“It’s amazing to see all these people here
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 5:50 am
The top Kenai Peninsula finisher was Seward’s Luke Elhard, 15. Elhard was 18th in 32:01. Last year, Elhard hit personal bests by finishing 13th in 31:17, but he said an injured ankle slowed him down this year.
” Elhard said of the crowds that swarmed the streets of Seward. “I’m glad to see that Seward is a good town and that people like to come here and race.”
The girls race had three former champions eligible to race, but last year’s champ, Olive Jordan, 15, of Seward did not start due to illness.
That still left 2023 champ Tania Boonstra, 17, of Kenai c level contact list and 2022 champ Rosie Conway, 17, of Anchorage.
Also, Eagle River’s Hannah Bodkin, 17, had led at halfway last year, while Wren Spangler, 13, of Palmer was ready to progress to the top after finishing third in 2023 and second in 2024.
“You’ve got to look out for everyone, because you know there’s always going to be someone fast,” Boonstra said.
Boonstra said she got off to a good start and avoided a traffic jam going up the cliffs. She then was able to pull away from everyone except Zuber.
Zuber tracked Boonstra to the turnaround pole then passed her for good shortly after the downhill began.
Although she said this was her first race with a downhill like that, Zuber said practice with her father paid off.
“This is the biggest race I’ve won,” she said. “I won all of my middle school cross-country races.”
Zuber finished at 32:14, taking a minute out of Boonstra on the downhill. That’s the fastest junior girls winning time since Molly Gellert ran 31:55 in 2016.
Boonstra finished at 33:10, a 30-second personal record. She said the race felt good after taking spring track season off to rest her legs and have fun with family.
” Elhard said of the crowds that swarmed the streets of Seward. “I’m glad to see that Seward is a good town and that people like to come here and race.”
The girls race had three former champions eligible to race, but last year’s champ, Olive Jordan, 15, of Seward did not start due to illness.
That still left 2023 champ Tania Boonstra, 17, of Kenai c level contact list and 2022 champ Rosie Conway, 17, of Anchorage.
Also, Eagle River’s Hannah Bodkin, 17, had led at halfway last year, while Wren Spangler, 13, of Palmer was ready to progress to the top after finishing third in 2023 and second in 2024.
“You’ve got to look out for everyone, because you know there’s always going to be someone fast,” Boonstra said.
Boonstra said she got off to a good start and avoided a traffic jam going up the cliffs. She then was able to pull away from everyone except Zuber.
Zuber tracked Boonstra to the turnaround pole then passed her for good shortly after the downhill began.
Although she said this was her first race with a downhill like that, Zuber said practice with her father paid off.
“This is the biggest race I’ve won,” she said. “I won all of my middle school cross-country races.”
Zuber finished at 32:14, taking a minute out of Boonstra on the downhill. That’s the fastest junior girls winning time since Molly Gellert ran 31:55 in 2016.
Boonstra finished at 33:10, a 30-second personal record. She said the race felt good after taking spring track season off to rest her legs and have fun with family.