High School Boy’s XC Poll: Week 5

Every Thursday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top boy’s 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

District Preview: 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 at Vista Hills Country Club. All schools.

Woodbridge Classic: 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 at SilverLakes Sports Complex in Woodbridge, Calif. Eastwood.

Top 10

1. Eastwood: The Troopers did not race on Saturday. The team is focused on the next two weeks when they will travel to two highly competitive races – the 40^th annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic presented by ASICS America in Woodbridge, Calif. on Saturday and the Desert Twilight, the Nike Pre-Southwest Regional meet, in Queen Creek Arizona on Sept. 25.

2. Americas: The Trailblazers won the Loretto/Cathedral Invitational at Veterans Park with 33 points. Senior Jared Laverty remains unbeaten this season, winning his fourth race in 2021. He ran a 16:45.06 to led four Americas runners – seniors Carmelo Corral (second, 17:00.57), Aaron Saenz (fifth, 17:30.82) and Jesse Morales (10^th, 18:19.95) – in the top 10. Americas will race at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. 

3. Franklin: The Cougars placed six runners in the top 10 – including three in the top four – to easily win the EPISD Invitational at Mary Francis Keisling Park. Junior Diego Flores won the event in 15:51.32 (11^th fastest in the city), junior Austen Percifull was runner up in 16:16.35 (18^th fastest in the city), sophomore Frank Lozano was fourth in 16:46.09, junior Oscar Guzman was seventh in 17:01.85, sophomore Sebastian Gonzalez was ninth (17:11.43) and senior Isaac Moreno was tenth in 17:16.04. The Cougars will race at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. 

4. Cathedral:  The Irish finished second at its own invitational at Veterans Park with 69 points. Cathedral placed two runners in the top 10 – sophomore Preston Arnett (sixth, 17:54.93) and junior Bernard Martinez (ninth, 18:19.60).

5. San Elizario: The Eagles were third at the Loretto/Cathedral Invitational at Veterans Park, scoring 74 points.  Junior Chris Moreno was fourth in 17:12.35, the only San Elizario runner in the top 10. 

6. Pebble Hills: The Spartans did not run its varsity on Saturday. The team is expected to race at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. 

7. Eastlake: The Falcons, who were without Israel David, managed a second-place finish at the EPISD Invitational at Mary Francis Keisling Park. The team had two runners – senior Mario Elias (sixth, 16:54.49) and junior Bryan Estrada (eighth, 17:11.14) – finish in the top 10. The team will race at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.

8. Coronado: The T-Birds did not race a full team at the EPISD Invitational.  Junior Sam Breceda managed a fifth-place finish in 16:49.18. Coronado will race at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.

9. Riverside: The Rangers did not race a full team at the EPISD Invitational at Mary Francis Keisling Park.  Senior Jayden Bustillos placed third in 16:43.60. Riverside will compete at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday.

10. Hanks: The Knights placed fourth at the Loretto/Cathedral Invitational at Veterans Park.  Junior Alejandro Tarin was third (17:11.27) and senior Gael Alvarado was seventh in 17:59.21. The team will race at District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club on Saturday. 

Dropped out: None.

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

Top times (3 mile or 5K)

1, Omer Ibrahim, Pebble Hills, 15:02.15 (Del Valle, 8/28).

2, Israel David, Eastlake, 15:02.73 (Del Valle, 8/28).

3, Luis Pastor, Coronado, 15:04.79 (Del Valle, 8/28).

4, Andres Gurrola, Eastwood, 15:22.34 (Del Valle, 8/28).

5, Jared Laverty, Americas, 15:24.83 (Canutillo, 8/21).

6, Isaac Mendoza, Eastwood, 15:35.95 (Del Valle, 8/28).

7, Chris Moreno, San Elizario, 15:38.71 (Del Valle, 8/28).

8, Devon Paez, Eastwood, 15:39.93 (Del Valle, 8/28).

9, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 15:41.95 (Canutillo, 8/21).

10, Daniel Romero, Tornillo, 15:44.07 (Del Valle, 8/28).

11, Diego Flores, Franklin, 15:51.32 (Mary Francis Keisling, 9/11).

12, Andrew Valdiviezo, Riverside, 16:01.41 (Del Valle, 8/28).

13, Alejandro Tarin, Hanks, 16:01.51 (Shawver Park, 9/4).

14, Victor Anchondo, Eastwood, 16:02.19 (Del Valle, 8/28)

15, Aaron Saenz, Americas 16:04.0 (Cleveland, 8/28).

16, Joaquin Chavez, Eastwood, 16:10.00 (Del Valle, 8/28).

17, Anthony Casillas, Eastwood, 16:12.01 (Del Valle, 8/28).

18, Austen Percifull, Franklin, 16:16.35 (Mary Francis Keisling, 9/11).

19, Gael Alvarado, Hanks, 16:19.03 (Shawver Park, 9/4).

20, Isaac Romero, Franklin, 16:22.86 (Southlake, 8/28).

21, Jacob Becket, Eastwood, 16:29.15 (Del Valle, 8/28).

22, Julian Maldonado, Burges, 16:30.94 (Del Valle, 8/28).

23, Seth Truax, Chapin, 16:34.44 (Del Valle, 8/28).

24, Preston Arnett, Cathedral, 16:40.42 (Del Valle, 8/28).

25, Angel Torres, Tornillo, 16:43.28 (Tornillo, 8/21).

Power rankings
(number parenthesis indicate meets won):

1, Jared Laverty, Americas, 40 (4).

2, Luis Pastor, Coronado, 35 (1).

3, Chris Moreno, San Elizario, 31 (1).

4, Alejandro Tarin, Hanks, 27.

4, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 27.

6, Omer Ibrahim, Pebble Hills, 25 (2).

7, Isaac Mendoza, Eastwood, 22.

8, Andres Gurrola, Eastwood, 21.

9, Diego Flores, Franklin, 20 (1).

10, Aaron Saenz, Americas, 19.

Israel David, Eastlake, 18.

Andrew Valdiviezo, Riverside, 16.

Gael Alvarado, Hanks, 15.

Austen Percifull, Franklin, 13.

Jayden Bustillos, Riverside, 12.

Devon Paez, Eastwood, 11.

Daniel Romero, Tornillo, 11.

Omar Rivera, Canutillo, 9.

Israel Quintana, Immanuel, 8.

Seth Truax, Chapin, 8.

David Ramirez, El Paso High, 8.

Preston Arnett, Cathedral, 8.

Irvin Vazquez, San Elizario, 8.

Joaquin Chavez, Eastwood, 7.

Frank Lozano, Franklin, 7.

Angel Torres, Tornillo, 6.

Sam Breceda, Coronado, 6.

Denovan Estrada, Franklin, 5.

Julian Maldonado, Burges, 5.

Leo Valenzuela, El Paso High, 5.

Mario Elias, Eastlake, 5.

Anthony Casillas, Eastwood, 4.

Rai Lopez, Franklin, 4.

Aydan Lugo, El Paso High, 4.

Oscar Guzman, Franklin, 4.

Bryan Estrada, Eastlake, 3.

Matthew Maese, San Elizario, 3.

Antonio Palos, Irvin, 3.

Alexander Flores, Eastwood, 2.

Victor Anchondo, Eastwood, 2.

Sebastian Gonzalez, Franklin, 2.

Bernard Martinez, Cathedral, 2.

Luis Martinez, Irvin, 2.

Alan Ceballos, San Elizario, 2.

Matthew Marshall, Eastwood, 1.

Isaac Romero, Franklin, 1.

Jesse Morales, Americas, 1.