13 of 14 Bears Set Personal Best at Skyview Invite

Jay Barrett/KMXT

All 14 members of the Kodiak High School Bears varsity cross country team ran their fastest races of the season over the weekend at the Skyview Invitational, and 13 of those runners set lifetime personal records.

The Bears were led by Jaymi Bethea (beth-ee-ay), who ran the fastest race for a Kodiak girl since Kristi Klinnert in 1986. Bethea’s time of 18-minutes 47.2-seconds was a personal best by 13 seconds, and good for second place on the Tsalteshi (salt-esh-ee) Trails course in Soldotna.

Bethea passed defending Region III champion Jenna Ford of Wasilla in the last 400 yards of the race, and finished just three-and-a-half seconds behind winner Jeanette Northey of Service High. Coach Marcus Dunbar said that with her performance, Bethea has established herself as one of the top contenders in the state. Sarah Ng (ing) finished with a personal best 19-56, and came in 20^th.

The Lady Bears were sixth overall, with 165 points. Wasilla won with 66, followed by South, Grace Christian, Dimond and Service.

On the boys’ side, the Kodiak Bears had 58 points and finished second to Service’s 28. Wasilla was third, Chugiak fourth, and Grace Christian fifth.

James Osowski and Nathan Deer both finished in the top 10, with fourth and seventh-places, respectively. Cole Christiansen was 11^th, with Jordan Fogle 13^th.

Next up for the Bears is a home meet at Fort Abercrombie Friday evening, with Grace, ACS, Port Lions and a couple runners from Service expected to compete.