Daily Sitka Sentinel

Sitka Wolves Harriers Ready to Run through The Region Jungles

By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
    “If anyone feels the need to carry bear spray I have some in my car,” Sitka High School cross country coach Shasta Smith said to a contingent of team members in the SHS gym Tuesday.

Members of the Sitka High School cross country team are shown before practice on Tuesday. Back row left-to-right: Asa Dow, Tabor Buxton, Max Johnson, Mohan Raj Arul, Levi Danielson, Joe Pate, Kincaid Parsons (alum) Colin Baciocco, and Skyler McIntyre. Front row L-R: Dominic Baciocco, Noah Blackmon, Head Coach Shasta Smith, Addie Poulson, Tawny Smith, Ella Lubin, Audrey Saiz, Sable Zellhuber (alum), and Derek Bartlett. Not pictured: Hahlen Behnken Barkhau, Rio Behnken Barkhau, Oliva Wilcox, Michael Leach, Hailey Bartolaba, and Assistant Coach Jeremy Strong.

    Smith was about to send this year’s repeat Southeast champions out into the wilds of Sitka.
    “Don’t run alone, even if you are in the back of the pack, run with someone. Better to be Bear Aware.”
    Smith, and most of the team, have never feared bear encounters, but all agree better safe than sorry.
    “I think part of it, too, is that Sitka has had a couple scares the last few years with bears attacking big groups of people,” Smith said.
    The Wolves, however, are the critters to be feared as they travel to the first meet of the 2018 season, the Douglas Invitational at Juneau on Saturday.
    In Smith’s 12 years at the helm, the Wolves have won 11 region championships, including the last five Southeast 3A, or DII, boys titles in a row.
    The team has had an individual regional champion the past five seasons as well. Last season Joe Pate took the crown, with Dominic Baciocco second, Skyler McIntyre third, Taylor Buxton fourth and Derek Bartlett 10th.
    Of the seven boys who qualified for the state championships, six are returning: Junior Baciocco (9th place state finish), seniors Pate (12th), McIntyre (13th), and Tabor Buxton (17th), and juniors Bartlett (46th) and Hahlen Behnken Barkhau (80th). Their combined team points helped the Wolves to a fifth-place team finish on the state cross country trails at Anchorage’s Bartlett High.
    “Dom and Joe switched back and forth all last year,” Smith said. “It is fantastic to have them pushing each other. It makes a big difference. Every day they are reminded of their biggest competition, but at the same time they are such great teammates. They have really started working on pack running, you lead this one, I’ll lead the next one, and helping each other instead of trying to beat one another.”
    Returning senior Ella Lubin placed seventh at the regions last season and 27th at state, and classmate Hailey Bartolaba 23rd and 67th, respectively.
    “Ella has been looking really strong in our practices this season,” Smith said.
    The Wolves struggle to get female runners year in and year out as volleyball and swimming seasons run at the same time.
    “It’s hard,” Smith said. “But cross country is not for the faint of heart. It rained two inches yesterday and we came in freezing cold, wet to the bone, tired from an hour and a half out there. It’s hard, a tough sport.”
    Smith said the team’s early efforts are encouraging and liked the work by sophomore Kobi Weiland, who ran a lot during the summer, and newcomer Audrey Siez, a sophomore who participated in track last season.
    “She has been killing it,” Smith said. “Amazing. We have done a couple time trials and her times would get her to the state tournament at the end of the season. And we are just in week two.”
    Smith also noted that junior Max Johnson cut two minutes off of his time trial in one week.
    “The kids are making huge gains in getting into shape,” Smith said.
    She also noted that it’s not uncommon for alumni to run at the practices, which further motivates the team.
Saturday’s meet in Juneau begins at 10 a.m. with an open community run, the high school girls run at 10:45 and the boys at 11:30.
    The Wolves will host the Sitka Invitational the following Saturday, August 25.
    The 2018 Wolves’ harriers are seniors Hailey Bartolaba, Tabor Buxton, Ella Lubin, Joe Pate, and Skyler McIntyre; juniors Dominic Baciocco, Derek Bartlett, Hahlen Behnken Barkhau, Max Johnson, Mohan Raj Arul, and Oliva Wilcox;  sophomores Noah Blackmon, Levi Danielson, Michael Leach, Audrey Saiz, and Kobi Weiland; and freshmen Rio Behnken Barkhau, Asa Dow, Addie Poulson, and Tawny Smith. Assistant coach is Jeremy Strong.