After the last runner crossed the finish line and final discus had been thrown at the ASAA/First National Bank Track and Field State Championships in Anchorage on May 28, the Kayhi track team possessed four top-five finishes and seven personal records.
Kayhi sent 15 athletes to the state meet, with Kayhi’s top placements coming from senior Ada Odden with second-place finishes in the 100m and 300m hurdles.
In the 300m hurdles, Odden crossed the finish line just .05 seconds behind Thunder Mountain junior Mallory Whelling. Odden’s time of 47.44 in the 300m hurdles was her fastest time of the season. Odden also ran a PR in the 200m dash prelims with a time of 27.42.
Speaking to KDN on Tuesday, Odden noted that she and Whelling had been competing against each other all season. The two had traded wins in both the 100m and 300m hurdles events throughout the season, with both either coming in first or second at meets in which both competed.
Odden explained that where an athlete is ranked going into a meet ultimately has no bearing on the outcome. Describing the state meet as “always a toss-up,” Odden said she thought she could have done better.
Kayhi head coach Alex Pennino, who also spoke with the Daily News on Tuesday, said that Odden did everything she could, and barely missed coming out on top.
“The heartbreaking one is Ada getting second place in the 300m hurdles,” Pennino said. “But she ran [a season record] in that race, so that’s kind of all you can ask for. She went out with her best time in her best race, but it just wasn’t enough. We really would have liked to have a state champion, but track is tough. You have to be absolutely perfect to win. ... Ada held her own. She did an excellent job out there.”
Pennino described Odden as an essential member of the Kayhi track team. He said she’s been making an impact since her freshman year, and that she will be greatly missed by the entire team and coaches.
“Ada especially, she’s one of those kids we’ve had on track that’s irreplaceable,” Pennino said. “She’s been out there scoring big time points for us since she was a freshman. She’s not a very vocal teammate, but it doesn’t matter because [she leads] through her actions and the example she puts on for everyone else. We had a lot of freshmen this year, and a lot of them learned how to win and how to prepare just by watching Ada.”
Other top finishers for Kayhi were Jared Rhoads, Jenae Rhoads, Jenna Walker, Linnea Loretan, Carol Frey and Jason Lorig. In addition, Phoenix Boles placed 16th in the 200m dash prelims and Casey Styles finished 14th in the 800m run.
Sophomore Jared Rhoads finished fifth in the 110m hurdles with a personal record time of 15.56, while his senior sister Jenae Rhoads took fifth in the discus by throwing a personal record distance of 104’00.00. Walker and Frey — both freshmen — both earned PRs in the 800m run; Frey ran a 2:33.40 while Walker ran a 2:35.26. The senior Loretan finished the 100m hurdles with a PR time of 18.23, and the freshman Lorig ran an 11.49 PR in the 100m dash.
Pennino revealed that Jared Rhoads had began hurdling just about two weeks before the state meet, something the coach said is extremely difficult to learn over a full season, and that Rhoads’ performance in the event this season is not to be taken lightly.
“Jared Rhoads got a PR in the 110m hurdles and got fifth place overall, which is pretty amazing,” Pennino said. “He started hurdling I think two weeks ago, and it’s not something you just pick up. He’s a super athlete and he learned it pretty quick. We were working on starts with him at the last minute. He had a great start and he’s really receptive to all the coaching.
“I was sitting up in the coaches’ box with all the coaches from the other schools and I’m like, ‘Yeah, we just taught that kid how to hurdle two weeks ago,’ and they were pretty blown away by it, so he’s got a big future in that event — actually in all his events.” Pennino said.
The Kayhi head coach praised all of his athletes who competed at state, but took special care to shout out all of his seniors individually.
Pennino said Josh Rhoads is a “super competitive kid,” and praised him for being a team player.
“He really is all about the team — he’s all about doing whatever he can to squeeze out enough points,” Pennino said. “Even if it looks like we’re far down in the marks compared to some of the other schools, he wants to look at the final score at the end and be like, ‘OK we beat this team, or we had a chance to win this if a couple of things went this way or that way. He’s very conscious about that, so he hops into new events all the time for us.
Pennino cited a circumstance where Josh Rhoads got involved in a 4x400 relay at the end of a meet — with a result of helping the team get to the state meet.
“It helped us score a lot of points and helped get the team to state and get some of his teammates up to state that wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for that relay team,” Pennino said. “So my hat goes off to Josh.”
In an interview with the Daily News on Wednesday, Josh Rhoads remarked that he could have done better in the discus event at the state meet, but also explained that the competition at state is a lot better than what he normally faces. He threw a 108’11.00 for 15th place overall.
Looking back on his time as a Kayhi athlete, Josh will remember the team trips most of all.
“I’m going to remember going on the trips and the ferry rides, they were a lot of fun,” Rhoads said. “Coach Pennino was a big part of that, and he’s a great coach.”
Pennino commended Jenae Rhoads for having been another big contributor to the team since her freshman year, and cited her as a quietly influential member of the Kayhi track team.
“[Jenae] has been racking up points for this team since she was a freshman,” Pennino said. She’s appeared in every state track meet since she was a freshman, three years of state experience is a big deal, especially when you’re a freshman making state. Jenae’s pretty awesome. Not the loudest and most vocal person on the track team, but you can tell when she’s throwing and those other girls and boys are at the throwing pit, they stop and watch because she knows how to do it and that’s the person they should model themselves after when they get in that ring. Jenae will be missed.”
Lastly, he lauded Jenna Walker for constantly improving throughout the season, working hard and never complaining.
“Jenna Walker, she found some events that she could excel at this year,” Pennino said. “She helped the girls get to the state meet by running a great leg in the 4x800 meter relay at regions. She got a PR [at state] on the track again, she just kept getting PR after PR running the 800 this year — taking her time down from the 40s and into the 30s. Super hard worker at practice too, never complains about anything. Super stoked about Jenna’s performance at state too.”
Looking back on the season, Pennino said he didn’t even know who his assistant coaches were going to be when the year began. He’s grateful to have found them in former Kayhi track athletes Brian McClennan and Alfie Dulay, who he said helped tremendously over the course of the season, and wants to “continue the legacy.”
“Where we started was, I didn’t even know who my assistant coaches were going to be or anything like that. I was lucky to get some fresh blood to help me coach this team. Brian McClennan and Alfie Dulay, having a couple of young coaches who’ve been through the track program and seen how myself and Coach Tradele and Mr. Shaner have built it up. They know how it’s supposed to be done.”
Pennino said he has seen a major shift in the culture surrounding track at Kayhi since he joined the program.
“I think track used to be a sport where people just came to goof off and it didn’t seem like it was very serious when I got involved in the program, and it’s a lot different now,” Pennino said. “We care about winning, we care about getting better, and those are the most important things.”
*This article was originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News*
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