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Tristian Merchant Puts Final Stamp On Alaska State Meet With 14:50.8

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Tristian Merchant of Anchorage Christian, the No. 2 returner from last year's Nike Cross Nationals, completed his final state cross country meet by socially distancing from the rest of the 30-runner field Saturday at Kincaid Park in Anchorage. 

Merchant, running in the second largest of three classifications, broke the 15-minute barrier for the third time in the past month and clocked 14:50.8 to win the Division II race by 102 seconds. That's a wider margin than Allie Ostrander's senior year domination in 2014, when she won her final state meet race by 98 seconds. 

Ostrander, of course, went on to win Nike Cross Nationals. 

Merchant won't have that opportunity, but he did get to run in a state meet during the pandemic, albeit much smaller than usual and moved from its regular home at Bartlett Trails. 

Merchant blitzed the first mile in 4:33 and went through the two-mile split in 9:01 on his way to becoming the first individual to achieve a sub-15 performance in state championship history.

It was the third consecutive state title for Merchant and he's the fourth male athlete in state history to do that, along with recent Kodiak High All-Americans Trevor Dunbar and Levi Thomet.

The other big result came in the girls Division I race, where West Valley senior Naomi Bailey ran 17:56 to win the title by 36 seconds over Ava Earl of South Anchorage. That completed an undefeated season for Bailey, who was third in the race in 2019.

“When previewing the course on Friday it seemed challenging because of some fair hills, but also because it was one big loop,” Bailey said. “I feel more comfortable and in control running loops because I know exactly where I am and I can visualize in my mind how much further I have. Bartlett is very rolly and it is two laps.

“During the race the first mile, which was supposed to be the hardest in terms of terrain felt really good, and the second kinda flew by and it was after that I started to really feel it and the adrenaline began to wear out. But it's pretty special.”

Bailey became the fifth female runner in West Valley history to capture a state title, extending the streak for the Wolfpack to four consecutive years overall, following Kendall Kramer capturing three in a row from 2017-19.

The ASAA pared down the field sizes and did not recognize team champions for the first time in meet history in order to limit the number of people at the venue. 

With temperatures in the low-to mid-40s, Newhalen sophomore Aileen Lester won the Division III girls race in 21:22 in what might have been the smallest state meet field in U.S. prep history. Just nine athletes started and finished the race. Glenallen duo Teagan Rude and Brynna Gerlach finished second and third.

Glenallen senior Kael Gerlach then won the boys Division III race in 17:14 and won by a healthy 43-second margin over Tanalian's Daniel Wardell. Glenallen put all four of its runners in the top 10.

In the Division II girls race, Jayna Boonstra of Kenai Central (Ostrander's old school) ran 19:38 to take the win. She used a late surge to overcome Megan Nelson of Grace Christian and Debbie Brower of Anchorage Christian after passing the two-mile mark in third place.

Senior Alexander Maurer of Service ran a strong time of 15:24 to win the Division I boys race by 27 seconds over Michael Earnhart of Chugiak. 

Although it wasn't officially scored, the Juneau-Douglas girls put five runners across in the top 24 in the girls Division I race. 

The Grace Christian boys put six in the top 10 of the boys Division II race; the girls put five in the top 16.

After the ASAA Championships was over, coaches organized additional races in order to produce unofficial team champions - Skinny Raven's Alaska High School Team Championship. ADN

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