Wrangell’s Boomchain Loucks and Jenna Meissner both won first place as the fastest runners in their races at the state cross-country Division III championships in Palmer on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Meissner led the Wrangell girls team to their first state title in program history.

“It’s the first girls state championship in any sport in school history,” coach Mason Villarma posted on Facebook.
The boys team placed second, close behind Petersburg.
Meissner, a freshman, turned in a time of 20 minutes and 29.80 seconds, outrunning second-place Arielle Tucker of Petersburg by roughly 13 seconds.

Meissner led the race from start to finish.

The two other Wrangell runners, Bella Ritchie and Alana Harrison, were fifth and sixth in the individual results — good for a first-place team finish. All three runners will be back next year.

“We have an amazing team,” Meissner said Saturday, pointing to her teammates in Palmer and to girls on the team who hadn’t qualified for this year’s state championships.

For Loucks, a senior, it was his second individual state championship. He won as a sophomore, but illness prevented him from finishing the race in 2024.

Wrapping up a muddy 5K run in 16:40.69 on Saturday, Loucks finished about 16 seconds ahead of last year’s champion, Aulis Nelson, of Craig.

“Today’s race was a lot of different emotions,” Loucks said. “It was painful, but I’m just happy to get it done and come back and get it.”

Returning to the state championships for his senior year, potentially his last race in Alaska, Loucks said he’d sought only to put forth his best effort. He said that even if he’d placed second or third, he’d have been satisfied to know that he left everything he had on the trail.

“Boomchain ends his Alaska cross-country career as the most decorated runner in Wrangell history,” Villarma posted on Facebook.

“Jackson Carney (sixth) ran a gutsy race, and Ian Nelson (13th) rounded out a solid team effort,” he said of the boys team.

Wrangell’s runners have led the program’s growth and become leaders, the coach said. That’s especially true of seniors Loucks, Ian Nelson, Jackson Powers and Ben Houser. It’s that work, he said, that was showcased on the trails during Saturday’s competition and in recent years.

“We’ve had, if you count it up, three state titles in four years, between the teams,” Villarma said. “I know the community is very proud, and the bar is just getting that much higher.”

Racing in the state competition, Meissner said, means balancing the pressure and adrenaline while keeping a lot in mind. Minutes after hoisting the title trophy up alongside her teammates, she said she was already thinking about trying next year to set a new personal record.

Loucks said the Wrangell runners are like a family, and he’s thankful to race alongside them. He said he’s going to keep running even though the season has ended, with an eye toward competing in college.

Many of Wrangell’s runners, Villarma said, will soon be competing in the wrestling season. “We’ll be watching them win some state titles there.”

GIRLS
Team scores: Wrangell, 12 points; Unalakleet, 15; Petersburg, 25; Dillingham, 49; Glennallen, 50; Craig, 53; Sand Point, 82; Unalaska, 85; Lumen Christi (Anchorage), 88; Akiachak, 122.

Top 10 individuals
Jenna Meissner, Wrangell, 20:29.80; Arielle Tucker, Petersburg, 20:42.82; Ourea Busk, Unalakleet, 20:53.05; Isabella Eller, Unalakleet, 20:54.68; Bella Ritchie, Wrangell, 21:46.36; Alana Harrison, Wrangell, 21:55.96; Mariah Abbott, Glennallen, 21:57.94; Turi Busk, Unalakleet, 22:06.31; Alex Ivanoff, Unalakleet, 22:08.47; Jayla Edenshaw, Craig, 22:32.62.

BOYS
Petersburg, 10; Wrangell, 15; Unalaska, 38; Dillingham, 43; Skagway, 48; Glennallen, 56; Unalakleet, 81; Chevak, 116; Cordova, 129; Akiachak, 148; Tikigaq, 168.

Top 10 individuals
Boomchain Loucks, Wrangell, 16:40.69; Aulis Nelson, Craig, 16:56.83; Gaje Ventress, Petersburg, 18:01.72; Seth Paniptchuk, Shaktoolik, 18:03.31; Nathan Kerr, Petersburg, 18:15.67; Jackson Carney, Wrangell, 18:29.62; Erik McGee, Port Alsworth, 18:32.65; Alex Holmgrain, Petersburg, 18:36.31; Logan Rupprecht, Skagway, 18:36.55; Tobyn Dolge, Glennallen, 18:45.46.

Other Wrangell finishers
Ian Nelson, 18:57.47; Jackson Powers, 19:27.25; Ryder Ritchie, 20:02.89; Ben Houser, 20:33.76.