Wrangell High School’s Jenna Meissner edged out Novah Schmidt of Sitka by six-tenths of a second to win the cross-country run on Saturday, Sept. 12, in Ketchikan.

Meissner finished at 20:41.61, just ahead of Schmidt at 20:42.22.

The meet included boys and girls squads from seven Southeast high schools, a mix of larger and smaller schools from different divisions, including Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé.

The weather cooperated, with a beautiful backdrop for the race at Ward Lake and perfect running conditions that allowed many of the runners to achieve their seasonal bests.

Wrangell coach Mason Villarma reflected on the results of the meet: “The boys continue to build. Many of the runners got late starts to the season due to timing conflicts. The team is just getting going, they haven’t fully peaked yet.” 

The Wrangell boys placed fifth in the seven-team event, which was led by the bigger schools of Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka, with Skagway edging out Wrangell for fourth place.

Villarma was especially impressed with senior and team co-captain Jackson Carney, who placed 10th overall, clocking in at 18:13.21. Sophomore Ryder Ritchie ran an 18:47.39, good for 18th place in the field of 73 runners.

Team co-captain junior Lucas Stearns ran a 19:08.79. Junior Carter Howell completed the race in 19:46.44. Freshman Quinton Davies ran his first race of the high school season, clocking in at 21:45.07. Senior Aadyn Gillen ran a 22:19.97.

Assistant coach Laura Davies highlighted the accomplishments of the three Wrangell girls who competed in Ketchikan.

“Sophomore Jenna Meissner continues to be an inspiration for her teammates and fellow competitors. She consistently delivers a solid race.”

Davies added, “Everything is coming together for team captain senior Alana Harrison. It is very evident she is confident, happy and healthy when she runs. It was freshman Natalie McGee’s second race of the season. McGee continues to work hard and push herself as she grows as a runner.”

Harrison placed seventh in the field of 59 runners, clocking in at 2:48.50. McGee ran a 26:28.64.

Sitka edged out Juneau by one point to win the girls team title. Wrangell did not have enough runners to get a team score.

The Wrangell runners are preparing for their next meets. They will race in Petersburg on Saturday, Sept. 19, the last meet before regionals and state. Regionals will be held in Juneau on Sept. 26, with the state championship Oct. 3 in Anchorage.