Local skiers controlled the course at the 2010 Region III Cross Country Skiing Championships with Kailey Mucha capturing a fourth-straight individual title, Travis Semmens topping the boys competition, and the SoHi girls racing to a third-straight team championship.

The story of the championships was the dominance of KCHS’s Kailey Mucha in the girls’ skiing events. Mucha, skiing her senior year at Kenai Central under the coaching of her mother D’Anna Gibson, opened the Region III championships with a commanding win in the 3-kilometer skate race on Friday and followed-up with a victory in the 7.5-kilometer classic race on Saturday. Mucha’s combined time of 33:37 was more than two minutes faster than second-place overall finisher Bree Mucha, Kailey’s sister who skis for Soldotna High School. Kailey Mucha finishes her region skiing career with a fourth-straight overall championship.

The Soldotna girls race to the team title behind Bree Mucha’s second in the skate and fourth in the classic and teammate Maranda Merkes’ second in the classic and sixth in the skate. Other team members included: D’Anne Martin, Jasmine Clock and Melanie Smith; all five SoHi girls finished in the top ten in the combined individual results.

Travis Semmens, racing for Kenai High, put two solid days of competition together for the boys indivdual combined title. Semmens outraced the field on Saturday winning the classic race; edging teammate Anders Nyquist and Palmer’s Duney Strickland. Strickland edged Semmens in Friday’s skate race, and the Palmer Moose captured the boys team title. Nyquist, with a fourth in the skate and third in the classic, finished as region runner-up in the combined.

Girls Team Standings
1. Soldotna 2:26:43; 2. Palmer 2:35:47; 3. Kenai 2:38:47; 4. Homer 2:40:05; 5. Skyview 2:50:09; 6. Valdez 2:56:01; 7. Colony 3:03:58; 8. Grace 3:04:03.

Boys Team Standings
1. Palmer 2:55:12; 2. Kenai 2:59:19; 3. Soldotna 3:03:12; 4. Skyview 3:04:54; 5. Colony 3:08:20; 6. Homer 3:16:12; 7. Grace 3:19:11; 8. Seward 3:19:53; 9. Wasilla 3:34:36; 10. Valdez 3:36:42.

Girls Individual Top Ten
1. Kailey Mucha, Ken, 33:37; 2. Bree Mucha, Sol, 35:38; 3. Sarah Cresap, Gra, 36:05; 4. Maranda Merkes, Sol, 36:15; 5. Kimberly Del Frate, Pal, 36:40; 6. D.Anne Martin, Sol, 37:18; 7. Jasmine Clock, Sol, 37:32; 8. Maggie Bursch, Hom, 38:16; 9. Melanie Smith, Sol, 38:51; 10. Amanda Del Frate, Pal, 38:57.

Boys Individual Top Ten
1. Travis Semmens, Ken, 41:24; 2. Anders Nyquist, Ken, 41:52; 3. Duney Strickland, Pal, 42:16; 4. Wylie Mangelsdorf, Pal, 43:35; 5. Andrew Arnold, Gra, 43:43; 6. Hunter Jackinsky, Sky, 44:09; 7. Schyler Knopp, Col, 44:26, 8. Ted Hoople, Pal, 44:30; 9. Ryan Sanders, Sol, 44:50; 10. Davis Dunlap, Pal, 44:51.

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