Sports

Galena runners pull ahead… Korta first, boys team third at Palmer

The Galena Hawks cross country team

By the HAWK HIGHLIGHTS staff
September 7, 2014

Galena junior cross-country runner Kaleb Korta was first among the boys in the 5-kilometer course at the Palmer Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 6, with a time of 16 minutes, 51 seconds, eight seconds ahead of the second-place runner from Unalaska.

The team’s strong showing overall put the Hawks boys cross-country team in third place overall against other teams in divisions 1A, 2A, and 3A. There were 89 runners in the boys race.

Galena co-coach Jon Korta was upbeat at the airport when his team arrived back in town on Sunday morning. Cross-country teams are scored by the finishing place of each runner; the team with the most high-place finishers comes in first. The combined effort of this year’s runners put Galena, with only seven runners, far ahead of other competitors with many more runners.

“In the past, we just haven’t had the depth,” said coach Korta.

Not only is the depth there right now, it shows promise of getting better. The two Galena runners pulling up behind Kaleb were freshmen Jacob Moos and Trenton Ambrose. Jacob came in 16th place with a time of 18:13; Trenton came in 30th place with 19:10.

In the girls race, Sarah Brown, a sophomore from Galena, came in 15th place with a time of 22:13. There were 66 runners in the girls race.

“She had a really strong showing,” said co-coach Molissa Bifelt.

Other boy runners whose efforts contributed to the overall team scoring were Joseph Apfelbeck, a junior from Galena with a time of 19:29 and Zelek McNeilly with a time of 20:07.
Times for the other runners were Isaac McElwee, 21:38; Travis Heard, 24:19; Mariah Wigley, 24:38; and Leah McElwee, 32:29.

The Galena Hawks came in third place at the Delta Invitational meet on Saturday, Sept. 13.

The individual results of the boy’s race at the meet are: