It was a picture perfect day at Lookout Mountain Friday, where Homer Middle School held its first Lookout Mountain Cup Ski Race. Many of the schools scheduled to attend could not make the meet, but this did not dim the enthusiasm and energy that ensued throughout the day. The HMS Huskies brought home the first Lookout Mountain trophy, designed and built by Homer artisan Lisa Krebs. Coach Kenton Bloom designed a course that measured skiers' grit by skiing one kilometer, maneuvering up and down rolling hills to accomplish the goal. As expected, the Huskies came out on top. Here are the results:
Eighth-grade boys: Aiden Coyle, first place; Jacob Mayforth, second place; Sam Reinert, third place; Justice Sky, fourth place; Jakob Easton, fifth place; Tyler Griechen, 10th place.
Seventh-grade boys: Brian Rowe, first place; Quinn Daugherty, second place; Miles Cullenerg, third place.
Seventh-grade girls: Cassady Sheffler-Brennard, first place; Cassidy Soistman, second place; Mattea Peters, third place; Taylor Iredale, fourth place; Leis Fuson, fifth place;
Coach Bloom is impressed with the skiers' enthusiasm and feels they are just beginning to hit their stride.
The Huskies travel to Seward this weekend as they prepare for the Borough Championship which will be in two weeks.
The HMS girls' volleyball team traveled to Kenai. The Huskies took three teams and did outstanding. The A team won both of its matches, beating Kenai 25-15 and 25-16.
Coach Beth Trowbridge pointed out strong serving by Carly Snyder, Kayla Hutt and Hannah Larue, and exceptional teamwork for the first matches of the season.
In its second contest, the A team played Nikiski, winning 25-6 and 25-11. The Huskies had very strong serving by Dakota Tennison and Miranda Beach; and had aggressive attacking and net play by Haley Oliver, Hope Hudson, Kristie Mastre and Caroline Decreeft.
The B team also enjoyed success, beating Kenai 25-17 and 25-17. Strong serving was the key and Valerie Mastolier, Ali Olsen and Kayla Morrison all had great serving runs.
The C team played a tough match against Nikiski's B team, but lost in three games: 22-25, 25-13 and 4-15. In game one, they were behind 14-22 and were able to tie thanks to an 8-point serving run by Laura Fielding, before falling 22-25. In game two, strong serving by Molly Bowen and Maddy Gerard helped win the game.
The Huskies carried three teams this year due to Coach Trowbridge using high school coaches. The B team coaches are Jessie Erickson, Zoe Tolleffrud and Mark Walsworth. Coaches for the C team are Mark Walsworth, Katie McNary and Sarah D'Water. The coaches do a great job, and they enjoy the challenge.
The Huskies are home this weekend with A games being played Friday at 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, there will be a volleyball tournament starting at 10 a.m.