIT; 48. sr. Chase Lister 19:38 PSG; 49. jr. Sam Bass 19:44 CRG; 50. fr. Owen Woodruff 19:46 TMHS; 51. jr. Jeremia Fergueson 19:49 SIT; 52. fr. Dalton Henry 19:50 HNS; 53. sr. Tommy Bowman 19:55 TMHS; 54. so. Valon Weathers 20:00 PSG; 55. jr. Gaelen Allen 20:05 HNS; 56. sr. Stephen Harmon 20:10 SIT; 57. jr. James Helem 20:10 SIT; 58. sr. Colin Rice 20:16 CRG; 59. sr. Logan Borcik 20:18 HNS; 60. fr. Caleb Lutomsky 20:21 PSG; 61. so. Kieran Cabral 20:23 PSG; 62. jr. Wyatt Litster 20:25 PSG; 63. jr. Tosh Ratzat 20:47 KTN; 64. jr. Ben Erickson 20:49 TMHS; 65. jr. Connor Journey 21:36 MEHS; 66. so. Ethan Reichl 21:37 TMHS; 67. fr. Elias Ward 22:00 PSG; 68. jr. Elston Dock 22:09 MEHS; 69. jr. Miles Bourdikofsky 22:10 MEHS; 70. jr. Dylan Jackson 22:12 MEHS; 71. so. Ashton McKeehan 22:16 MET; 72. jr. Dalton Wyzykowski 22:42 KLWK; 73. jr. Kurt Kohn 22:53 Thorne Bay; 74. jr. Nicholas Davis 22:55 Kake; 75. jr. Luke Peterson 22:57 MEHS; 76. so. Clancy Thomas 23:01 KTN; 77. so. John Fisher Kelly 23:12 Gustavus; 78. so. Jackson Long 23:27 HNS; 79. jr. Matias Canadas 24:08 Thorne Bay; 80. jr. Malcolm Fry 24:09 PSG; 81. jr. Ian Owen 24:18 KLWK; 82. fr. Jackson Benson 25:06 MET; 83. sr. Eric John 25:32 Thorne Bay; 84. fr. Kohyn Broncheau 25:36 MET; 85. sr. Dakwaneek Crookes 25:37 Kake; 86. jr. Daniel Bohlke 25:48 Gustavus; 87. jr. Emett Fairbanks 26:06 KLWK; 88. fr. Isaac Litster 26:20 PSG; 89. sr. Jacob Isaacs 27:05 KLWK; 90. jr. Jasper Booth 27:41 MET; 91. fr. Tanner Smith 27:44 CRG; 92. so. Miles Nelson 27:58 MET; 93. so. Declan Thomas 28:23 KTN; 94. jr. Giovanni Arroyo 40:32 MET.