The Wrangell Wolves cross country boys team outran strong competition last year to take home their second state championship title in a row, and head coach Mason Villarma has high hopes for the runners returning for a new season.
“I’m hoping to keep the culture alive,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of excellence in the program right now, particularly on the boys’ side.”
Villarma is still working on building the girls’ program, and he hopes that the addition of middle school teacher Laura Davies as the team’s new assistant coach will help to attract interest from young female athletes.
“She helps get the running program up to speed at the younger levels,” he said. “I think she’ll see some of those folks translate from the middle school to the high school and it’ll be really exciting.”
Villarma suggested that newcomers who want to try out for the team should consider some light training before practice starts July 31. “Just simply going for easy runs over the next few weeks,” he said. “Depending on your exposure to the sport, if you’re new, two- or three-mile runs each day.”
Due to the boys competitive showing over the past two years, he has been considering moving the team to Division II, which would put them in competition with schools like Grace Christian High School in Anchorage and Sitka. Still, he wants to hold off for one more year. “We do still have quite a fairly young team,” he said. “I just think we want to get our feet wet one more time at the Division III level.”
Villarma added that one disappointing factor in remaining at that level is that the division will now score based on the top three runners instead of the top five. “That may twist our arms into the Division II level.”
He pointed out that the boys’ team will only be losing one person from last year. “Keegan Hanson got second at state for us,” he said. “But to return six of your seven varsity guys, that’s a pretty good deal.”
Among those returning to the boys team is junior Boomchain Loucks, who took first place at state last year out of 80 runners and maintained a substantial lead throughout. “Boomchain is a very high-caliber runner,” Villarma said, adding that, because of his talent, he wants to provide other prospects for Loucks.
“I’d love to get him on a scholarship for a track and cross country team, so his cross country season may look a little bit different. I’d like to try to not go through just the state competitions but try to find some other opportunities out of Washington, Oregon. I’m thinking like Nike Cross Nationals, and then get him some indoor track exposure.”
Other returning runners include senior Daniel Harrison, who placed fifth at state last year, as well as juniors Ian Nelson and Jackson Powers, and sophomores Jackson Carney and Everett Meissner.
Unfortunately, sophomore Alana Harrison, who distinguished herself last year at state as Wrangell’s top finisher for the girls team, will not be among those returning. “She’s down in New Zealand with her parents and family, so she won’t make the cross country season,” Villarma said.
However, he added that another strong performer for the girls’ side, Kalee Herman, will be back. “(She) was a staple for us last year,” he said. “I see her improving substantially this next year. She’s like Steady Eddie on the course, and I think with another year of maturity she’ll do very well. We also have some younger runners that we can anticipate coming up.”
While he said it’s a wait-and-see time on the girls side, he expects the boys to dominate the region again this year.
With Villarma’s recent rise to borough manager, continuing to act as finance director and serving on various boards, his busy schedule caused him some initial inner trepidation in coaching the cross country season — but not for long. “Running is a passion of mine and always has been since I was in middle school,” he said.
“I don’t look at it as an added burden. I look at it as a really cool way to end my day.”
The tentative schedule for the cross country season starts Aug. 17 with the Juneau Invitational Meet, then at Petersburg on Aug. 24, the North Meet at Haines on Aug. 31, Bartlett High School in Anchorage or the South Meet at Craig on Sept. 7, Sitka on Sept. 14, Juneau on Sept. 21, then the Southeast championships at Ketchikan on Sept. 28, and finally the state championships at Palmer on Oct. 5.
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