Michael Abeyta is no stranger to big meets.

From winning national championships at the USATF level to raising his arms in victory at the UIL Track & Field State Meet, the Hanks junior has never shied away from a challenge.

After taking off the first two high school meets of the season, Abeyta is scheduled to compete at Saturday’s Rudolfo “Rudy” Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle High School.

The varsity boys race begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by the girl’s race.

“Summer workouts went really well,” he said. “We’ve been working on improving my strength. I’m lifting and trying to get stronger, a lot of core work.”

Abeyta is looking to win gold at this year’s UIL Cross Country State Championships Nov. 3 at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.

In the Fall, as a sophomore, Abeyta won silver at state and finished sixth, earning All-State honors when he was freshman.

He followed up that state silver medal in the fall with a stellar spring track and field season became the first El Paso athlete to earn a medal in three events at the Class 5A UIL Stat Track and Field Championship.

He won gold in the 800 meters (1:53.38) and silver in both the 1,600 meters (4:16.53) and the 3,200 meters (9:15.40). As a freshman, Abeyta earned a gold in the 1,600 meters at the State Meet.

But he is focused on bigger prizes.

“I want to get to state again, but this time around I want to win it,” he said. “But my main goal is to go to Nike Cross South and hopefully place in the top five and move on to the Nike Cross Nationals, that’s where I want to make my mark.”

Nike Cross Nationals (NXN), which takes place in Portland, Oregon, is considered to be the ultimate cross country experience. Individuals and club teams from eight regional championships compete to be crowned national champion.

The 15th annual Nike Cross Nationals will be Dec. 1.

Along with the two teams from each region that make it to NXN, Nike will also take the next five individuals from each region to compete in the same race, just without a team.

Abeyta hopes to be one of those runners.

The NXN South (Nike South) race will be Nov. 17 at Bear Branch Park in The Woodlands. Teams and individuals from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas will compete.

But first, there is work to be done starting Saturday morning.

The  Rudolfo “Rudy” Alvarez Invitational boys elite division is a stacked affair with city No. 1 Eastwood, No. 6 Franklin, No. 8 Cathedral and No. 9 Hanks.

Top runners include: Abeyta, Roger Rivera, Hanks; Brandon Seagreaves, Cathedral; Elias Perez, Eastwood; Sergio Leon Cuartas, Eastwood; Ofir Ortega, Tornillo and Hector Rivera, Bel Air.

On the girl’s side, No. 1 Franklin, No. 2 Eastwood, No. 7 Horizon, No. 8 Chapin and No. 9 Clint are scheduled to compete.

Top runners include: Eva Jess and Amalia Dorion, Franklin; Lauren Walls and Eileen McLain, Eastwood; Skylar Goodman, Chapin and Britney Martinez, Loretto.

The 2-mile Dale Reinhardt Open at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex  begins at 8 a.m. and features Socorro, Coronado and San Elizario.

There are two out-of-town meets – the Marcus Invitational in Flower Mound and the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque. Montwood will try its luck in Flower Mound while Eastlake and Americas go up North to Albuquerque.

At Chaparral High School, the Gadsden Invitational will take place at 9 a.m. The field includes Burges, Mt. View and Canutillo.

Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country runners.

The system is as follows: In a race of less than 150 runners, first place gets 10 points, second gets 9 points all the way down to and 10th place which gets 1 point. For meets with between 150 to 300 runners, double points will be rewarded meaning 20 points for first, 19 for second all the way down to 1 point for 20th. For every additional 150 runners, another 10 runners will be included in the points.

For those who like raw times, we also list the Top 25 boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.

For questions, videos and photos email vrmart66@gmail.com.

Boys

1. Eastwood: The Troopers began the season with a dominating 24-point performance at the Canutuillo Invitational. Eastwood’s 1-5 split was 9 seconds as all five runners finished in the top 10. Junior Elias Perez was the top runner for Eastwood finishing third in 16:10.08. Next up is the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle on Saturday. 

2. Americas:  The Trailblazers finished second at the Canutillo Invitational with 75 points. Americas was led by a pair of freshmen – Carmelo Corral (11th, 16:30.49) and Jared Laverty (12th, 16:33.33). Americas will travel North to Albuquerque for the Lobo Invitational.

3. San Elizario: The Eagles move up one spot after winning the Fabens Invitational at La Isla Church. San Elizario scored 40 points. Edwin Gomez won the race in 16:27.45. Other top 10 finishers were Seth Rodriguez (fourth, 17:19.64) and Martin Pargas (fifth, 17:29.33). San Elizario will race at the Dale Reinhardt Invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex Saturday morning.

4. Coronado: The T-Birds raced without its top runner Liam Walsh, who was taking a college-entrance exam. The team placed 7^that the Canutillo Invitational. Nick Gonzalez was fifth for the second week in a row in 16:14.31. The T-Birds will race at the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle on Saturday.

 5. Burges: The Mustangs placed second at the Fabens Invitational at La Isla Church, scoring 47 points, seven points behind San Elizario. Noah Yeager was second in 17:03.92, David Gonzalez was third in 17:10.92 and Sam Zambrano was ninth in 17:46.80. Burges will run at the Gadsden Invitational at Chaparral High School Saturday.

 6. Franklin: The Cougars finished third at Canutillo with 140 points. Its top runner was Jacobo Wedemeyer who was eighth in 16:19.22. Franklin will also race at the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle on Saturday.

7. Tornillo: The Class 3A Coyotes are not expected to run a full team until the Lubbock Invitational on Sept. 22.

 8. Cathedral: Senior Brandon Seagreaves won the Canutillo Invitational in a time of 16:03.85. However, his team struggled, as its number two runner finished 32. The Irish hope to regroup at the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle on Saturday.

 9. Hanks: Hanks did not run a full varsity squad at Canutillo Saturday. However, junior Roger Rivera was scond in 16:06.67. The city’s top runner, junior Michael Abeyta, expects to make his season debut at the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle on Saturday.

10. Socorro: The Bulldogs will make its first meet Saturday at the Dale Reinhardt Invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex.

Dropped out: None.
On the verge: Chapin, Eastlake, El Paso High.

Top 25 Times

1, Roger Rivera, Hanks, 15:09:58 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

2, Brandon Seagraves, Cathedral, 15:22:57 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

3, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 15:39:86 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

4, Israel David, Eastlake, 15:50:12 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

5, Alek Duran, Americas, 16:01:90 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

6, Gage Garcia, Americas, 16:02:88 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

7, Tyler Rodriguez, Americas, 16:03:93 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

8, Elias Perez, Eastwood, 16:10.08 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

9, Sergio Leon Cuartas, Eastwood, 16:13.02 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

10, Hector Rivera, Bel Air, 16:14:27 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

11, Eddie Gallegos, Eastwood, 16:16.95(Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

12, Juan Olmos, Eastwood, 16:18.38 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

13, Trenton Nelson, Montwood, 16:28:67 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

14, Angel Contreras, Chapin, 16:29.91 (Canutillo Invite 8/25).

15, Hector Sanchez, Americas, 16:30:16 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

16, Fernando Anzures, Cathedral, 16:30:61 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

17, Carlos Armendariz, Eastlake, 16:31:41 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

18, Jared Laverty, Americas, 16:33.33 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

19, Stephen Stresow, Cathedral, 16:35:06 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

20, Zach Sanchez, Andress, 16:38.25 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

21, Chauncey Wilkes, Andress, 16:38.32 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

22, Seth Andrade, Americas, 16:38:73 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

23, Andres Marquez, Eastwood, 16:38:86 (Race to Midnight, SAC. 8/17).

24, Jacob Ye, Americas, 16:40:65 (Race to Midnight, SAC. 8/17).

25, Nick Barajas, Americas, 16:44:11 (Race to Midnight, SAC. 8/17).

Power rankings
(number parenthesis indicate meets won):

1, Roger Rivera, Hanks, 19 (1).

1, Brandon Seagraves, Cathedral, 19 (1).

3, Nicholas Gonzalez, Coronado, 12.

4, Jacobo Wedemeyer, Franklin, 11.

5, Liam Walsh, Coronado, 10 (1).

5, Seth Rodriguez, San Eli, 10.

5, Edwin Gomez, San Eli, 10 (1).

8, Noah Yeager, Burges, 9.

8, David Gonzalez, Burges, 9.

8, Ofir Ortega, Tornillo, 9.

 

Carmelo Corral, Americas, 8.

Elias Perez, Eastwood, 8.

Sergio Leon Cuartas, Eastwood, 7.

Angel Contreras, Chapin, 8.

Israel David, Eastlake, 7.

Alek Duran, Americas, 6.

Martin Pargas, San Eli, 6.

Josep Ferret, El Paso, 5.

D’Angelo Flores, Jefferson, 5.

Gage Garcia, Americas, 5.

Eddie Gallegos, Eastwood, 5.

Juan Olmos, Eastwood, 4.

Sam Zambrano, Burges, 4.

Tyler Rodriguez, Americas, 4.

Alan Alba, Coronado, 4.

Joshua Pineda, Pebble Hills, 4.

Evan Rubio, Ysleta, 3.

Hector Rivera, Bel Air, 3.

Trenton Nelson, Montwood, 2.

Kayn Quinones, Eastwood, 2.

Hector Sanchez, Americas, 1.

Joshua Gonzalez, Mt. View, 1.

Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country runners.

The system is as follows: In a race of less than 150 runners, first place gets 10 points, second gets 9 points all the way down to and 10th place which gets 1 point. For meets with between 150 to 300 runners, double points will be rewarded meaning 20 points for first, 19 for second all the way down to 1 point for 20th. For every additional 150 runners, another 10 runners will be included in the points.

For those who like raw times, we also list the Top 25 boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.

For questions, videos and photos email vrmart66@gmail.com.

Girls

1. Franklin:Giving credit where credit is earned. The Cougars move up to the top spot after its 55-point championship performance at the Canutillo Invitational. Franklin began the season ranked eighth and moved to fourth last week. Sophomore Eva Jess remains unbeaten, winning in 18:49.08 while senior Amalia Dorion was second in 19:29.22. Franklin also placed runners in the 18, 21 and 27 spots. Franklin will race at the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle on Saturday.

 2. Eastwood:The Troopers fell two points short of Franklin at the Canutillo Meet in its season opener. Eastwood had three runners in the top 10 – Lauren Walls (fourth, 19:42.68), Eileen McLain (fifth, 19:56.74) and Meadow Ortiz (sixth, 20:09.16). Eastwood will attempt to reclaim the top spot at Saturday’s Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle.

3. Eastlake: For second consecutive week, the Falcons move up one spot after securing a third-place finish at Canutillo with a score of 73. Eastlake was led again by senior Aeriel Garcia who was third in 19:35.60. Teammate Amaris Chavez was seventh in 20:09.43. The Falcons will travel up I-25 to Albuquerque for the Lobo Invitational on Saturday.

 4. Americas: The Trailblazers were fourth at Canutillo with 99 points.  Priscilla Villalobos (ninth, 20:35.29) and Daphne Duran (tenth, 20:44.98) were Americas’ top 10 finishers. The Trailblazers will race at the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque.

5.  Montwood: The Rams move up a spot after its fifth-place finish (136 points) at the Canutillo meet. Junior Diane Mena was Montwood’s top runner placing 11^thin 20:56.47. Montwood is running at the Marcus Invitational in Flower Mound, Texas on Saturday.

 6. Coronado: The T-Birds dropped one spot after its sixth-place finish (153 points) at Canutillo. Sophia Flores was the top finisher for Coronado, placing 17^thin 21:22.51. The T-Birds top runner, Jenelle Jaeger-Darakjy did not run (college exams). Coronado will race the Dale Reinhardt Invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex.

7. Horizon: The Scorpions did not run last week. They will compete at Saturday’s Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle.

8. Chapin: The Huskies did not run a full team at Canutillo. Senior Skyler Goodman was eighth finishing in 20:28.66. Chapin will race at the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle.

9. Clint: The Lions make their 2018 Top 10 debut after winning the Fabens ISD La Isla Invitational with 22 points. Top 10 runners were Vivian Zapata (fourth, 22:21.14), Brisa Aguilar (sixth, 22:50.27), Jacqueline Castillo (eighth, 23:43.95) and Lynette Rocha (tenth, 23:52.27). The Lions will race at the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle.

10. San Elizario: The Eagles will compete at the Dale Reinhardt Invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex.

Dropped out: Canutillo.

On the brink: Hanks, Socorro.

Top 25 Times

 1, Aeriel Garcia, Eastlake, 18:18.45 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

2, Eva Jess, Franklin, 18:49.08 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

3, Mariana Guzman, Americas, 19:06.79 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

4, Daphne Duran, Americas, 19:07.87 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

5, Priscilla Villalobos, Americas, 19:08.71 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

6, Amaris Chavez, Eastlake, 19:20.34 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

7, Amalia Dorion, Franklin, 19:29.21 (Canutilllo Invite, 8/25).

8, Lauren Walls, Eastwood, 19:42.68 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

9, Karyme Garcia, Montwood, 19:54.27 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

10, Eileen McLain, Eastwood, 19:56.74 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

11, Lauren Anderson, Americas 20:07.55 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

12, Meadow Ortiz, Eastwood, 20:09.16 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

13, Morayma Montes, Austin, 20:15.24 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

14, Deserie Herrera, Eastlake, 20:21.12 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

15, Diane Mena, Montwood, 20:26.84 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

16, Skyler Goodman, Chapin, 20:28.66 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

17, Ruby Medina, Eastlake, 20:33.11 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

18, Stephanie Gastelum, Eastlake, 20:22.11 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

19, Caitlin Martinez, Eastlake, 20:40.10 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

20, Giselle Rubio, Eastlake, 20:40.30 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

21, Victoria Duran, Americas, 20:56.82 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

22, Britney Martinez, Loretto, 21:00.34 (Canutillo Invite, 8/25).

23, Rosemary Torres, Bel Air, 21:01.89 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

24, Maya Ramirez, Americas, 21:06.55 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

25, Itzel Garcia-Gama, Americas, 21:08.03 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

Power rankings
(number parenthesis indicate meets won):

1, Eva Jess, Franklin, 20 (2).

2, Aeriel Garcia, Eastlake, 18 (1).

3, Amalia Dorion, Franklin, 16.

4, Skyler Goodman, Chapin, 11.

5, Angeline Lujan, Parkland, 10 (1).

5, Amaris Chavez, Eastlake, 10.

7, Mariana Guzman, Americas, 9.

7, Jennelle Jaeger-Darakjy, Coronado, 9.

7, Priscilla Villalobos, Americas, 9.

7, Daphne Duran, Americas, 9.

7, Natalie Jimenez, Burges, 9.

Marisol Hernandez, El Paso, 8.

Lauren Walls, Eastwood, 7.

Vivian Zapata, Clint, 7.

Eileen McLain, Eastwood, 6.

Nicole Estrada, Mt. View, 6.

Jocelyn Castro, Fabens, 6.

Meadow Ortiz, Eastwood, 5.

Brisa Aguilar, Clint, 5.

Karyme Garcia, Montwood, 5.

Kenia Enriquez, Horizon, 5.

Lauren Anderson, Americas, 4.

Rosalinda Reza, Mt. View, 4.

Destiny Beltran, Horizon, 4.

Morayma Montes, Austin, 3.

Ivette Rojas, Jefferson, 3.

Jacqueline Castillo, Clint, 3.

Valerie Gonzalez, Pebble Hills, 2.

Deserie Herrera, Eastlake, 2.

Sophia Flores, Coronado, 2.

Diane Mena, Montwood, 1.

Karen Garcia, Jefferson, 1.

Lynette Rocha, Clint, 1.

The Franklin girls cross country team won its second straight meet of the young season and Eastwood’s boys proved they will be a team to be reckoned with at the state’s Class 5A level with a dominating performance at Saturday morning’s Canutillo Invitational.

After a fifth-place finish at last fall’s UIL State Cross Country Championship, a fifth-place outing at the UIL State Track and Field Meet in the 3,200 meters and a national championship in the 1,500-meter run at this summer’s USATF Junior Olympics, the maturation and continued improvement of Franklin sophomore Eva Jess was expected.

Jess, who also was the national runner up in the 3,000-meter run in the 15-16 age division at the USATF Junior Olympics this summer, has won individual gold in the first two meets of the season, winning Saturday morning’s Canutillo Invitational in 18:49.08.

What wasn’t expected is the early-season success of her Franklin High School teammates who won their second meet of the season, out-pointing Eastwood by two points.

Franklin’s top five finished 1-2-18-21 and 27 for 55 points and Eastwood’s five finished 4-5-6-22 and 30 for 57 points. Eastlake was third with 73 points, followed by Americas (99) and Montwood (136).

Franklin’s second year coach Anthony Laspada said the team championship at the Desert Run Challenge at Mt. View High School boosted the girl’s confidence.

“We have Eva and she’s going to do her thing,” he said. “Our other runners, two through seven, we weren’t really sure where they were going to be but they’ve been preparing all summer and I felt this is a great confidence booster for them to really achieve what they want to do at the end of the year and that’s compete for a district title.”

Franklin’s Amalia Dorion, was second in 19:29.21 followed by Eastlake senior Aeriel Garcia (19:35.60) and a trio of Eastwood runners – Lauren Walls (19:42.68; 5), Eileen McLain, (19:56.7) and Meadow Ortiz (20:09.16) finished 4-5-6.

Rounding out the top ten were Amaris Chavez (Eastlake, 20:09.43), Skyler Goodman (Chapin, 20:28.66), Priscilla Villalobos (Americas, 20:35.29) and Daphne Duran (Americas, 20:44.98).

Jess said she is squarely focused on cross country after training for summer track the past several months.

Her individual goal is to return to state and better her All-State fifth place finish but more importantly she wants her team to qualify to the Region 1-6A Regional Meet.

“It would be great to have them with me this year,” she said. “It would be better for me because I’ll have my teammates training with me and it will be better for them because everyone wants to go to regionals, it’s such a fun race. We have a really strong team and I think we can do it this year. I think we’re going to do really good.”

Laspada said there are no limits as to how well Franklin does this season.

“That’s up to the girls, whatever they want to do,” he said. “Today they definitely put themselves on the map as far as competing for a district title, our goal going in is to make it to regionals. We fell short last year, we had some issues that happened at the district championship that I think we can correct.”

As for the boys, senior Brandon Seagreaves, two-time defending TAPPS, Division 6A state champion, won the individual title in a time of 16:03.85.

Hanks Junior Roger Rivera, who won last week’s Run to Midnight, was second in 16:06.66, followed by Eastwood’s Elias Perez (16:10.08) and Sergio Leon Cuartas (16:13.02) and Coronado’s Nick Gonzalez (16:14.30).

“I haven’t been in many super competitive races and I haven’t had the chance to race guys at this level so this is good for me,” Seagreaves said. “I raced Roger last weekend so I know he’s a really strong runner and I knew the Eastwood guys were going to be there so it’s really nice to be able to race against guys that are that competitive.”

He said running against El Paso’s best will prepare him for the TAPPS Cross Country Championship which takes place Oct. 29 at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco.

“I value races like this a ton because I don’t race any of those TAPPS guys all season so I need to be as sharp as I can be,” he said. “It’s important for me to race these quality quys and to have things that I didn’t predict happen so when I get to the race in my league I’m ready for whatever presents itself.”

The Eastwood boys began its quest for another state medal, this time at the Class 5A level, with a dominating 3-4-6-7-9 performance scoring 24 points. Americas was second with 75 followed by Franklin (140), Eastlake (142) and Chapin (145).

The Troopers one through five runners had an impressive 9 second gap.

CANUTILLO INVITATION RESULTS

BOYS

1, Brandon Seagreaves, Cath, 16:03.85; 2, Roger Rivera, Hanks, 16:06.66; 3, Elias Perez, Eastwood, 16:10.08;  4, Sergio Leon Cuartas, Eastwood, 16:13.02; 5, Nicholas Gonzalez, Coro, 16:14.30; 6, Eddie Gallegos, Eastwood, 16:16.95; 7, Juan Olmos, Eastwood, 16:18.38; 8, Jacobo Wedemeyer, Franklin, 16:19.22; 9. Kayn Quinones, Eastwood, 16:19.92; 10, Angel Contreras, Chapin, 16:29.91; 11, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 16:33.49; 12, Jared Laverty, Americas, 16:33.33; 13, Zach Sanchez, Andress, 16:38.25; 14, Chauncey Wilkes, Andress, 16:38.32; 15, Israel David, Eastlake, 16, Nathan Hernandez, Eastwood, 16:45.45; 17, Seth Andrade, Americas, 16:48.07; 18, D’angelo Flores, Jeff, 16:48.66; 19, Carlos Armendariz, Eastlake, 16:52.94; 20, Jacob Ye, Americas, 16:53.08

TEAM SCORES

1, Eastwood, 24; 2, Americas, 75; 3, Franklin, 140; 4, Eastlake, 142; 5, Chapin, 145; 6, Cathedral, 146; 7, Coronado, 175; 8, Andress, 178; 9, Canutillo, 265; 10, Bel Air, 274; 11, Montwood, 276; 12, Del Valle, 284; 12, Lydia Patterson, 308.

FULL RESULTS

https://www.arrowliveresults.com/CanutilloVarsityBoys2018

https://www.arrowliveresults.com/CanutilloOpenBoys2018

https://www.arrowliveresults.com/Canutillo9thBoys2018

GIRLS

1, Eva Jess, Franklin, 18:49.08; 2, Amalia Dorion, Franklin, 19:29.21; 3, Aeriel Garcia, Eastlake, 19:35.60; 4, Lauren Walls, Eastwood, 19:42.68; 5, Eileen McLain, Eastwood, 19:56.74; 6, Meadow Ortiz, Eastwood, 20:09.16; 7, Amaris Chavez, Eastlake, 20:09.43; 8, Skyler Goodman, Chapin, 20:28.66; 9, Priscilla Villalobos, Americas, 20:35.29; 10, Daphne Duran, Americas, 20:44.98.; 11. Diane Mena, Montwood, 20:56.47; 12, Britney Martinez, Loretto, 21:00.34; 13, Emily Hernandez, Eastlake, 21:10.27; 14, Ivette Rojas, Jeff, 21:15.50; 15, Karen Garcia, Jeff, 21:16.41; 16, Karyme Garcia, Montwood, 21:19.28; 17, Sophia Flores, Coro, 21:22.51; 18, Jordan Torres, Frank, 21:28.07; 19, Caryn Hart, Andress, 21:30.75; 20, Lauren Anderson Americas, 21:32.22.

TEAM SCORES

1, Franklin, 55; 2, Eastwood, 57; 3, Eastlake, 73; 4, Americas, 99; 5, Montwood, 136; 6, Coronado, 153; 7, Bel Air, 182; 8, Hanks, 226; 9, Del Valle, 240; 10, Canutillo, 248

FULL RESULTS

https://www.arrowliveresults.com/CanutilloVarsityGirls2018

https://www.arrowliveresults.com/CanutilloOpenGirls2018

https://www.arrowliveresults.com/Canutillo9thGirls2018

Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country runners.

The system is as follows: In a race of less than 150 runners, first place gets 10 points, second gets 9 points all the way down to and 10th place which gets 1 point. For meets with between 150 to 300 runners, double points will be rewarded meaning 20 points for first, 19 for second all the way down to 1 point for 20th. For every additional 150 runners, another 10 runners will be included in the points.

For those who like raw times, we also list the Top 25 boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.

For questions, videos and photos email vrmart66@gmail.com

Boys 

1. Eastwood: The Troopers did not race last week. Eastwood will compete in Saturday’s Canutillo ISD Invitational at Canutillo Middle School. Juniors Elias Perez (11th at the Region 1-6A Meet and 27th at State0) and Juan Olmos look to lead the Troopers.

 2. Americas: The Trailblazers were impressive at Friday’s Run to Midnight Invitational placing five runners in the top 10 including freshman Carmelo Corral (third, 15:39:86); Alek Duran (fifth,16:01:90); Gage Garcia (sixth, 16:02:88); Tyler Rodriguez (seventh, 16:03:93) and Hector Sanchez (10^th, 16:30:16). They will also compete at Canutillo.

3. Coronado: The T-Birds won the Desert Run Challenge at Mt. View High School, one point ahead of 4-time defending Class 4A champ San Elizario. The T-Birds placed three runners – Liam Walsh (1^st in 15:42.04), Nick Gonzalez (5th, 16:06.09) and Alan Alba (7th, 16:10.11) – in the top 10 for a total of 69 points. Coronado will also be at Canutillo.

4. San Elizario: The Eagles finished second by one point behind Coronado at the Desert Run Challenge at Mt. View. Seth Rodriguez was the top finisher, placing 8^th in 16:25.57. On a side note, All State runner Rene Arambula could be lost for the year due to broken ankle. San Elizario will race at the Fabens Invitational starting at La Isla Church.

 5. Burges: The Mustangs placed third at the Desert Run Challenge, nine points behind San Elizario and three points ahead of Franklin. The Mustangs had two runners – Sam Zambrano (9^th, 16:32.31) and David Gonzalez (10^th, 16:32.64) – in the top 10. Burges will run at Canutillo Saturday.

6. Franklin: The Cougars had a respectable outing at the Desert Run Challenge, finishing fourth, just behind Burges. Franklin’s top runner was Jacobo Wedemeyer who was third in 15:55.78. Franklin will also race at Canutillo.

7. Tornillo: The Class 3A Coyotes did not run a full team at the Desert Run Challenge. However, junior Ofir Ortega finished second in 15:47.12. Don’t expect them to run a full squad at Saturday’s Canutillo Invitational.

 8. Cathedral: The Irish make its season debut in the Top 10 after its impressive second place finish at the Run to Midnight Invitational at the SAC. Brandon Seagreaves was the top Irsh runner, placing second in 15:22.57. Cathedral is looking to improve on its second place state finish last year. The Irish will run at Canutillo on Saturday.

 9. Hanks: Knights junior Roger Rivera won the Run to Midnight meet in a time of 15:09.58. The city’s top runner, Michael Abeyta did not race. The Knights will be at Canutillo on Saturday.

10 Socorro: The Bulldogs are a few weeks away from its first race.

Dropped out: El Paso High.
On the verge: Chapin, Eastlake.

Top 25 Times

1, Roger Rivera, Hanks, 15:09:58 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

2, Brandon Seagraves, Cathedral, 15:22:57 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

3, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 15:39:86 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

4, Israel David, Eastlake, 15:50:12 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

5, Alek Duran, Americas, 16:01:90 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

6, Gage Garcia, Americas, 16:02:88 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

7, Tyler Rodriguez, Americas, 16:03:93 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

8, Hector Rivera, Bel Air, 16:14:27 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

9, Trenton Nelson, Montwood, 16:28:67 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

10, Hector Sanchez, Americas, 16:30:16 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

11, Fernando Anzures, Cathedral, 16:30:61 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

12, Carlos Armendariz, Eastlake, 16:31:41 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

13, Stephen Stresow, Cathedral, 16:35:06 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

14, Seth Andrade, Americas, 16:38:73 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

15, Andres Marquez, Eastwood, 16:38:86 (Race to Midnight, SAC. 8/17).

16, Jacob Ye, Americas, 16:40:65 (Race to Midnight, SAC. 8/17).

17, Nick Barajas, Americas, 16:44:11 (Race to Midnight, SAC. 8/17).

18, Adrian Morales, Irvin, 16:44:62 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

19, Nicolas Maes, Cathedral, 16:45:47 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

20, Henry Aguirre, Americas, 16:46:64 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

21, Matt Anderson, Americas, 16:52.01 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

22, Chrsitian Jaquez, Hanks, 16:56.22 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

23, Juan Rojas, Irvin, 17:00.31 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

24, Cory Gonzales, Eastwood, 17:01.43 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

25, Luis Gomez, Cathedral, 17:05.58 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

Power rankings
(number parenthesis indicate meets won):

1, Roger Rivera, Hanks, 10 (1).

1, Liam Walsh, Coronado, 10 (1).

3, Brandon Seagraves, Cathedral, 9.

3, Ofir Ortega, Tornillo, 9.

5, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 8.

5,  Jacobo Wedemeyer, Coronado, 8.

7, Angel Contreras, Chapin, 7.

7, Israel David, Eastlake, 7.

9, Nicholas Gonzalez, Coronado, 6.

9, Alek Duran, Americas, 6.

D’Angelo Flores, Jefferson, 5.

Gage Garcia, Americas, 5.

Tyler Rodriguez, Americas, 4.

Alan Alba, Coronado, 4.

Seth Rodriguez, San Eli, 3.

Hector Rivera, Bel Air, 3.

Trenton Nelson, Montwood, 2.

Sam Zambrano, Burges, 2.

Hector Sanchez, Americas, 1.

David Gonzalez, Burges, 1.

Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country runners.

The system is as follows: In a race of less than 150 runners, first place gets 10 points, second gets 9 points all the way down to and 10th place which gets 1 point. For meets with between 150 to 300 runners, double points will be rewarded meaning 20 points for first, 19 for second all the way down to 1 point for 20th. For every additional 150 runners, another 10 runners will be included in the points.

For those who like raw times, we also list the Top 25 boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.

For questions, videos and photos email vrmart66@gmail.com.

Girls

1. Eastwood: The Troopers did not race last week. The team will make its debut Saturday at the Canutillo ISD Invitational at Canutillo Middle School.

2. Americas: The Trailblazers won the Run to Midnight Invitational at the SAC on Friday by five points over Eastlake. Americas placed four runners in the top 10 including Mariana Guzman (second, 19:06.79), Daphne Duran (third, 19:07.87), Priscilla Villalobos (fourth, 19:08.71) and Lauren Anderson (seventh, 20:07.55). They will race at Canutillo.

3. Eastlake: The Falcons move up one spot after scoring 35 points and earning a second place finish at the Run to Midnight Invitational. Eastlake was led by Aeriel Garcia who won the meet in 18:18.45. Teammate Amaris Chavez was fifth in 19:20.34 and Deserie Herrera was ninth in 20:21.12. Eastlake will race at Canutillo on Saturday.

4. Franklin: The Cougars had the most impressive weekend, moving up four spots after winning the Desert Run Challenge at Mt. View. Franklin scored 22 points. Its top runners were Eva Jess (first, 17:42.46) and Amalia Dorion (fourth, 19:36.94). Franklin also placed runners in the 11, 12 and 13 spots. Franklin will race at Canutillo.

5. Coronado: The T-Birds dropped two spots after its second-place finish (49 points) at the Desert Run Challenge at Mt. View. Coronado did have two runners – Jenelle Jaeger-Darakjy (second, 18:32.80) and Sophia Flores (ninth, 21:09.41) – in the top 10. The team, minus Jaeger-Darakjy (college exams), will run at Canutillo.

6. Montwood: The Rams move down one spot after its third-place finish (100 points) at the Run to Midnight Invitational. Sophomore Karyme Garcia was sixth in 19:54.27 and junior Diana Mena (10^th, 20:26.84), were the top runners. Montwood is running at Canutillo on Saturday.

7. Horizon: The Scorpions did not run full varsity at the Desert Run Invitational. Individually sophomore Kenia Enriquez was sixth in 20:19.02 and junior Destiny Beltran was seventh in 20:34.53. Horizon will not be at full strength at Canutillo

8. Chapin: The Huskies did not run a full team at the Desert Run Invitational. Senior and defending District 1-5A champion Skyler Goodman did race and placed third in 19:28.45. Chapin will not field a full varsity team, however, Goodman will race.

9. Canutillo: The Eagles move into the Top 10 after its third-place finish at the Desert Run Challenge. Canutillo picked up 92 points. They will run at their own meet at Canutillo Middle School.

10. San Elizario: The Eagles, who do not have a senior on the team, won in the Open division of the Desert Run Challenge.  The team will run in the Open Division at the Fabens Invitional.

Dropped out: El Paso High.

On the brink: Hanks, Clint, Socorro.

Top 25 Times

1, Aeriel Garcia, Eastlake, 18:18.45 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

2, Mariana Guzman, Americas, 19:06.79 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

3, Daphne Duran, Americas, 19:07.87 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

4, Priscilla Villalobos, Americas, 19:08.71 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

5, Amaris Chavez, Eastlake, 19:20.34 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

6, Karyme Garcia, Montwood, 19:54.27 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

7, Lauren Anderson, Americas 20:07.55 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

8, Morayma Montes, Austin, 20:15.24 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

9, Deserie Herrera, Eastlake, 20:21.12 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

10, Diane Mena, Montwood, 20:26.84 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

11, Ruby Medina, Eastlake, 20:33.11 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

12, Stephanie Gastelum, Eastlake, 20:22.11 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

13, Caitlin Martinez, Eastlake, 20:40.10 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

14, Giselle Rubio, Eastlake, 20:40.30 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

15, Victoria Duran, Americas, 20:56.82 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

16, Rosemary Torres, Bel Air, 21:01.89 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

17, Maya Ramirez, Americas, 21:06.55 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

18, Itzel Garcia-Gama, Americas, 21:08.03 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

19, Isabella Medina, Americas, 21:08.23 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

20, Jackie Spencer, Hanks, 21:09.55 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

21, Jacqueline Rubio, Eastlake, 21:11.75 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

22, Gwen Pallomares, Bel Air, 21:14.86 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

23, Paulina Fraire, Hanks, 21:36.53 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

24, Valerie Gonzalez, Pebble Hills, 21:48.36 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

25, Sara Armendariz, Bel Air, 21:49. 17 (Race to Midnight, SAC, 8/17).

Power rankings
(number parenthesis indicate meets won):

1, Aeriel Garcia, Eastlake, 10 (1).

1, Eva Jess, Franklin, 10 (1).

3, Mariana Guzman, Americas, 9.

3, Jennelle Jaeger-Darakjy, Coronado, 9.

5, Daphne Duran, Americas, 8.

5, Skyler Goodman, Chapin, 8.

6, Priscilla Villalobos, Americas, 7.

6, Amalia Dorion, Franklin, 7.

9, Amaris Chavez, Eastlake, 6.

9, Nicole Estrada, Mt. View, 6.

Karyme Garcia, Montwood, 5.

Kenia Enriquez, Horizon, 5.

Lauren Anderson, Americas, 4.

Destiny Beltran, Horizon, 4.

Morayma Montes, Austin, 3.

Ivette Rojas, Jefferson, 3.

Deserie Herrera, Eastlake, 2.

Sophia Flores, Coronado, 2.

Diane Mena, Montwood, 1.

Karen Garcia, Jefferson, 1.

 

The lights shined brightly over Socorro’s Student Athletic Complex Friday night.

But the athletes on the field were not wearing cleats or shoulder pads. They were geared with running bibs and running shoes as 268 athletes took part in the inaugural Run to Midnight hosted by Montwood High School. Many of the runners wore neon glow sticks around their necks or neon glow paint on their arms, legs and faces as they made their way twice around the stadium parking lot and into the stadium to complete the 3-mile August fun run.

That is, it was fun until the competitive juices took over and the fun quickly turned serious.

The Americas girl’s and boy’s teams definitely did not take this race lightly or as a training run.

The girls had runners finish in second (Mariana Guzman, 19:06.79), third (Daphne Duran, 19:07.87), fourth (Priscilla Villalobos, 19:08,71) and seventh (Lauren Anderson, 20:07.55) to win the meet with 30 points.

Eastlake was right there with 35 points including a first place finish by senior Aeriel Garcia (18:18.45) and a fifth place finish by Amaris Chavez (19:20.34).

Rounding out the top 10 were sixth place, Karyme Garcia, Montwood, 19:54.278; eighth place, Morayma Montes, Austin, 20:15.24; ninth place, Deserie Herrera, Eastlake, 20:21.12 and Diane Mena from Montwood in 10^th place in 20:26.84.

For Garcia, winning the meet was a humbling experience.

“Not a lot of people know but I quit my club basketball team so I could focus on my running,” she said. “I figured this should be my number one priority because I’m better at this than I am at basketball.”

She said she has been training very hard this summer and is happy to see the benefits.

“I have my friend Amaris pushing me every day at practice reminding me to do things the right way all the time and that’s been really big help,” she said.

The Americas boys were just as dominate placing five runners in the top 10 including freshman Carmelo Corral (third, 15:39:86); Alek Duran (fifth,16:01:90); Gage Garcia (sixth, 16:02:88); Tyler Rodriguez (seventh, 16:03:93) and Hector Sanchez (10^th, 16:30:16).

Individually Hanks’ junior Roger Rivera won the race in 15:09:58 followed by Cathedral’s Brandon Seagraves (15:22:57). Other top 10 runners were Israel David, Eastlake (fourth, 15:50:12); Hector Rivera, Bel Air (eighth, 16:14:27) and Trenton Nelson, Montwood (ninth, 16:28:67).

Cathedral also had solid team performance, finishing second with 66 points followed by Eastlake at 99.

Rivera came into the race not expecting too much out of the first meet of the season. Matter of fact he was aiming for a 15:30 on the 3-mile course.

“What really helped me is my teammate Michael (Abeyta) who always pushes me in practice,” Rivera said of two-time state cross country runner. “This really sets the tone for the season for me and my teammates. We’re going to have to continue to work hard to get where we want to be.”

Abeyta did not run in this race.

Here are the top 20 runners:

Boys

1, Roger Rivera, Hanks, 15:09:58; 2, Brandon Seagraves, Cathedral, 15:22:57; 3, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 15:39:86; 4, Israel David, Eastlake, 15:50:12; 5, Alek Duran, Americas, 16:01:90; 6, Gage Garcia, Americas, 16:02:88; 7, Tyler Rodriguez, Americas, 16:03:93; 8, Hector Rivera, Bel Air, 16:14:27; 9, Trenton Nelson, Montwood, 16:28:67; 10, Hector Sanchez, Americas, 16:30:16; 11, Fernando Anzures, Cathedral, 16:30:61; 12, Carlos Armendariz, Eastlake, 16:31:41; 13, Stephen Stresow, Cathedral, 16:35:06; 14, Seth Andrade, Americas, 16:38:73; 15, Andres Marquez, Eastwood, 16:38:86; 16, Jacob Ye, Americas, 16:40:65; 17, Nick Barajas, Americas, 16:44:11; 18, Adrian Morales, Irvin, 16:44:62; 19, Nicolas Maes, Cathedral, 16:45:47; 20,  Henry Aguirre, Americas, 16:46:64.

Team Results:

1, Americas, 31; 2, Cathedral, 66; 3, Eastlake, 99; 4, Eastwood, 121; 5, Irvin, 166; 6, Pebble Hills, 175; 7, Hanks, 178; 8, Montwood, 181; 9, Bel Air, 193; 10, Ysleta, 269.

For full results, click:  http://www.arrowliveresults.com/BoysCombinedMontwoodRaceToMidnight

 

Girls

1, Aeriel Garcia, Eastlake, 18:18.45; 2, Mariana Guzman, Americas, 19:06.79; 3, Daphne Duran, Americas, 19:07.87; 4, Priscilla Villalobos, Americas, 19:08,71; 5, Amaris Chavez, Eastlake, 19:20.34; 6, Karyme Garcia, Montwood, 19:54.27; 7, Lauren Anderson, Americas 20:07.55; 8, Morayma Montes, Austin, 20:15.24; 9, Deserie Herrera, Eastlake, 20:21.12; 10,Diane Mena,Montwood, 20:26.84; 11, Ruby Medina, Eastlake, 20:33.11; 12, Stephanie Gastelum, Eastlake, 20:22.11; 13, Caitlin Martinez, Eastlake, 20:40.10; 14, Giselle Rubio, Eastlake, 20:40.30; 15, Victoria Duran, Americas, 20:56.82; 16, Rosemary Torres, Bel Air, 21:01.89; 17, Maya Ramirez, Americas, 21:06.55; 18, Itzel Garcia-Gama, Americas, 21:08.03; 19, Isabella Medina, Americas, 21:08.23; 20, Jackie Spencer, Hanks, 21:09.55.

Team Results:

1, Americas, 30; 2, Eastlake, 35; 3, Montwood, 100; 4, Bel Air, 120; 5, Hanks,131; 6, Eastwood, 169; 7, Pebble Hills, 170; 8, Ysleta, 237; 9, Irvin, 245.

For full results, click here: www.arrowliveresults.com/GirlsCombinedMontwoodRaceToMidnight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The El Paso high school cross country season begins with two distinct meets this weekend – Montwood’s Race to Midnight Invitational on Friday night and Mt. View’s Desert Run Challenge Saturday morning.

The Race to Midnight Invitational is two 1.5 mile loops around the Socorro Student Activities Complex’s football stadium and 800 meters around the track inside the stadium.

The runners will start at different times depending on their 5K time with the idea they enter the stadium as the clock ticks down to midnight.

The first wave of runners will start at 11:20 p.m., 11:30 p.m., 11:35 p.m., 11:40 p.m. and 11:44 p.m.

This is the first time this type of race has been attempted in El Paso.

Several of the city’s top boy’s teams will compete including Eastwood, Americas, Tornillo and Hanks.  On the girl’s side, Eastwood, Americas, Eastlake and Montwood are scheduled to race.

Runners to watch include: Hanks junior Michael Abeyta who finished second at the Region 1-5A Meet (14.44.80) and second at the Class 5A UIL State Championship (15.00.18), 2 seconds from a gold medal and Eastwood junior Elias Perez (11th at the Region 1-6A Meet and 27th at State).

On Saturday morning at 8 a.m. the Clint ISD will present the Desert Run Challenge at Mt. View High School.

The first year event is a 2.7 mile single loop trail in the far East El Paso desert

The challenging course consists of dirt, caliche, loose sand with numerous turns and one small hill. The course is marked with red flags approximately 20 meters apart. The starting and finish line are located at the practice football field, west of the stadium.

The varsity girls will race first at 8 a.m. followed by the varsity boys.

Top boy’s teams are San Elizario, the four-time Class 4A State Champion, Burges, Franklin and El Paso High. The top girl’s are Coronado,  Horizon, Chapin, Franklin,  El Paso High and San Elizario.

Runners to watch are Class 4A state champion San Elizario sophomore Edwin Gomez (15:36.16);  Coronado senior Liam Walsh who finished 7th at the Region 1-6A Meet in 15:11.36  and 31st at State in 15:44.03; Walsh’s classmate senior Jenelle Jaeger-Darakjy who was 9th at the Class 6A regional (17:44.17) and 22nd at State (18:25.22) and super sophomore Franklin’s Eva Jess (5th at State, 14:34.75; 5th at regionals, 17:17.03).

 

 

1. Eastwood: The Troopers had a special year in 2017, capturing a bronze medal at the Class 6A UIL State Cross Country Championship. Gone are its top two runners Anthony Molina (NMSU) and Gabe Armijo (Houston) but in steps a new crop of runners gunning for a state title in a different classification. Because of a drop in enrollment, Eastwood is now in Class 5A. However, expectations remain the same as juniors Elias Perez and Juan Olmos take the leadership roles. Seniors Kayn Quinones and Eddie Gallegos will look to fill the spots vacated by Armijo and Molina.

2. Americas: With Eastwood moving to Class 5A, the District 1-6A race should come down to the Trailblazers and Coronado. The Americas boys are seeking its first district title since 2005. Americas returns four of its top five runners including junior Jacob Ye, senior Tyler Rodriguez, junior Hector Sanchez and senior Alek Duran. The Trailblazers placed 6^that the Region 1-6A Meet.

3. Coronado: But don’t be surprised if the T-Birds win it. Coronado’s top three – senior Liam Walsh and juniors Nick Gonzalez and Alan Alba – return. Senior Nicolas Kraynick and junior Dominic Lara round out a solid top five which finished 11^that the Region 1-6A Meet.

4. San Elizario: A fifth straight state championship. That’s what the Eagles are aiming for this season. And why not? With all but two runners back, “one for the thumb” is a realistic goal. Individual state and regional champion sophomore Edwin Gomez returns along with All State runner junior Rene Arambula (5^that state), juniors Antonio Diaz, Martin Pargas and Seth Rodriguez.

5. Burges: The Mustangs have quietly built a solid cross country program and with four seniors and two underclassmen returning from a Region 1-5A bronze medal team that finished 14^that the state meet, there is no reason why Burges cannot be better. Seniors Sam Zambrano, Luis Cuevas, Alvaro Barroeta and Angel Ortiz will lead the charge along with junior Noah Yeager who finished 25^that state.

6. Franklin: The Cougars will contend for a top three District 1-6A finish and advancement to the regional meet if they stay healthy. Top returnees include seniors Jacobo Wedemeyer and Milo Alvarado, junior Daniel Kennedy and sophomore Albert Mendez.

7. Tornillo: The Coyotes earned their second consecutive silver medal at the Class 3A UIL State Meet last season and return five of those runners including seniors Eduardo Carrillo, Heriberto Amaya and Tommy Montelongo. Junior Ofir Ortega and sophomore Bryan Garcia are expected to add depth. The Coyotes have won four straight district and Region 1-3A championships.

8. Hanks: Junior Michael Abeyta is the most talented runner in El Paso. He finished second at the Region 1-5A and the Class 5A State Meet behind Aledo’s junior runner Graydon Morris. Abeyta has lifted the Knights to a District 2-5A runner-up spot last year and an 8^thplace regional finish. Fellow classmates Roger Rivera and Omar Munoz will need some help if the Knights will be able to return to regionals.

9. Socorro: After a few down years, the Bulldogs hope to contend for a spot to the Region 1-6A Meet. The Bulldogs return its top five including seniors Sebastian Mendoza, Ivan Carrera and Isaias Hernandez, junior Christian Parra and sophomore Devin Cook.

10. El Paso: The Tigers are hungry and determined after just missing out on a trip to the Region 1-5A Championship. The young Tigers are a year more experienced and are eager to improve. Sophomore Josep Ferret and juniors Matthew Avila, Jacob Ontiveros and Benjamin Grajeda look to improve.

On the brink: Eastlake, Chapin.