On this blog you will find weekly profiles on runners of all levels and ages, top 10 high school cross country boys and girls teams along with the top 25 times. You will be able to find schedules and results for high school cross country and track, the USA Track & Field Border Association meets and the many road races in El Paso.
San Elizario won its seventh consecutive District 1-4A championship, scoring 19 points. The Eagles placed all five scorers in the top 6.
The District 1-4A Cross Country Championship went as expected on a crisp, peaceful Friday morning at Vista Hill Country Club.
It was quiet because spectators were not allowed on the course due to the pandemic, leaving only coaches and athletes to cheer on their teammates.
The San Elizario boys won the district championship for the seventh consecutive year. Senior Edwin Gomez earned his fourth district gold medal and Mt. View senior Kayhla Talavera defended her district title completing the 2-mile course in 13:01.80.
The Clint girls won the team championship scoring 23 points. San Elizario was second with 47, just nipping Riverside by three points for the final spot to regionals.
Clint had three runners – Janice Olivas (second, 13:12.89), Vivian Zapata, (fourth, 13:55.21) and Jacqueline Castillo (fifth, 14:03.90) – in the top five.
Other top 10 runners were Mt. View’s Madelaine Estrada (third, 13:13.68), San Elizario’s Ximena Jimenez (14:04.48), a pair of Riverside runners – Anel Aranda (seventh, 14:18.24) and Marcela Hernandez (eighth, 14:21.71) Athena Escobar from Fabens (14:29.27) and San Elizario’s Osmary Vazquez (14:34.07).
Clint sophomore Janice Olivas helped the Lions to a District 1-4 championship, completing the 2-mile course in 13:12.89. Clint will advance to the Region 1-4A championship in Lubbock.
The Riverside boys qualified for regionals for the first time since 2005 behind a solid effort from junior Andrew Valdiviezo who finished second in 16:02.61.
San Elizario placed all five scorers in the top 6 including Gomez (15:51.11), Dilan Sanchez (third, 16:07.38), Alan Ceballos (fourth, 17:17.54), Irvin Vazquez (fifth, 17:24.53) and Matthew Maese (sixth, 17:27.58).
Rounding out the top 10 were Joshua Gonzalez from Mt. View (seventh, 17:28.02), Riverside’s Jayden Bustillos (eighth, 17:29.64 7), his teammate Paul Ayala (ninth, 17:48.84) and San Elizario’s Angel Maese (tenth, 17:56.65).
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the University Interscholastic League had to modify the 2020 cross country post-season structure.
This year, only two teams and the top ten individuals shall qualify from district to regionals. In the past, the top three teams would advance.
The Region 1-4A Cross Country Championship is Nov. 10 at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock.
“It was different this year because it was a new course,” Gomez said. “This was a real flat course, it’s not like the Chamizal with all the hills. This course was good, but I prefer the Chamizal because it’s much more difficult.”
Gomez said he is proud of the way the team performed.
“We’ve all worked really hard throughout the season,” he said. “We had a lot of injuries, myself included, but we kept on trying our best and staying focused.”
Being focused has not been easy during the COVID season.
“We didn’t know if we were going to even have a district race or a season at all,” he said. “But we continued to practice and put in the time to train as a team and by ourselves.”
Mt. View senior Kayhla Talavera defended her District 1-4A title, completing the 2-mile course at the Vista Hills Country Club in 13:01.80.
Talavera is also grateful to be able to run this season. But her issues went beyond the restrictions of coronavirus.
“I had a torn ACL in my left knee that required surgery in January,” she said. “I didn’t even know if I was going to be able run this season. It all depended on my recovery. I started walking five months after surgery and little by little I started jogging and then started running and now I’m here.”
The injury occurred when Talavera went out for the soccer team and fell wrong after jumping in the air.
“It was a hard season because of COVID and my knee,” she said. “The whole summer we kept going back and fourth, ‘are we going to have a season or are we not?’ And at the same time I was worried about how my knee was going to heal.”
Without question, her knee healed just fine.
“I’m pretty excited that I got to run this year, and where I’m at right now,” she said.
Right now she is back on the course, doing what she loves with an opportunity to race at regionals and another state berth.
“I think I can make it back to state,” she said. “I’m hoping for a top 10 finish but if not, that’s OK, I got to run my senior year, that’s all that matters, I thought I wasn’t going to run this year.”
Every Thursday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country male 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 151 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 5K/3-mile boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.
District 1-4A Championship: 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at Vista Hills Country Club. San Elizario, Fabens, Clint, Mt. View, Riverside. The girls will race first followed by the boys.
District 1-6A, 1-5A, 2-5A Championships: Saturday, Oct. 31 at Vista Hills Country Club.9 to 10:15 a.m. 2-5A girls, followed immediately by boys; 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. 1-5A girls, immediately followed by boys; 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. 1-6A girls, immediately followed by boys.
District 3-4A Championship: Noon Saturday, Oct. 31 at Presidio High School. Tornillo, Presidio, Alpine, Kermit and Anthony. Girls followed by boys.
The Championship Season begins this weekend. Who will survive and advance to regionals?
Top 10
1. Eastwood: The two-time defending Class 5A state champions, will be seeking its tenth straight district championship. The Troopers, which moved back to 6A this year, are led by senior Sergio Leon Cuartas who is supported by a more than capable group of runners including junior Nathan Hernandez, Isaac Mendoza, Aaron Perez, Victor Anchondo and Victor Parra – all who own top 13 times in the city.
2. Americas: The Trailblazers, who won the District 1-6A championship the past two years, will provide the Trooper its biggest challenge. A pair of juniors – Carmelo Corral and Jared Laverty – set the pace for Americas. The two have combined for three individual championships and have turned in two of the city’s fastest top 10 times – 15:15.03 for Corral and 15:41.15 for Laverty. Two other runners are on the top 25 list of fastest times including Aaron Saenz (15:56.91) and Michael Mier (16:04.08).
3. Coronado: Because only two teams qualify for regionals, it will be difficult for Coronado to advance this season. Last week, the T-birds almost had a perfect score at the Clint Invitational, scoring 16 points. Sophomore Luis Pastor won the event in 15:46.24, followed by Sam Breceda, (16:30.82), Corey Dubrule (16:33.99), Stephen Pitchkolan (16:54.74), Carlos Medez (17:22.59) and Sam Florez (17:25.27). With only one senior, the future is bright for Coronado.
4. San Elizario: The Eagles are going for its fifth straight District 1-4A championship. At the Pre-District Invitational two weeks ago, all seven runners finished in the top 10 led by winner Edwin Gomez (16:00.6) followed by Dilan Sánchez (16:43.0). Other runners include Christopher Moreno (fourth, 17:14.2.5), Alan Ceballos (fifth, 17:24.5), Irvin Vazquez (sixth, 17:52.1), Angel Maese (eighth, 18:15.0) and .Matthew Maese (tenth, 18:17.7).
5. Tornillo: The Coyotes have not raced in two weeks. They will compete for a District 4-3A championship on Saturday at Presidio.
6. Franklin: Franklin will make a run for it at Saturday’s District 1-6A Championship. With only one senior, watch for the Cougars to be a force in 2021.
7. Burges: The Mustangs won the District 1-5A division of the Pre-District Invitational with 31 points two weeks ago. The Mustangs placed five runners in the top 10 including runner-up Dylan Walker (16:38.5), David Gonzalez (fourth, 17:08.7), David Herrera (seventh, 17:28.9), Julian Maldonado (eighth, 17:32.8) and Aaron Gomez (tenth, 17:51.9). Burges is going after its fourth consecutive district championship.
8. Cathedral: The Fighting Irish did not race.
9. Hanks: Hanks won first-place in the District 2-5A division of the Pre-District Invitational two weeks ago. Alejandro Tarin was first (17:02.1) and Gael Alvarado was second (17:08.4). The Knights and had two more runners – Michael Antuna (fifth, 18:31.2) and Andres Garcia (eighth, 18:41.3) – in the top 10.
10. El Paso: El Paso finished second in the District 1-5A race of the Pre-District Invitational two weeks ago. Josep Ferret was third for El Paso High finishing the Vista Hills Country Club course in 17:02.3. Teammate David Ramirez was sixth in 17:25.1.
Dropped out: Eastlake.
On the brink: Riverside, Pebble Hills.
Pebble Hills sophomore Omer Ibrahim (in blue) will be in the thick of things at the District 1-6A Championship.
Top times (5K/3Mile)
1, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 15:15.03 (Veterans Park, 9/19).
2, Sergio Leon Cuartas, Eastwood, 15:15.53 (Desert Twilight, 10/2).
3, Israel David, Eastlake, 15:31.2 (Vista Hills CC, 10/17).
4, Edwin Gomez, San Elizario, 15:36.48 (Desert Twilight, 10/2).
20, Chris Moreno, San Elizario, 16:10.07 (Desert Twilight, 10/2)
21, Andres Gurrola, Eastwood, 16:22.99 (Del Valle, 9/19).
22, Josep Ferret, El Paso, 16:25.96 (Skyline Park, 10/10).
23, Angel Torres, Tornillo, 16:28.74 (Veterans Park, 10/3)
24, Andrew Valdiviezo, Riverside, 16:30.54 (Northeast Regional Park, 9/26).
25, Sam Breceda, Coronado, 16:30.82 (Clint, 10/24).
Eastwood and San Elizario are heavy favorites in the District 1-6A race and the District 1-4A championship. Both teams have been working towards return trips to the state championship.
Power rankings (number in parenthesis indicate meets won)
Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country female 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 151 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 5K/3-mile boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.
District 1-4A Championship: 9:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at Vista Hills Country Club. San Elizario, Fabens, Clint, Mt. View, Riverside. The girls will race first followed by the boys.
District 1-6A, 1-5A, 2-5A Championships: Saturday, Oct. 31 at Vista Hills Country Club. 9 to 10:15 a.m. 2-5A girls, followed immediately by boys; 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. 1-5A girls, immediately followed by boys; 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. 1-6A girls, immediately followed by boys.
District 3-4A Championship: Noon Saturday, Oct. 31 at Presidio High School. Tornillo, Presidio, Alpine, Kermit and Anthony. Girls followed by boys.
Franklin is going for its third consecutive District 1-6A championship on Saturday.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars are seeking back-to-back-back district titles and judging from the team’s dominate season – a team championship seems likely. Senior Eva Jess hopes her last cross country district race ends like her first one – with a District 1-6A individual championship. Newcomer Ally Little – running in her first season – has been quite the surprise. The senior, who has played soccer the previous three years, has proved Franklin with a solid 1-2 punch. Seven Franklin athletes – Jess, Little, sophomore Alyssa Laspada, junior Jenna Saunders, Michele Paillard, junior Jordan Torres and Sofia Camacho – have city-best top 10 times.
2. Montwood: The Rams are hoping to advance to Regionals with a solid five runners. Two weeks ago, its top four runners Kassandra Jimenez (19:56.6), Jazmine Miranda (19:58.1), Alexa Rangel (20:04.7) and Natalie Espinosa (20:37.1) – had season best times at Vista Hills Country Club, the district course. It’s going to be tight one for that last spot to regionals.
3. Eastwood: But you can never count the Troopers out, especially with junior Lauren Portillo-Walls, who turned in a city-best 18:04.35 at Vista Hills on Oct. 10. Eastwood has five runners cracking the Top 25 times list including Portillo-Walls, Victoria Ovalles, Salma Licon, Adalia Olmos and Amber Martin. Eastwood’s 2-7 gap is only 20 seconds. The individually title will come down to Franklin’s Jess and Portillo-Walls which could be the race of the meet.
4. Jefferson: The Foxes won the District 1-5A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club two weeks ago. Jefferson is the odds-on favorite to repeat at district champions with defending individual Crystal Peterson who has already turned in 20:07.0 on the course. Peterson, Monique Correa (20:15.2), Melody Tsutsumi (21:03.5) and Jelia Lugo (21:51.5) have four of the district’s top 10 times on this course.
5. Coronado: The T-Birds scored a perfect 15 at the Clint Invitational. Kyra Walker on the two-mile event in 13:46.18. Other Coronado runners to finish in the top 10 were Alexa Lawrence, Coronado, Banah Abdeljaber, Sonya Lee, Carolina Pitchkolan, Daniela Peinado, Gracyn Hunt, Luisa Ramirez and Eva Asfahani. In a strong District 1-6A Walker looks for a top 10 finish and a trip to regionals.
6. Canutillo. The Eagles handily won the District 2-5A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club two weeks ago so there is no reason why they can’t do it again. Chondra Espino has Canutillo’s best time on the course (21:02.9). Ivy Lara (21:36.0), Natalie Rivera (21:46.9) and Vanessa Preciado (21:47.9) also ran well at Vista Hills and should be favorite.
7. El Paso High: The Tigers placed second at the District 1-5A race of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club two weeks ago. If they can repeat that feat, they will advance to regionals. At the race two weeks ago, Shayla Cohen Jones was fifth, 21:14.7), Alissa Kennedy was sixth (21:20.8), Jezarae Valenzuela was seventh (21:32.6) and Vivian Shaheen was tenth (22:54.2).
8. Tornillo. The Coyotes have not competed in two weeks so they should be well rested for their District 3-4A championship Saturday in Presidio.
9. Bel Air: The Highlanders should be well rested for Saturday’s District 2-5A Championship. With Canutillo, the clear favorite, Bel Air and Hanks will fight it out of last spot to regionals. It’s team has a solid 1-2 punch with Abigail Murillo owning the fourth fastest time in the district on this course (21:10.09) and Sara Armendariz the sixth best (21:28.27).
10. Hanks. Hanks counters with Mia Rivera (fifth on the course, 21:23.8) and Natalie Rivera (eighth, 21:46.9). The fight for final spot to regionals is going to be intense.
Dropped out: Eastlake.
On the brink: Burges, Pebble Hills.
Canutillo senior Chondra Espino is one of the top runners in District 2-5A. Her time of 20:36.59 is the city’s 22nd best.
The El Paso, Socorro and Canutillo ISD’s, the three school districts that suspended athletics for the next two weeks, have allowed their cross country athletes to participate in the District Championships on Saturday at Vista Hills Country Club.
The Saturday schedule is as follows: 9 to 10:15 a.m. 2-5A girls, followed immediately by boys; 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. 1-5A girls, immediately followed by boys; 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. 1-6A girls, immediately followed by boys.
District 1-4 race at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Vista Hills Country Club. The girls will race first followed by the boys and the District 4-3A race will be at noon, Saturday in Presidio.
Original story
The fate of hundreds of cross country athletes in District 1-6A, 1-5A and 2-5A are in the hands of their respective District Executive Committees (DEC) who are expected to make a final decision on which two teams and 10 individual runners from each district will advance to the Region 1 Cross Country Championship.
The decision is expected to come on Thursday morning.
The UIL has approved a plan to allow the DECs, with input from the cross country coaches, to determine which teams and individuals should advance to Regionals at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock. The regional meet will be Nov. 9 for Class 3A and 5A and Nov. 10 for Class 4A and 6A.
District executive committees are composed of one school administrator from each school in a UIL district. They arrange contest schedules and certify district representatives for the next level of competition. They administer and enforce the rules and settle disputes within a district. They have original jurisdiction over all eligibility questions within the district.
District championships in District 1-4A, 1-5A, 2-5A and 1-6A were scheduled for Friday morning at Vista Hills Country Club.
For District 1-6A – and perhaps District 1-5A – the plan is to take the team and individual results from the Parra Law XC Classic on Oct. 10 and results from the Pre-District Invitational on Oct. 17 to determine which athletes and teams will advance. Both events were at Vista Hills Country Club, the site of the District Championships.
The plan is to compare the average times for both boys and girls from both invitationals to determine which two teams from each district will advance. The top 10 runners with the best times would also advance.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the University Interscholastic League had to modify the 2020 cross country post-season structure.
This year, only two teams and the top ten individuals shall qualify from district to regionals. In the past, the top three teams would advance.
How we got here
As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to increase in El Paso, on Sunday, County Judge Ricardo Samaniego urged the independent school districts in El Paso County to suspend athletics for at least two weeks.
Based on Samaniego’s suggestion, superintendents of the Socorro, El Paso and Canutillo school districts choose to postpone athletics for the next two weeks putting the district cross country championships in limbo.
Superintendents in Fabens, Clint, San Elizario, Anthony and Tornillo decided to continue.
Ysleta Independent School District officials confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that Fall sports would continue operating as scheduled, meaning high school football, volleyball and cross country would resume their regularly scheduled games, matches and meets.
It is still unclear if the YISD schools that comprise District 2-5A – Bel Air, Del Valle, Hanks, Parkland and Ysleta – will race on Friday or not.
Three of the eight schools in the district – El Dorado (SISD), Canutillo (CISD) and Horizon (Clint ISD) – are not YISD schools.
Because Socorro and Canutillo ISDs decided to suspend athletics for two weeks, El Dorado and Canutillo will not participate if the DEC determines District 2-5A should race.
One district coach says there is a 50/50 chance that there will be a race.
Racing for Championships
As of now, District 1-4A and District 4-3A are the only two area districts scheduled to compete.
The District 1-4A race will include San Elizario, Fabens, Clint and Mt. View. Riverside’s regional destiny will depend on Thursday’s DEC decision.
The district championship will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Vista Hills Country Club. The girls will race first followed by the boys.
The District 4-3A race – featuring Tornillo, Presidio, Alpine, Kermit and Anthony – will be at noon, Saturday in Presidio.
Paper champions
Although not the most ideal way to determine who advances to regionals, combining the times from the Parra and Pre-district invitationals appears to be the most logical.
Based on the numbers, the advancing schools would be Franklin and either the Montwood or Eastwood girls and the Eastwood and Americas boys.
In District 1-5A, Jefferson and El Paso High girls and the Burges and El Paso High boys would advance and if District 2-5A decides not to race on Friday it would be Canutillo and Bel Air or Hanks for the girls and Hanks and Del Valle or Bel Air for the boys.
Again, these are just projections.
District 1-6A
When combining the overall times, the top 10 girls would look like this:
Every Thursday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country male 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 151 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 5K/3-mile boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.
1. Eastwood: The Troopers did not race a full team at the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club. Eastwood did have two runners in the top five – Aaron Perez (third, 16:07.8) Nathan Hernandez (fifth, 16:24.7). The team is scheduled to race at the Del Valle Invitational on Saturday.
2. Americas: The Trailblazers had four runners finish in the top 7 to win the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club. Jared Laverty was fourth in 16:10.4 followed by Michael Mier (sixth, 16:27.9), Aaron Saenz (seventh, 17:30.1) and Stefan Alvarez (tenth, 17:42.6). Americas will rest in preparation of next Friday’s District 1-6A Championship at Vista Hills Country Club.
3. Coronado: The T-Birds did not race last week nor will the race on Saturday as the Montwood Invitational is cancelled.
4. San Elizario: The Eagles won the District 1-4A division of the Pre-District Invitational, scoring 18 points. All seven runners finished in the top 10 led by winner Edwin Gomez (16:00.6) followed by Dilan Sánchez (16:43.0). Other runners include Christopher Moreno (fourth, 17:14.2.5), Alan Ceballos (fifth, 17:24.5), Irvin Vazquez (sixth, 17:52.1), Angel Maese (eighth, 18:15.0) and .Matthew Maese (tenth, 18:17.7). The team is resting this weekend.
5. Tornillo: The Coyotes took a week off and will not race again until the District 1-3A Championship on Thursday in Presidio.
6. Franklin: Franklin was second in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational with 59 points. Octavio Trujillo was the top runner for the Cougars, finishing eighth in 17:32.0. Franklin is resting this weekend.
7. Burges: The Mustangs won the District 1-5A division of the Pre-District Invitational with 31 points. The Mustangs placed five runners in the top 10 including runner-up Dylan Walker (16:38.5), David Gonzalez (fourth, 17:08.7), David Herrera (seventh, 17:28.9), Julian Maldonado (eighth, 17:32.8) and Aaron Gomez (tenth, 17:51.9). Burges will rest this weekend.
8. Cathedral: The Fighting Irish did not race.
9. Hanks: Hanks moves up one after its first-place finish in the District 2-5A division of the Pre-District Invitational. The Knights had a 1-2 finish with Alejandro Tarin (17:02.1) and Gael Alvarado (17:08.4) and had two more runners – Michael Antuna (fifth, 18:31.2) and Andres Garcia (eighth, 18:41.3) – in the top 10.
10. El Paso: The Tigers make its 2020 debut after finishing second in the District 2-5A race of the Pre-District Invitational. Josep Ferret was third for El Paso High finishing the Vista Hills Country Club course in 17:02.3. Teammate David Ramirez was sixth in 17:25.1.
Dropped out: Eastlake.
On the brink: Riverside, Pebble Hills.
Hank’s Michael Antuna was fifth (18:31.2) in the District 2-5A race at the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club. His teammates Alejandro Tarin (17:02.1) and Gael Alvarado (17:08.4) – finished first and second.
Top times (5K/3Mile)
1, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 15:15.03 (Veterans Park, 9/19).
2, Sergio Leon Cuartas, Eastwood, 15:15.53 (Desert Twilight, 10/2).
3, Israel David, Eastlake, 15:31.2 (Vista Hills CC, 10/17).
4, Edwin Gomez, San Elizario, 15:36.48 (Desert Twilight, 10/2).
Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country female 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 151 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 5K/3-mile boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.
Del Valle Invitational: Oct. 24, 8 a.m., Del Valle High School. Del Valle, Valle Verde, YWLA, Americas, Jefferson, Eastwood, Horizon, Parkland.
Clint ISD Invitational: Oct. 24, 8 a.m., Clint High School. Clint, Eastlake, Tornillo, Mt. View, Riverside, San Eli, Fabens, Ysleta.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars easily won theClass 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club with 23 points. Senior Eva Jess won the event in 18:26.7 to lead six Franklin runners who finished in the top 10. Ally Little was second (19:07.5), Alyssa Laspada was fifth (20:00.0), Jenna Saunders, seventh (20:31.4), Michele Paillard, eighth (20:31.8) and Jordan Torres, tenth (21:05.4). The team will rest this weekend.
2. Montwood: The Rams had one of its best races for the season, finishing second in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club with 42 points. Its top four runners Kassandra Jimenez (third, 19:56.6), Jazmine Miranda (fourth, 19:58.1), Alexa Rangel (sixth, 20:04.7) and Natalie Espinosa (ninth, 20:37.1) – had season best times. The Montwood Invitational is cancelled.
3. Eastwood: Eastwood ran its JV team and the 6th and 7th varsity runners to finish third in theClass 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational. The team is schedule to race at the Del Valle Invitational on Saturday.
4. Jefferson: The Foxes won the District 1-5A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club placing runners in three of the top four spots and four in the top 8. 1, Crystal Peterson (first, 20:07.0) and Monique Correa (second, 20:15.2) and season-best times. Melody Tsutsumi was fourth (21:03.5) and Jelia Lugo was eighth in 21:51.5. The team is schedule to race at the Del Valle Invitational on Saturday.
5. Coronado: The T-Birds did race last weekend. The Montwood Invitational has been cancelled.
6. Canutillo. The Eagles won the District 2-5A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club with 50 points, placing four runners in the top 7. Chondra Espino led Canutillo with a second-place finish in 21:02.9. Ivy Lara was fifth (21:36.0), Natalie Rivera was sixth (21:46.9) and Vanessa Preciado was seventh (21:47.9). The team will race at the Bowie Invitational at Veterans Park on Saturday.
7. El Paso High: The Tigers placed second at the District 1-5A race of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club with 39 points. El Paso High’s Shayla Cohen Jones was fifth, 21:14.7), Alissa Kennedy was sixth (21:20.8), Jezarae Valenzuela was seventh (21:32.6) and Vivian Shaheen was tenth (22:54.2).
8. Tornillo. The Coyotes did not race.
9. Bel Air: The Highlanders did not race on Saturday. The Highlanders were scheduled to race at the Montwood Invitational which is cancelled.
10. Eastlake. The Falcons finished fourth in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. Its top runner was Megan Kirtley who was 15th in 21:29.9.
Dropped out: None.
On the brink: Hanks, Pebble Hills, Burges.
Hanks junior Mia Rivera has come into her own this season. Her 20:36.30 is the city’s 21st fastest time.
Bel Air’s Abigail Murillo has been a steady force for the Highlanders this season. She hopes for a top finish at next week’s District 2-5A race and a trip to regionals.
Power rankings(number in parenthesis indicate meets won)
Every Thursday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country male 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 151 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 5K/3-mile boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.
Pre-district Invitational: Oct. 17 at Vista Hills Country Club. Schedule is as follows: 8 a.m. 1-5A girls, followed by boys; 9:30 a.m. 2-5A girls, followed by boys; 11 a.m. 1-4A girls, followed by boys; 12:30 p.m. 1-6A girls, followed by boys.
All eyes will be at the Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday for the Pre-District Invitational. Most of the teams will race the district course.
Top 10
1. Eastwood: The Troopers won the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club, one place short of a perfect score. Eastwood took seven of the top 10 spots including invitational winner senior Sergio Leon Cuartas (15:42.04), Isaac Mendoza (second, 15:53.15), Nathan Hernandez (fourth, 16:16.85), Victor Anchondo (fifth, 16:17.94), Victor Parra (sixth, 16:20.38), Andres Gurrola (seventh 16:26.93) and Devon Paez (ninth, 16:34.51). Eastwood’s 1-5 split was 38 seconds and its top five average was 16:06. Eastwood will not run a full team at the Pre-district Invitational.
2. Americas: Americas boys won its own invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex with 30 points. The team was led by junior Carmelo Corral who was second in 16:13.7. Other top 10 finishers for the Trailblazers were Michael Mier (fourth, 16:17.9), Jared Laverty (fifth, 16:30.1) and Aaron Saenz (seventh, 17:14.3).The team will compete at in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational Saturday at Vista Hills Country Club.
3. Coronado: The T-Birds finished second at the Americas Invitational Friday at the Socorro Activities Center with 42 points. Coronado sophomore Luis Pastor was one of four T-Birds to finish in the top 10. He was third in 16:16.6, Corey Dubrule was sixth in 17:06.6, Sam Breceda was ninth in 17:46.6 and Stephen Pitchkolan was tenth.
4. San Elizario: The Eagles finished second at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club. San Elizario, who was without Edwin Gomez, second with 76 points. Senior Dilan Sanchez was third in 16:1138). San Elizario’s team average was 17:11. The team will race in the Class 4A division of the Pre-District Invitational Saturday at Vista Hills Country Club.
5. Tornillo: The Coyotes move up one spot after its third-place finish at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club with 82 points. Tornillo had runners finish in 10+13+16+21+22. Angel Torres was tenth in 16:37.60. The team average was 17.80 and its 1-5 split was 1:25. Tornillo is taking the weekend off.
6. Franklin: Franklin moves down a spot after its fourth-place finish the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club, one point higher than Tornillo. The Cougars runners were 12+14+15+19+23. Its top runner was senior Andres Buckley who was 12th in 16:47.31. Franklin will compete in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational Saturday at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.
7. Burges: The Mustangs won Clint ISD Invitational at Horizon High School with 24 points. The Mustangs placed six runners in the top 10 headed by Dylan Walker (second, 17:12.02) followed by David Gonzalez (fourth, 18:07.74), David Herrera (fifth, 18:08.27), Aaron Gomez, (sixth, 18:12.24), Luis Holguin (seventh, 18:13.55) and Julian Maldonado (tenth, 18:42.05). Burges will race in the Class 5A race of the Pre-District Invitational Saturday at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.
8. Cathedral: The Fighting Irish won its own invitational with 20 points.Cathedral had seven runners in the top 10 led by Luis Gomez (second, 17:25.1), Bernard Martinez (third, 17:27.9), Elija Noble (fourth, 17:28.5), Jacob Noble (fifth, 17:37.9), Dylan Lorilla, Cathedral (sixth, 18:11.5), Preston Arnett (eighth, 19:05.6) and Marcos Garcia (ninth, 19:05.9). Cathedral take th weekend off.
9. Eastlake: The Falcons finished third with 63 points at the Americas Invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex. Junior Israel David won the event in 15:48.8. Eastlake will race in the Class 6A race of the Pre-District Invitational Saturday at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.
10. Hanks: Hanks finished fifth with 133 points at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club. Sophomore Alejandro Tarin was eighth in 16:32.73. The team will race in the Class 5A race of the Pre-District Invitational Saturday at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.
Dropped out: None.
On the brink: Riverside, El Paso, Pebble Hills, Bel Air.
Coronado sophomore Luis Pastor ran a personal best 16:16.6 last Friday at the SAC, good enough for 19th in the city.
Top times (5K/3Mile)
1, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 15:15.03 (Veterans Park, 9/19).
2, Sergio Leon Cuartas, Eastwood, 15:15.53 (Desert Twilight, 10/2).
3, Edwin Gomez, San Elizario, 15:36.48 (Desert Twilight, 10/2).
Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country female 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 151 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 5K/3-mile boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.
Pre-district Invitational: Oct. 17 at Vista Country Club. Schedule is as follows: 8 a.m. 1-5A girls, followed by boys; 9:30 a.m. 2-5A girls, followed by boys; 11 a.m. 1-4A girls, followed by boys; 12:30 p.m. 1-6A girls, followed by boys.
The Troopers moved into the second spot after its second place finish at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars won the team championship at theParra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club with 21 points. Franklin placed six runners in the top 8 including Eva Jess (second, 18:20.41), Ally Little (third, 18:44.19), Alyssa Laspada (fourth, 19:03.19), Michele Paillard (fifth, 19:50.57), Sofia Camacho (seventh, 19:55.96) and Jenna Saunders (eighth, 19:56.83). The team’s 1-5 split was only 1:35. Franklin will return to Vista Hills Country Club to race in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational on Saturday. That race is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.
2. Eastwood: Eastwood placed secondat the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club and moved ahead of Montwood. The Troopers scored 59 points despite only having one runner – junior Lauren Walls-Portillo – finish in the top 10. Walls-Portillo set a personal and city best 18:04.35. Eastwood – which five scoring runners finished 1+13+14+15+16 – had a 20:12 team average. The Troopers will also return to Vista Hills Country Club to race in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational on Saturday. That race is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.
3. Montwood: The Rams dropped one spot after its third place at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club. Montwood scored 64 points, five points higher than Eastwood. Montwood had three in the top 10 – Karyme Garcia (sixth, 19:53.12), Alexa Rangel (ninth, 20:08.85) and Jazmine Miranda (tenth, 20:09.54). The Rams – which had an impressive 1:50 1-5 split will race in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. That race is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.
4. Jefferson: The Foxes won the Cathedral/Harmony Invitational team title at Veterans Park with 20 points. Jefferson placed runners in the second through sixth spots – Monique Correa (second, 21:01.5), Crystal Peterson (third, 21:35.7), Melody Tsutsumi (fourth, 21:55.5), Jelia Lugo (fifth, 23:30.6) and Irma Munoz (sixth, Jefferson, 23:55.3). The team is scheduled to race in the Class 5A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. That race is scheduled to start at 8 a.m.
5. Coronado: The T-Birds did not run a full team at the Americas Invitational at the Socorro Student Activities Complex but still managed to have three top 10 runners – sophomore Kyra Walker who won the event in 21:56, Alexa Lawrence (sixth, 22:59.0) and Sonya Lee (ninth, 23:11.6). The team is scheduled to race in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. That race is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.
6. Canutillo. The Eagles won the Clint ISD Invitational at Horizon High School with 27 points. The Eagles had four runners – Chondra Espino (third, 21:52.54), Natalie Rivera (fourth, 22:13.12), Ivy Lara (fifth, 22:19.36) and Vanessa Preciado (eighth, 22:38.12) – in the top 8. Canutillo is scheduled to race in the Class 5A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club at 8 a.m. Saturday.
7. El Paso High: The Tigers won the Austin/ElPaso Invitational at Skyline Park scoring 21 points. El Paso had five runners in the top 8 including the top three runners. Jezarae Valenzuela won her first meet of the season with a 21:18.49. Alissa Kennedy was second (21:19.65) and Andrea Castillo was third (21:26.02). Emma White was seventh (23:22.83) and Vivian Shaheen was eighth in 23:23.65. El Paso will race in the Class 5A division of the Pre-District Invitational.
8. Tornillo. The Coyotes finished fourth at theParra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club finishing 12+23+24+28+37 for 124 points. Sophomore Kylene Elias was the top runner finishing in 20:32.17. Tornillo will rest this weekend.
9. Bel Air: The Highlanders move up one after its fifth place at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club. Bel Air runners placed 20+21+27+29+33 for 130 points. Bel Air is scheduled to participate in the Class 5A division of the Pre-District Invitational.
10. Eastlake. The Falcons are back in the top 10 after its team championship at the America’s Invitational run at the Socorro Student Activities Complex. The team scored 58 points. Megan Kirtley was second in 22:11.0 and Giselle Rubio crossed the finish line in 22:59.2, good for the seventh spot, to led Eastlake. The team will race in the Class 6A division of the Pre-District Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. That race is scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.
Dropped out: Hanks.
On the brink: Pebble Hills, Burges.
Montwood senior Karyme Garcia ran the season’s eighth fastest time on Saturday, completing the 3.1-mile course at Vista Hills in 19:53.12.
Eastwood junior Lauren Walls-Portillo Walls-Portillo turned in a personal best 18:04.35, to win the inaugural Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
Eastwood junior Lauren Walls-Portillo could not hear her mother Stacy Walls’ words of encouragement at Saturday’s Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
But she felt them.
As her daughter was finishing the final half mile of the 3.1-mile course, Wall’s implored to her daughter, “don’t lose this opportunity.”
The “opportunity” in question was not losing a slim lead over Franklin senior Eva Jess, who in her four-year career has never lost in El Paso.
Walls-Portillo turned in a personal best 18:04.35, to win the inaugural Parra Law XC Classic – her biggest win of her high school career.
“She told me she said that, but I was so focused on what I was doing, I couldn’t hear her,” Walls-Portillo said with a laugh. “I thought that was amazing, even if I didn’t hear her.”
Jess, who verbally committed to the University of Texas last week, was second in 18:20.41.
“Eva has been a person that I have looked up to for so long because we started at a young age together,” Walls-Portillo said. “She has been so amazing all these years. She has driven me to work so much harder. In my mind, it wasn’t that I beat her. In my mind, it was that I worked hard enough to get to her level which was really good for me.”
Walls-Portillo came into Saturday’s race feeling at the top of her game.
“Honestly, I felt great the entire race, but it wasn’t until the start of the second lap is when I felt ‘oh my gosh, this could really happen,’” she said. “I felt so good and I felt I had a lot of energy to kick, that’s when I started to think ‘Ok, I got this, I’m going to be OK.’”
The Cougars won the team championship with 21 points, followed by Eastwood (59), Montwood (64), Class 3A Tornillo (124), Bel Air (130) and Hanks (157).
Franklin placed six runners in the top 8 including Jess, Ally Little (third, 18:44.19), Alyssa Laspada (fourth, 19:03.19), Michele Paillard (fifth, 19:50.57), Sofia Camacho (seventh, 19:55.96) and Jenna Saunders (eighth, 19:56.83).
Montwood had three in the top 10 – Karyme Garcia (sixth, 19:53.12), Alexa Rangel (ninth, 20:08.85) and Jazmine Miranda (tenth, 20:09.54).
Two weeks ago Walls-Portillo was 10th in the girl’s Sweepstakes Division finishing in 18:14.62 at the 13th annual Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival in Arizona.
“We didn’t know any of the teams there so there wasn’t anyone we had to specifically beat so our coach said run smart and you’ll run good,” she said. “I performed really well because I had no pressure to beat anyone because I didn’t know any of the girls there. I ran my best and so did my team. I watched them run as fast as I have ever seen them run because we finally got the chance to run an out of town and race.”
Walls-Portillo’s 18:04.35 on Saturday was 10 seconds faster than what see ran in Arizona.
“Eva pushed me hard, she pushed me to my limit,” she said. “I knew Eva was not going to let me go. I knew she was going to strive and push me the entire race. I could not have hit that 18:04 if it wasn’t for her. She is such a strong runner, so being up there with her gave me that extra push that I needed. Being up there with her gave me an adrenaline rush for the finish.”
The Eastwood boys were just as impressive as Franklin’s girls – winning the team championship one spot short of another perfect score.
San Elizario, who was without Edwin Gomez, was second with 76 points, Tornillo third (82), Franklin fourth (83), Hanks fifth (133) and Bel Air sixth (137).
Eastwood took seven of the top 10 spots including invitational winner senior Sergio Leon Cuartas (15:42.04). San Elizario’s Dilan Sanchez (third, 16:1138) was the only non-Eastwood athlete in the top seven.
Sergio Leon Cuartas.
Eastwood runners in the top 10 were Isaac Mendoza (second, 15:53.15), Nathan Hernandez (fourth, 16:16.85), Victor Anchondo (fifth, 16:17.94), Victor Parra (sixth, 16:20.38), Andres Gurrola (seventh 16:26.93) and Devon Paez (ninth, 16:34.51).
Hanks’s Alejandro Tarin was eighth in 16:32.73 and Tornillo’s Angel Torres was tenth 16:37.60.
Leon Cuartas has developed into a team leader for the Troopers. Two weeks ago, he led a group of five runners in the top 14 to win the Sweepstakes Division of the 13th annual Desert Twilight XC Festival in San Tan Valley, Ariz. with 53 points. Leon Cuartas who was third in 15:15.53.
“Working hard and trusting in my coach and in my team has made a major difference in my development,” Leon Cuartas said. “Every time I race, I race for my team. I really want to do well for them. We all run better knowing that we are doing it for each other. It’s all about the team-first mentality. It’s about running for your team, that’s what separates us from other people. We all know our role and we accept it. It all comes down to that team mentality.”
Americas Invitational (SAC)
Eastlake junior Israel David returned to racing on Friday morning with his fourth individual championship at the Americas Invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex.
Israel David.
David, who is unbeaten and unchallenged this fall, won the race in 15:48.8.
The Americas boys continued its surge winning the team championship with 30 points. The team was led by junior Carmelo Corral who was second in 16:13.7. Other top 10 finishers for the Trailblazers were Michael Mier (fourth, 16:17.9), Jared Laverty (fifth, 16:30.1) and Aaron Saenz (seventh, 17:14.3).
Coronado was second with 42 points followed by Eastlake (63), Del Valle (132), Socorro (149) and Ysleta (155).
Coronado sophomore Luis Pastor was one of four T-Birds to finish in the top 10. He was third in 16:16.6, Corey Dubrule was sixth in 17:06.6, Sam Breceda was ninth in 17:46.6 and Stephen Pitchkolan was tenth.
Del Valle’s Miguel Avila was eighth in 17:38.2.
Coronado sophomore Kyra Walker won her second meet of the season racing to a 21:56.9. Eastlake’s Megan Kirtley was second in 22:11.0 and Americas’ Isabella Medina was third in 22:17.5.
Eastlake’s Giselle Rubio crossed the finish line in 22:59.2, good for the seventh spot. Her late push provided vital points as the Falcons took the team championship with 58 points, two better than Amercas. Socorro was third with 75 followed by Del Valle (77), Ysleta, (173), and Young Women’s Leadership Academy (184).
Coronado did not run a full team but still managed to have three top 10 runners – Walker, Alexa Lawrence (sixth, 22:59.0) and Sonya Lee (ninth, 23:11.6).
Other top 10 runners were Samantha Ramirez, Socorro (fourth, 22:36.7), Mia Vargas, Americas (fifth, 22:57.4), Ana Rojas, Socorro (eighth, 23:10.6) and Jaslyne Ramirez, Del Valle (tenth, 23:21.3).
Cathedral/Harmony Invitational (Veterans Park)
Parkland senior Angie Lujan-Marrufo won her fifth consecutive race winning in 20:36.2.
Jefferson won the team title with 20 points, placing runners in the second through sixth spots – Monique Correa (second, 21:01.5), Crystal Peterson (third, 21:35.7), Melody Tsutsumi (fourth, 21:55.5), Jelia Lugo (fifth, 23:30.6) and Irma Munoz (sixth, Jefferson, 23:55.3).
Angie Lujan-Marrufo.
Parkland had four in the top 10 including Lujan-Marrufo, Paola Bolanos Hernandez (seventh, 25:25.1), Claudia Vargas (eighth, 25:54.1) and Yulianna Anahi Martinez (tenth, 27:21.7).
Chapin’s Bianca Quintero was ninth in 26:28.7.
Parkland scored 37 points and took second place.
Chapin senior Joaquin Ortega won his third championship of the season finishing the race in 16:41.3 while Cathedral won the team title with 20 points.
The Irish had seven runners in the top 10 led by Luis Gomez (second, 17:25.1), Bernard Martinez (third, 17:27.9), Elija Noble (fourth, 17:28.5), Jacob Noble (fifth, 17:37.9), Dylan Lorilla, Cathedral (sixth, 18:11.5), Preston Arnett (eighth, 19:05.6) and Marcos Garcia (ninth, 19:05.9).
Chapin’s Cesar Sandoval was seventh in 18:36.3 and Jefferson’s Isaac Ortega was tenth in 19:17.3.
Bowie was second with 87 points and Parkland was third with 99 points.
Clint ISD Invitational (Horizon High School)
Horizon, El Dorado, Clint, Riverside, Fabens, Burges and Canutillo participated. However, results were not reported.
Austin Invitational (Skyline Park)
Austin, El Dorado, Irvin, Andress, Valle Verde and Loretto participated. However, results were not reported.
Every Thursday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top cross country male 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 151 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 5K/3-mile boys and girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.
Horizon Invitational: 8 a.m., Oct. 10 at Horizon High School. Horizon, El Dorado, Clint, Riverside, Fabens, Burges, Canutillo.
Austin/El Paso Invitational: 8 a.m. Oct. 10 at Skyline Park. Austin, El Dorado, Irvin, Andress, Valle Verde, Loretto, El Paso High.
Parra Law XC Classic: 8 a.m. Oct. 10 at Vista Hills Country Club. Eastwood, Bel Air, Hanks, San Eli, Franklin, Pebble Hills, Mt. View, Tornillo.
The Haskins Recreation Center, the site of the Franklin Invitational, proved to rugged and challenging. On Saturday, several of the city’s best teams will compete at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
Top 10
1. Eastwood: The Troopers won the Sweepstakes Division of the 13th annual Desert Twilight XC Festival in San Tan Valley, Ariz. with 53 points. Eastwood had five runners in the top 14 lead by Sergio Leon Cuartas who was third in 15:15.53. Eastwood had runners take the 11-14 spots including Aaron Perez (11th, 15:51.02), Isaac Mendoza (12th, 15:52.26), Victor Anchondo (13th, 15:55.35) and Victor Parra (14th, 15:57.58). They had a 15:46 team average with only a 42 second split. Eastwood is ranked No. 1 in Class 6A by TxMileSplit. The team will race the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
2. Americas: Americas junior Jared Laverty won his first varsity meet, leading the Trailblazers to a team championship in 16:02.13. Americas runners took the first four spots and five of the top 8 including Michael Mier (second, 16:06.82), Aaron Saenz (third, 16:08.66), Carmelo Corral (fourth, 16:25.95) and Jesse Morales (eighth, 17:26.45). Americas is ranked No. 5 in Class 6A by TxMileSplit. The Trailblazers scored 18 points. The team will compete at its own invitational on Friday at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex.
3. Coronado: The T-Birds won the Canutillo/Anthony Invitational at Canutillo Middle School with 31 points. Coronado took the first three spots and four out of the top 10. Luis Pastor picked up his second varsity win (16:47.00) followed by Corey Dubrule (17:06.18) and Sam Breceda (17:07.90). Stephen Pitchkolan was tenth in 17:49.00. The T-Birds will race the Americas Invitational Friday at the Socorro Activities Center.
4. San Elizario: The Eagles finished fourth in the 16-team field in the Sweepstakes Division of the Desert Twilight XC Festival in San Tan Valley, Ariz. with 162 points. San Elizario had two runners in the top six – Edwin Gomez, (5th, 15:36.48) and Dilan Sanchez (6th, 15:40.33). They finished with a 16:20 team average. The Eagles are ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by TxMileSplit. The team will compete at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
5. Franklin: Franklin finished second at its own meet with 37 points. The Cougars had five runners in the top 10 including Rai Lopez (fifth, 16:43.41), Matthew Engle (sixth, 16:54.70), Andres Buckley (seventh, 17:14.12), Diego Flores (ninth, 17:36.02) and Octavio Trujillo (tenth, 17:41.92).). Franklin will race at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
6. Tornillo: The Coyotes won the Cathedral/Loretto Invitational at Veterans Park with 21 points. Tornillo had four runners in the top 7 – Angel Torres (second, 16:28.74), Bryan Garcia (third, 16:45.10), Daniel Romero (fifth, 17:04.62) and Bryan Guzman (seventh, 17:19.62).Tornillo, which is ranked No. 2 in Class 3A by TxMileSplit, will run at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
7. Burges: The Mustangs finished second at the Canutillo/Anthony Invitational at Canutillo Middle School with 51 points. Burges had two runner – Dylan Walker (seventh, 17:26.78), teammate Julian Maldonado (eighth, 17:43.56) – in the top 10. The team is ranked No. 19 by TxMileSplit in Class 5A.
8. Cathedral: The Fighting Irish did not race last week. Cathedral will race its own meet at Veterans Park on Saturday.
9. Eastlake: The Falcons did not compete last week. The team is expected to race at the Americas Invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex on Friday.
10. Hanks: Hanks won the team title at the Eastlake Invitational at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex with 31 points. Gael Alvarado won the event in 15:43.4 as the Knights placed four runners in the top 10 – Alvarado, Alejandro Tarin (second, 15:45.2), Michael Antuna (seventh, 16:29.2) and Andres Garcia (tenth, 17:42.3).46.21). Hanks will race at the Parra Law XC Classic at Vista Hills Country Club.
Dropped out: None.
On the brink: Riverside, El Paso, Pebble Hills, Bel Air.
Eastwood senior Sergio Leon Cuartas was third in the Sweepstakes race at the 13th annual Desert Twilight XC Festival in San Tan Valley, Ariz. His time of 15:15.53 is second best in the city by .50 seconds.
Top times (5K/3Mile)
1, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 15:15.03 (Veterans Park, 9/19).
2, Sergio Leon Cuartas, Eastwood, 15:15.53 (Desert Twilight, 10/2).
3, Edwin Gomez, San Elizario, 15:36.48 (Desert Twilight, 10/2).
El Paso Running 