Day: September 1, 2021

High School Girls XC Poll: Week 3

Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top girls 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 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 girls race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.

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

This week’s schedule

Riverside/Ysleta Invitational: 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4 at Shawver Park. El Paso, Jefferson, Bowie, Austin, Chapin, Montwood, Americas, El Dorado, Valle Verde, Riverside, Ysleta, Del Valle, Hanks, Parkland, Bel Air, YWLA, Mt. View, Clint, San Eli, Fabens, Harmony, Canutillo.

Pebble Hills Invitational: 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4 at Vista Hills Country Club. Burges, Coronado, Franklin, Irvin, Andress, Horizon Eastlake, Pebble Hills, Socorro, Eastwood, Santa Teresa, Chaparral, Gadsden, Ft. Hancock, LPI, Cathedral, Loretto, Anthony.

The Del Valle course proved to be runner-friendly as 12 runners in the Top 25 set season personal best times last Saturday.

Top 10

1. Franklin: The Cougars placed sixth at the Southlake Carroll Invitational with 183 points. Southlake Carroll won the event with 60 points. Junior Alyssa Laspada was the top Franklin runner finishing 17th in 18:30.07, a season best. Senior Jenna Saunders also ran a season-best 19:37.63. Franklin will compete at the Pebble Hills Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.

2. Eastwood: The Troopers move up a spot after winning the Rudy Alvarez Invitational at Del Valle. Eastwood placed four runners in the top eight to win the event with 30 points – 45 more than the rest of the field. Senior Lauren Walls-Portillo won the race in a personal best 17:58.28 followed by freshman Adelynn Rodriguez (second, 18:37.95), senior Adalia Olmos (sixth, 19:41.07) and junior Salma Licon (eighth, 19:54.44). Eastwood will race at the at the Pebble Hills Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.

3. Pebble Hills: For the second straight week, the Spartans are the big movers and shakers – moving up another four spots. The young Pebble Hills team have been the surprise team of the season. On Saturday, it placed two runners Junior Natalia Martinez (fifth, 19:08.03) and sophomore Carolina Zarrabal (10th, 19:58.92) – in the top 10. Sophomore Natalie Franco was 13th in 20:24.44. Pebble Hills will race in its own in invitational at Vista Hills on Saturday.

4. Montwood:  The Rams drop two spots after its third-place finish at the Rudy Alvarez. Junior Kassandra Jimenez had a strong race, finishing fourth in 18:59.84 and junior Jazmine Miranda was 14th in 20:25.44. Senior Alexa Rangel was 23rd in 20:57.02. Montwood hopes to get back on track at the Riverside/Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park.

5. Jefferson: The Foxes won the Gadsden Invitational at Chaparral High School, placing it’s two seniors – Crystal Peterson (21:08.65) and Monique Correra (21:17.61) – in second and third. The Foxes need to develop more consistency in it’s 3-7 runners in order to remain in the top five. Jefferson will race at the Riverside/Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park on Saturday.

6. Coronado: The T-Birds finished fourth at the Rudy Alvarez Invitational with 120 points. Coronado placed three runners in the top 25 – sophomore Alexa Lawrence (15th, 20:36.08), senior Banah Abdeljaber (16th, 20:39.37) and junior Kyra Walker (25th, 21:08.42).  The team will regroup for the Pebble Hills Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.

7. Del Valle: The Conquistadores move up for the second straight week, this time two spots after placing fifth on its home course. Del Valle had three runners in the top 25 led by junior Valeria Loo-Kung who was 11th in 20:16.96.  Senior Disany Sandoval was 20th in 20:42.81 and senior Anisa Sanchez was 22nd in 20:54.20. Del Valle will race at the Riverside/Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park on Saturday.

8. Hanks: The Knights finished sixth at the Rudy Alvarez. Senior Mia Rivera had another top 10 finish, placing ninth in 19:57.47. Rivera was the only top 25 runner for Hanks. Senior Madison Spencer was 30th in 21:42.86. The team will race at the Riverside/Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park on Saturday.

9. Canutillo: The Eagles make its season debut in the Top 10 after placing second at the Gadsden Invitational at Chaparral High School.  Junior Natalie Rivera won the event in 21:03.86. Junior Dania Cano was sixth in 22:20.38 and junior Jennifer Najar was 10th in 23:04.25. The team will race at the Riverside/Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park.

10. Socorro: The Bulldogs did not run a full team at the Rudy Alvarez. Senior Ana Rojas did manage a seventh-place finish in 19:46.94. The team will race at Pebble Hills Invitational at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.

Dropped out: Bel Air.

On the brink: Burges, Eastlake, El Paso High.

Jefferson’s Monique Correa and Crystal Peterson as well as Canutillo’s Natalie Rivera have turned in top 25 times this season.

Top times (3 mile or 5K)

1, Lauren Walls-Portillo, Eastwood, 17:58.28 (Del Valle, 8/28).

2, Alyssa Laspada, Franklin, 18:30.07 (Southlake, 8/28).

3, Adelynn Rodriguez, Eastwood, 18:37.95 (Del Valle, 8/28).

4, Pamela Ramirez, Burges, 18:59.11 (Del Valle, 8/28).

5, Kassandra Jimenez, Montwood, 18:59.84 (Del Valle, 8/28).

6, Natalia Martinez, Pebble Hills, 19:08.03 (Del Valle, 8/28).

7, Jordan Torres, Franklin, 19:22.07 (Canutillo, 8/21).

8, Jenna Saunders, Franklin, 19:37.63 (Southlake, 8/28).

9, Adalia Olmos, Eastwood, 19:41.07 (Del Valle, 8/28).

10, Ana Rojas, Socorro, 19:46.94 (Del Valle, 8/28).

11, Abby Barraza, Franklin, 19:52.45 (Canutillo, 8/21).

12, Salma Licon, Eastwood, 19:54.44 (Del Valle, 8/28).

13, Mia Rivera, Hanks, 19:57.47 (Del Valle, 8/28).

14, Carolina Zarrabal, Pebble Hills, 19:58.92 (Del Valle, 8/28).

15, Natalie Rivera, Canutillo, 20:02.59 (Canutillo, 8/21).

16, Sofia Camacho, Franklin, 20:03.13 (Canutillo, 8/21).

17, Valeria Loo-Kung, Del Valle, 20:16.96 (Del Valle, 8/28).

17, Michele Paillard, Franklin, 20:47.35 (Southlake, 8/28).

18, Caroline Pitchkolan, Coronado, 20:52.26 (Canutillo, 8/21).

19, Alexa Lawrence, Coronado, 20:55.11 (Canutillo, 8/21).

20, Lexee Salas, Americas, 20:57.20 (Cleveland, 8/28).

21, Isabella Medina, Americas, 21:03.20 (Canutillo, 8/21).

22, Crystal Peterson, Jefferson, 21:08.65 (Chaparral, 8/28).

24, Monique Correa, Jefferson, 21:17.61 (Chaparral, 8/28).

25, Abigail Murillo, Bel Air, 20:18.22 (Del Valle, 8/28).

Burges senior Pam Ramirez has been the bright spot for the Mustangs this season. She owns the city’s fourth fastest time (18:59.11).


Power rankings
(number parenthesis indicate meets won):

1, Lauren Walls-Portillo, Eastwood, 19 (1).

1, Adelynn Rodriguez, Eastwood, 19 (1).

3, Alyssa Laspada, Franklin, 18 (1).

4, Pamela Ramirez, Burges, 17.

5, Natalia Martinez, Pebble Hills, 16 (1).

5, Natalie Rivera, Canutillo, 16 (1).

7, Jordan Torres, Franklin, 15.

8, Jenna Saunders, Franklin, 13.

8, Monique Correa, Jefferson, 13.

8, Mia Rivera, Hanks, 13.

Kassandra Jimenez, Montwood, 11.

Abby Barraza, Franklin, 10.

Carolina Zarrabal, Pebble Hills, 9.

Crystal Peterson, Jefferson, 9.

Alexa Rangel, Montwood, 7.

Andrea Castillo, EPHS, 7.

Anisa Sanchez, Del Valle, 6.

Elizabeth Hernandez, Austin, 6.

Adalia Olmos, Eastwood, 5.

Dania Cano, Canutillo, 5.

Ana Rojas, Socorro, 5.

Sofia Camacho, Franklin, 4.

Natalie Franco, Pebble Hills, 4.

Allison Perez, Coronado, 3.

Disany Sandoval, Del Valle, 3.

Salma Licon, Eastwood, 3.

Ana Rojas, Coronado, 3.

Giselle Rubio, Eastlake, 2.

Caroline Pitchkolan, Coronado, 2.

Olivia Garcia, Tornillo, 1.

Alexa Lawrence, Coronado, 1.

Jennifer Najar, Canutillo, 1.