Wasilla’s Hailee Giacobbe and East’s Katahdin Staples cruise to victories at Smokin’ Stampede

Typically, first-place finishers are thrilled when they win, especially if it means a successful title defense. But Wasilla’s Hailee Giacobbe isn’t like most winners on the Alaska high school cross country scene.
The reigning Division I state champion and Gatorade Athlete of the Year won the varsity girls division of the Mustang Smokin’ Stampede on Saturday at Chugiak High School for the second year in a row, but she’s far from satisfied.
“I didn’t get what I wanted today,” Giacobbe said. “I’ve been working really hard to PR but I didn’t get that, and I’m kind of really upset about that because that’s all I’ve been working for this season, and today is the race where I really wanted to do it.”
She was the first girl to cross the finish line, with a mark of 18 minutes, 46.61 seconds. While it topped her winning time last year of 18:58, it fell short of her personal best mark of 18:19, which she hit last year at regions.
That missed milestone aside, Giacobbe was happy with the end result that saw her cross the finish line ahead of a talented field that included senior top contenders Rosie Conway of Bettye Davis East Anchorage (18:57.80) and Hannah Shaha of Chugiak (19:01.95), who finished second and third on Saturday, respectively.
“I’ll definitely try to get there, but the next few meets are kind of hilly, so I really wanted to get it this race but I’m sure I can push through it at the next race,” she said.
Her hunger for excellence stems from a drive to continually push her body past what it was previously capable of.
“That’s what I’ve been working on,” Giacobbe said. “That whole last stretch, my legs were on fire and I was just trying to push back from that and push it, but I don’t think I was able to push that far today.”
She strives to improve every time she sets out on the trails, so remaining undefeated while falling short of her goals feels bittersweet.
“Everyone’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, you won,’ and I’m trying to be happy about that, but at the same time, I’m still not where I want to be,” Giacobbe said.
On the boys side, East Anchorage’s Katahdin Staples continued his dominance as the reigning Division I state champion. He was the first to cross the finish line with a mark of 15:48.07.
“It was a really fun course today, I love this race so much and it brings so much joy to my heart,” he said.
His plan coming into the race was to immediately separate himself from the rest of the pack out of the gate — and that’s just what he did.
“My strategy was to break (away from) everyone before they could pass me and it played out well,” Staples said. “I came into this race with some blind confidence and that’s what helped me win today.”
As a sophomore in this race last year, he came in second place and nearly 30 seconds behind former Grace Christian distance running star Robbie Annett, who currently competes for Liberty University as a freshman.
“He was amazing and pushed me along, and this year to kind of come into my own is just really fun,” Staples said.
Coming off a breakout sophomore campaign that took many by surprise when he became the first Thunderbird to claim a title in five decades, Staples didn’t do as well as he wanted in last spring’s track and field season. This fall, he wants to cement his name again as one of the best distance runners in the state.
“I love cross country so much,” Staples said. “It’s the best sport in the entire world.”
Even though this season isn’t over yet, Staples is grateful that he has another year to continue strengthening his resume to achieve his dream of earning a scholarship to compete for a Division I college program.
“Just to get this opportunity to run fast and be on these fun courses is just the best feeling in the world,” he said.
East cross country coach Christina Shurtleff has enjoyed watching Staples’ growth and career arc, going from not even qualifying for state as a freshman to winning it all last year.
“Coming in, he’s had a lot of pressure as a junior to repeat at state and come back and do it again, and do it his senior year as well,” she said. “Having that pressure can really wear an athlete down, but he’s been making micro goals, and every meet, we have a different goal for him so that he can focus on that and not just winning.”
Staples was a team captain as a sophomore, a role he holds again this season.
His leadership and support of his teammates was evident when he waited for each of them to pass through the inflatable arch at the finish line before leaving the area, after he was the first to cross on Saturday.
“I love my team so much and they support me in so many ways that I couldn’t even list, so it’s just the little things like supporting them,” Staples said. “Having a good team that can support you, be there for you and can always be down to do a Sunday morning run with you is amazing.”
He was the only member of the Thunderbirds boys team to qualify for state last year, and one of his biggest goals this season has been to push his teammates so he won’t be the lone representative again.
“He wants to bring the whole team with him, and there’s a chance, so we’re really hoping that the kids can pull it off next week (at regions),” Shurtleff said.