Kaleb Korta and Briahna Gerlach are accustomed to running alone -- most of their training is done solo, and so is a decent amount of their racing.
They gained more experience on that front Friday, when Korta and Gerlach ran away from their respective fields in the 3,200 meters at the Class 1-2-3A state track and field championships.
Galena's Korta, a junior, and Glennallen's Gerlach, a sophomore, repeated as state champions on the first day of the two-day meet at Dimond High.
Korta shed himself of any competition before three laps were completed in the eight-lap race and finished in 9 minutes, 47.10 seconds, which put him nearly 23 seconds ahead of the field.
"I'm used to running by myself, so it's not too big of a difference,'' Korta said. "You just have to be mentally tough.''
Gerlach likewise wasted no time in racing to the lead and gapping the field. She clocked 11:10.58 to win by more than 16 seconds.
Still, she'd prefer to have some competition in the small-school field.
"I don't like it, honestly,'' Gerlach said. "It's a lot easier when there's someone right in front of you. I'm not good at pacing myself.''
Korta, who won the state title in 9:44 last year, said he was shooting for 9:40 this year. In the first few laps, he glanced at his watch several times to check on his pace. He realized 9:40 was out of his reach.
"Unfortunately, it didn't happen, but we'll keep working on it,'' he said.
Gerlach ran about four seconds faster Friday than she did in winning state a season ago.
And even though her lead remained seemingly untouchable throughout the race, she confessed she looked back several times to keep tabs on runner-up Sara Hamberger of Cordova because she has so much respect for Hamberger's closing ability.
When Gerlach was in sixth grade, she recalled, Hamberger delivered a finishing kick to beat her in a cross-country race. She said that's the only time Hamberger has out-kicked her, but that memory remains fresh.
"She has an amazing kick,'' Gerlach said. "I will not forget that race.''
Korta and Gerlach weren't the only repeat champions.
Grace Christian senior Ashley Logan repeated as shot put champion by stamping her dominance on the field just as Korta and Gerlach did.
Logan generated a heave of 37 feet, 8.5 inches to win by a foot and a half over Hannah Edmonds of Anchorage Christian School and better her 2014 winning mark by more than three feet. Her winning throw also easily trumped the best throwers in Class 4A field.
Hutchison's Lina Heinrichs repeated as high jump champ, clearing 5-0, two inches higher than her 2014 mark.
Also, Izabelle Ith of Petersburg, who last year won the triple jump and the 100 hurdles, on Friday captured the long jump with a leap of 17-0.5, topping the field by more than one foot.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
ASAA/First National Bank
Class 1-2-3A State Track and Field Championships
Friday's Finals at Dimond High
Results at athletic.net
Girls
3,200 meters – 1) Briahna Gerlach, Glennallen, 11:10.58; 2) Sara Hamberger, Cordova, 11:26.89; 3) Elzabeth Balsan, ACS, 11:35.43; 4) Ruby Lindquist, Seward, 11:38.75; 5) Taylee Nyquest, Thorne Bay, 11:44.78; 6) Victoria Joslin, Delta Junction, 12:24.53; 7) Audrey Rosencrans, Homer, 12:27.77.
3,200-meter relay – 1) Grace Christian, 10:22.85; 2) Homer, 10:36.96; 3) Seward, 10:45.01; 4) ACS, 11:17.10; 5) Delta Junction, 11:19.79; 6) Tri Valley, 11:56.22.
Shot put – 1) Ashley Logan, Grace Christian, 37-8.5; 2) Hannah Edmonds, ACS, 36-2.5; 3) Mariyah Harrell, Sitka, 29-9.5; 4) Autumn Gross, Haines, 28-6; 5) Amir Williams, ACS, 28-3; 6) Kimberly Quincy, Houston, 27-6; 7) Frauke Hueton, Su Valley, 25-8.5.
High jump – 1) Lina Henrichs, Hutchison, 5-0; 2) Isabella Saxe, Tri-Valley, 4-6; 3) Crystal Crane, Homer, 4-4.
Long jump – 1) Izabelle Ith, Petersburg, 17-0.5; 2) Sarah Lucas, Holy Rosary Academy, 15-8.75; 3) Madison Orth, Cook Inlet Academy, 15-6.25; 4) Arianne Parrish, Nikiski, 15-4; 5) Veronica Yanish, Hutchison, 15-0.75; 6) Chanel May-Thomas, Houston, 14-8.25; 7) Sydney Jamison, Monroe Catholic, 13-10.75.
Boys
3,200 – 1) Kaleb Korta, Galena, 9:47.10; 2) Hunter Kratz, Seward, 10:09.82; 3) Jacob Moos, Galena, 10:09.84; 4) Colin Baciocco, Sitka, 10:15.17; 5) Jordan Beachy, Homer, 10:20.37; 6) Blake Bennett, ACS, 10:21.44; 7) River Quitslund, Petersburg, 10:39:07.
3,200-meter relay – 1) ACS, 8:26.46; 2) Seward, 8:33.76; 3) Valdez, 8:56.90; 4) Sitka, 8:58.32; 5) Monroe Catholic, 8:59.27; 6) Homer, 9:10.00; 7) Nikiski, 9:42.41.
Discus – 1) Ben Zarlengo, Petersburg, 134-5; 2) Luke Johnson, Nikiski, 126-2; 3) Howie Hubbard, Seward, 119-2; 4) Matthew Green, Haines, 117-10; 5) Evan Marsh, Petersburgh, 115-4; 6) Casey Bradford, Haines, 112-5; 7) Jon Grossl, Cook Inlet Academy, 104-1.
High jump – 1) Brody Neufeld, Wasilla Lake Christian, 6-0; 2) Lucas Button, Monroe Catholic, 5-10; 3) Patrick Stanton, Valdez, 5-8; 4) tie, Braden Nieder, Grace Christian, and Lane Kaltenbach, ACS, 5-4.
Long jump – 1) Antonio Griffith, Eielson, 20-1.75; 2) Brandon Tulcey, Sitka, 19-7.25; 3) Palmberg, Wasilla Lake Christian, 19-3.50; 4) Connor Seay, Homer, 18-9; 5) Brogan Nieder, Grace Christian, 18-7.50; 6) Lane Kaltenbach, ACS, 17-1.75; 7), Conor O'Kelley, Monroe Catholic, 16-6.