Cross country season comes to close, Wrangell student competes in state

Liana Carney, Wrangell High School freshman and member of the cross country team, went to run in the state competition at Bartlett High School this past Saturday. Carney qualified for state in the regional competition at Juneau on Sept. 22. She came in fourth place at Regionals with a time of 25 minutes and 51 seconds in the race.

"I am proud of the team and so excited for Liana," Coach Jen Davies wrote in an email. "These athletes work hard and are dedicated. Hopefully we come back next season stronger and ready to compete."

The state competition was between the top 15 male and top 15 female runners across Alaska. Carney said that this was her first year on the cross country team, but she has practiced with the team in the past. She's loved her time on the team and working with Davies, she added. She also said that she was excited to run in the state competition.

"It feels good, but I'm kind of bummed the other girls aren't going," Carney said before the competition.

Carney placed 26th in last weekend's run with a time of 22 minutes and 9 seconds. Carney's father, Jack Carney, said that she came in third place out of the female runners from Southeast Alaska. Davies said that she ran hard and was mentally focused the entire time, and that she was very proud of her performance. With the state competition over with, the cross country season has come to a close for another year.

"Overall we had another successful season," Davies said. "We had many personal records, overcame personal challenges, and simply had a fun time together.  I already miss seeing the kids daily."