Both the Homer girls and boys cross-country teams were named the 2025 Division II State Champions on Saturday, Oct. 4. The meet was hosted by Palmer High School on the Michael Janacek Running Trail.

Homer placed first in the Division II girls team race with 41 points. Seward took second place with 54 points, while Grace Christian had 60 and Delta Junction had 78. Kenai Central placed sixth with 181 points.

In the boys’ Division II team race, Homer took first with 38 points, while Grace Christian had 64, Mountain City Christian Academy had 85 and Bethel had 118. Kenai placed eighth with 202 points.

Delta Junction senior Iris Haas crossed the tape first for the girls’ Division II race at 20:12. Mountain City Christian Academy sophomore Breyden Nottingham took first in the boys’ race at 16:29.

Senior Johannes Bynagle secured second place in the boys’ race, running five kilometers in 17 minutes and six seconds. Five more Homer runners joined him in the top 15 — Caleb Bunker in third at 17:10, Rio Waltenbaugh in ninth at 17:40, Jai Badajos in 11th at 17:48, Tait Ostrom in 14th at 18:03 and Landon Tinsley in 15th at 18:06.

Seward sophomore Luke Elhard placed 12th individually at 17:51.

Bynagle said Monday that, due to heavy rains causing the trail to become “really difficult and muddy,” it was “an intense and unexpected race for sure.”

Bunker said that the varsity team members race the Palmer course all four years of their high school career, but Saturday was an “outlier race.” Still, both the boys’ and girls’ teams had a goal that they were able to achieve without faltering.

“State was really special this year. Both teams winning was really cool,” Bynagle said. “We persevered and got through it, and won.”

Homer freshman Ariela Garvey took third place in the girls’ race at 20:28, followed by sophomore Etta Bynagle in fourth at 20:33. Senior Claira Booz and freshman Morgan Harness also made it into the top 15, with Booz placing seventh at 21:13 and Harness placing 11th at 21:34.

Sophomore Myra Kalafut, who placed 16th at 21:57, said that Saturday was “a really fun race.”

“I’m happy I got to do it with my team,” she said. “I couldn’t have done the race without them.”

Booz said that the course’s difficulty was unexpected, but the Homer team was still able to apply the strategies they had planned and get through it.

Homer coach Bob Ostrom said in an email to Homer News Monday that the boys and girls cross-country teams each had “a different and challenging path” to the championships, but it was a path they chose to pursue early in the season.

“The boys were a favorite for the title early on, but they weren’t satisfied with high expectations. They kept working hard all season, getting faster and beating most of the big school teams from across the state during the regular season,” Ostrom wrote. “It’s a big boost for our small team to beat teams with five times our numbers, but that’s the beauty of cross-country — you only need seven.”

With their focus on the championship season, the Homer boys “expected the best” from the competition at both regional and state.

“They knew it would take a team effort to win,” Ostrom wrote. “All seven runners had to be at their best.”

The coach noted that the Homer girls team also saw their potential early in the season, but injuries sustained by several of the runners meant they didn’t get a chance to race together as a full team until the Region 3 meet on Friday, Sept. 26 in Anchorage.

“They kept working hard, and those with injuries took all the right steps to get back with the team,” Ostrom wrote. “The girls grew together, keeping focused on the end of the season and what they wanted to accomplish.

“Their win at Regions was a surprise to everyone but themselves, they had seen their strength from the start. That regional win confirmed what they knew all along and gave them the confidence to go for the win at State.”

Booz said that even with injuries sustained at the beginning of the season by seven varsity runners, the girls still saw the potential of their whole team throughout the season and never gave up on the idea of winning state together.

Ostrom said that both teams completed their races at state with dedication, focus, determination and the intention to win. Race day was challenging as runners encountered illness, a muddy trail, cold and rain, but Homer’s focus and determination “made all the distractions and excuses fade away.”

“They raced hard, fighting for every inch and every point,” he said. “They worked together as a team to win their state championship. No individual effort was above what the team accomplished together.”

2025 ASAA Cross-Country State Championships

Saturday, Oct. 4

at Michael Janacek Running Trail, Palmer

Division II

GIRLS

Team scores: 1. Homer, 41; 2. Seward, 54; 3. Grace Christian, 60; 4. Delta Junction, 78; 5. Sitka, 112.

Individual finishers

Iris Haas, Delta Junction, 20:12; 2. Olive Jordan, Seward, 20:14; 3. Ariela Garvey, Homer, 20:28; 4. Etta Bynagle, Homer, 20:33; 5. Jennifer Sidorenko, Delta, 20:47; 6. Juniper Ingalls, Seward, 20:48; 7. Claira Booz, Homer, 21:13; 8. Sydney Mondeel, Grace Christian, 21:21; 9. Ashlyn Elliot, Grace, 21:21; 10. Tirzah Brueckner, Seward, 21:22; 11. Morgan Harness, Homer, 21:34; 12. Tagan Rinner, Grace, 21:39; 13. Hazel Tulip, Grace, 21:40; 14. Lola Hitchcock, Sitka; 21:51; 15. Abigail Skywatcher, Delta, 21:56; 16. Myra Kalafut, Homer, 21:57; 17. Selah Brueckner, Seward, 22:13; 18. Caroline Klebs, Grace, 22:24; 19. Lucy Bamford, Seward, 22:13; 20. Rosanna Holbrook, Delta, 22:35; 21. Abigail Ostrom, Homer, 22:41; 22. Natalie Hall, Sitka, 22:42; 23. Rosemarie Dyment, Bethel, 22:43; 24. Marina Marley, Sitka, 22:48; 25. Opal Carter, Sitka, 22:55; 26. Ahnail Cook, Homer, 22:59; 27. Jadelynn Kubik, Sitka, 23:08; 28. Grace Hall, Sitka, 23:09; 29. Teresa Fallon, Kenai Central, 23:12; 30. Bryndi Beck, Valdez, 23:17; 31. Ruby Davis, Kenai, 23:18; 32. Claire Dyment, Bethel, 23:36; 33. Faith Elliot, Grace, 23:37; 34. Caprina Rump, Kenai, 23:37; 35. Avery Reger, Grace, 23:40; 36. Marylene Burgett, Galena, 23:53; 37. Zooey Baksis, Valdez, 23:57; 38. Maddie Haas, Seward, 23:59; 39. Reagan Pearson, Delta, 24:02; 40. Dayna Olemaun, Barrow, 24:03; 41. Emma Seavey, Seward, 24:18; 42. Sally Peters, Bethel, 24:24; 43. Taylor McCarty, Sitka, 24:25; 44. Johanna Hotch-Mattson, Mt. Edgecumbe, 24:31; 45. Zenae Billings, Galena, 24:33; 46. Danica Billings, Galena, 24:34; 47. Hazel Nanouk, Kotzebue, 24:34; 48. Adele Thomas, Barrow, 24:50; 49. Miquela Baksis, Valdez, 25:09; 50. Flossie Olemaun, Barrow, 25:10; 51. Jewely Weber, Valdez, 25:13; 52. Harriet Kirsch, Monroe Catholic, 25:29; 53. MaryKay Evon, Edge, 25:33; 54. Audrina Dull, Edge, 25:44; 55. Megan Phelan, Delta, 25:51; 56. Sofia Tews, Kenai, 25:58; 57. Emily Taylor, Kenai, 26:31; 58. Rebekah Carmichael, Bethel, 26:33; 59. Arianna Montoya, Delta, 26:54; 60. Kayleigh Bell, Bethel, 27:07; 61. Makayla Alyosius, Galena, 27:08; 62. Rylie Boyscout, Galena, 27:39; 63. Dianna Wright, Kenai, 29:00; 64. Hannah Leinberger, Bethel, 29:54.

BOYS

Team scores: 1. Homer, 38; 2. Grace Christian, 64; 3. Mountain City Christian Academy, 85; 4. Bethel, 118; 5. Sitka, 126.

Individual finishers

Breyden Nottingham, MCCA, 16:29; 2. Johannes Bynagle, Homer, 17:06; 3. Caleb Bunker, Homer, 17:10; 4. Cole Iverson, Bethel, 17:27; 5. Jackson Iverson, Bethel, 17:36; 6. Own Crotts, Grace, 17:36; 7. Grant Eldridge, Grace, 17:36; 8. Anthony White, Delta, 17:39; 9. Rio Waltenbaugh, Homer, 17:40; 10: Ryan Annett, Grace, 17:44; 11. Jai Badajos, Homer, 17:48; 12. Luke Elhard, Seward, 17:51; 13. Diego Marquez, MCCA, 17:56; 14. Tait Ostrom, Homer, 18:03; 15. Landon Tinsley, Homer, 18:06; 16. Derek Wilson, Sitka, 18:09; 17: Jude Rozeboom, Homer, 18:10; 18. Easton Roads, Grace, 18:14; 19. Eli Martin, MCCA, 18:20; 20. Owen Mork, Sitka, 18:23; 21. Reggie Baksis, Valdez, 18:26; 22. Jadon Stanley, MCCA, 18:26; 23. James Humphrey, Valdez, 18:27; 24. Dax Campbell, Hutchison, 18:28; 25. Francis Myers, Sitka, 18:30; 26. Xavi Sanchez, Grace, 18:30; 27. Granite Peacock, Nome-Beltz, 18:31; 28. Benjamin Milton, Nome, 18:41; 29. Chase Laker, Kenai, 18:42; 30. James Sanborn, Valdez, 18:44; 31. Kaden VanBuskirk, Valdez, 18:44; 32. Myles Werle, Monroe, 18:50; 33. Andrew Mullin, Sitka, 18:52; 34. Eli Rothe, Delta, 18:52; 35. Ethan Wheeler, Bethel, 19:01; 36. Aodhan Nakada, Grace, 19:15; 37. Bradley Graham, Hutchison, 19:17; 38. Zane Caruthers, Valdez, 19:20; 39. Jack Matthew, MCCA, 19:24; 40. Elijah Foss, Bethel, 19:24; 41. Josiah Ruse, Delta, 19:25; 42. Colten Bitz, MCCA, 19:26; 43. Nico Williams, MCCA 19:27; 44. Corbyn Crisp, Kenai, 19:29; 45. Andrew Zingone, Grace, 19:32; 46. Levi Strong, Kenai, 19:34; 47. Silas Todd, Sitka, 19:37. 48. Justin Hames, Sitka,19:42; 49. Ash Blake, Delta, 19:45; 50. Young Erikson, Nome, 19:52; 51. Cirque Carter, Valdez, 19:56; 52. Taan Moll, Edge, 19:57; 53. Alden Wilbur, Monroe, 19:57; 54. Silas Lefferts, Bethel, 19:58; 55. Carver Hancock, Bethel, 20:02; 56. Calder Prussian, Sitka, 20:03; 57. Brock Ala, Kenai, 20:07; 58. Christopher Phelan, Delta, 20:15; 59. Ben Marcus, Kotzebue, 20:16; 60. Aidan Crow, Bethel, 20:22; 61. Noah Pancoast, Kenai, 20:22; 62. Charles Roberts, Kenai, 20:26; 63. Jonah Ivanoff-Gray, Edge, 20:49; 64. Donald Olson, Edge, 21:07; 65. Leif Laker, Kenai, 21:29; 66. Axel Anderson, Delta, 21:33; 67. Dylan Agcaoili-Smith; 68. William Douglas, Delta, 22:08; 69. Gerald Malabon, Galena, 22:38.

The Homer Mariner boys stand with their trophy after claiming the title at the 2025 ASAA Cross Country Division II Championships at Mike Janecek Trails in Palmer, Alaska, on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. Photo courtesy Jake Dye

Etta Bynagle races over a hill during the 2025 ASAA Cross Country Division II Championships at Mike Janecek Trails in Palmer, Alaska, on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. Photo courtesy Jake Dye

Johannes Bynagle races into the finish chute during the 2025 ASAA Cross Country Division II Championships at Mike Janecek Trails in Palmer, Alaska, on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. Photo courtesy Jake Dye