Despite a few challenges – including one lost shoe – during last Saturday’s state cross-country running championships, Su Valley high school runners finished with respectable results.

Over 200 girls and boys from around the state competed at the event in Palmer.

The field consisted of 112 boys. Kirk Jacob of Grace Christian in Anchorage won the race in 15 minutes and 43 seconds.

Su Valley High seniors Michael Burke and Bill Kelly finished in 80^th and 101^st place respectively. Burke had a time of 19 minutes and 15 seconds; Kelly ran the 5-K course – that is 3 point 1 miles – in 20 minutes and 36 seconds.

School principal Rob Picou reports that Michael Burke lost one of his running shoes 200 meters before the finish-line but managed to pass six other competitors before finishing the race.

In the girls division, 110 competitors raced. Kailey (kale-y) Wilson of Kenny Lake took first place with a time of 18 minutes and 56 seconds. The first Su Valley girl’s team member to cross the finish-line was Missy Scott. She ran the course in 21 minutes and 42 seconds and took 18^th place. Bailey Stevenson ended up in 47^th place with a time of 22 minutes and 56 seconds. Morgan Michaels finished in 91^st place with a time of 25 minutes and 13 seconds.

The Su Valley team was influenced by flu, shin splints and other problems, but hung in the races despite it all.

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The meet concluded this year’s cross-country running season.