Juneau girls look to move up from third place
Seeking a state sweep
By coach Merry Ellefson's calculations, the Juneau-Douglas High School girls cross-country running team has flown or driven 6,060 miles and spent 15 nights on the road this season.
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But it all comes down to a run of about 3.1 miles and 20 minutes Saturday as the Crimson Bears compete at the state championships on Skyview High School's Tsalteshi Trails in Soldotna.
Juneau, with a team featuring four state veterans and three freshman, is hoping to improve upon its third-place team finish at last year's state meet held in Palmer.
"It's a big test to see what we've done this summer, this year," junior Jordan Harvey said. "It's what we've waited for all season ... and hopefully it turns out as what we hoped for. ...
"At this point, we're all together and we have a sense of everyone. We know what everyone's potential is, and at state we just have to push it to the limit."
Harvey will be joined by senior captain Megan Bush, juniors Lexi Garvey and Jordan Moser, and freshman Isabel Bush, Kirsten Jorgensen and Katie Krehlik.
Juneau is eying two-time defending state champion East Anchorage, which won last month's Dimond Invitational as Juneau took second in their only head-to-head meeting this season. Garvey did not travel for that meet, but won the region title last weekend in Sitka.
Meanwhile, the Crimson Bears are in the sights of West Valley High School from Fairbanks. Juneau nipped West Valley by a single point to claim third place at last year's state meet.
"East is pulling us, and we're pulling West Valley," Harvey said.
"We're really competitive, really close with some of the teams up there," Moser said.
The Crimson Bears said they're looking forward to the heightened intensity.
"The best thing (about state) is the competition," Ellefson said of her squad. "They're their own competition here, so to go up there, with other (top girls runners), it's really exciting."
Almost all the Juneau runners got the chance to scout the state course at Skyview's Tsalteshi Trails on a trip north last month, so there should be few surprises.
"Most of them have seen that course now," Ellefson said. "We're just looking to take it up there and be a contender for the title. I'm hopeful they'll all have races they'll be proud of."
Juneau's freshman trio is looking to do well at state, but the season to date has been quite a journey.
"In a lot of sports, as a freshman, you don't make varsity," Jorgensen said. "To be able to do that, it gives us a great opportunity."
Jorgensen said she's nervous about her first state meet - but added that to run well, she needs to be nervous.
The older runners have been passing along a few hints to the freshmen. Two years ago, Harvey and Moser headed to their first state meet as freshmen on varsity.
"I remember our freshman year, we had four freshman" on varsity, Harvey said. "We were the younger group once. Now ... I feel I should help them a lot, give them tips."
The younger Crimson Bears are ready to take those lessons and apply them for one final race this year.
"We've run hundreds of miles" this season, Jorgensen said. "When you get to that last mile (at state), it's like, 'I've run hundreds. I can run one more.'"
The Sitka girls claimed Southeast's other state team berth with their second-place finish at the region meet. Ketchikan's Natalie Pfeifer earned an individual state berth.
• Andrew Krueger can be reached at andrew.krueger@juneauempire.com.