High School Boy’s XC Poll: Week 6

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

Desert Twilight Invitational: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24 at Queen Creek, Ariz. Eastwood, Riverside, Del Valle, Bel Air, San Elizario, Cathedral.

Organ Invite: 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at Organ High School in Las Cruces. Franklin, Coronado, Santa Teresa, Chaparral, Gadsden.

DaVinci Invitational:  8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Don Haskins Recreation Center. Austin, Jefferson, Ysleta, YWLA, Eastlake, Anthony, Fabens, Cathedral, Loretto, Canutillo, Harmony, Da Vinci.

Lubbock Invitational: 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at Mae Simmons Park.  Burges, Chapin, El Paso, Andress, Bowie, El Dorado, Socorro, Americas, Pebble Hills, Montwood, Valle Verde, Hanks, Parkland.

Top 10

1. Eastwood: The Troopers finished fifth out of 30 teams (220 runners) in the “sweepstakes” division of the 40^th annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Woodbridge, Calif.  All seven athletes turned in sub-16 minute, 3-mile times with two runners – seniors Andres Gurrola (30^th, 14:43.8) and Isaac Mendoza (40th, 14.49.7) – clocking in under 15 minutes. Seniors Devon Paez (81^st, 15:13.6) and Victor Anchondo (89^th,15:16.8), junior Joaquin Chavez (105th, 15:28.0), sophomore Jacob Beckett, (140^th, 15:44.8) and junior Anthony Casillas (159^th, 15:52.3) all had personal best times. The team gap was 45 seconds. Newbury Park, the No. 1 high school team in the country, won the event with 25 points. Fellow Texans, Southlake Carroll finished one spot ahead of Eastwood in fourth by 11 points. The Troopers will race at the Desert Twilight, the Nike Pre-Southwest Regional meet, in Queen Creek Arizona on Friday night.

2. Americas: The Trailblazers did not race on Saturday in preparation of Saturday’s Lubbock Invitational.  

3. Franklin: The Cougars did not race on Saturday. Franklin will compete at the Organ Invitational in Las Cruces on Saturday. 

4. Cathedral:  The Irish did not race on Saturday. The team will travel to Queen Creek (Ariz.) to compete at Desert Twilight, the Nike Pre-Southwest Regional meet on Friday.

5. Coronado: The T-Birds make a move up the poll, improving three spots after finishing second at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club with 84 points. Junior Luis Pastor finished second in 16:25.81. Junior Sam Flores was 12^th in 17:52.18. Coronado will compete at the Organ Invitational in Las Cruces on Saturday. 

6. San Elizario: The Eagles were third at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club, scoring 89 points. Junior Chris Moreno was fifth in 17:13.24 was the only San Elizario runner in the top 10. Senior Irvin Vazquez was 11^th in 17:48.36. The Eagles will race at the Desert Twilight in Queen Creek Arizona on Friday night.

7. Pebble Hills: The Spartans were fourth at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club with 142 points. Junior Omer Ibrahim picked up his third individual title of the season clocking a 16:02.10. Pebble Hills will compete at the Lubbock Invitational on Saturday. 

8. Riverside: The Rangers move up one after placing fifth at the District Preview with 161 points. Senior Andrew Valdiviezo was seventh in 17:38.27 and senior Jayden Bustillos was 12^th in 17:52.84. The Rangers will compete at Desert Twilight on Friday.

9. Hanks: With its sixth-place finish at the District Preview, the Knights move up one spot. Once again, Hanks had two runners – junior Alejandro Tarin (third, 16:51.35) and senior Gael Alvarado (sixth, 17:17.19) – finish in the top 10. The team will race the Lubbock Invitational on Saturday. 

10. Burges: The Mustangs finally ran a full team at the District Preview at Vista Hills Country Club and finished seventh. Burges had three runners finish in the top 20 – senior David Herrera (16^th, 18:03.02), senior Julian Maldonado (17^th, 18:06.83) and junior Matthew Guerra (19^th, 18:07.73). Burges will travel to Lubbock for the Lubbock Invitational on Saturday.

Dropped out: Eastlake.

On the brink: El Paso High, Chapin.

Top times (3 mile or 5K)

1, Andres Gurrola, Eastwood, 14.43.8 (Woodbridge, 9/18).

2, Isaac Mendoza, Eastwood, 14.49.7 (Woodbridge, 9/18).

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

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

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

6, Devon Paez, Eastwood, 15:13.6 (Woodbridge, 9/18).

7, Victor Anchondo, Eastwood, 15:16.8 (Woodbridge, 9/18)

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

9, Joaquin Chavez, Eastwood, 15:28.0 (Woodbridge, 9/18).

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

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

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

13, Jacob Becket, Eastwood, 15:44.8 (Woodbridge, 9/18).

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

15, Anthony Casillas, Eastwood, 15:52.3 (Woodbridge, 9/18).

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

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

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

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

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

21, Isaac Romero, Franklin, 16:22.86 (Southlake, 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, Luis Pastor, Coronado, 44 (1).

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

3, Chris Moreno, San Elizario, 37 (1).

4, Omer Ibrahim, Pebble Hills, 35 (3).

4, Alejandro Tarin, Hanks, 35.

6, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 27.

7, Isaac Mendoza, Eastwood, 22.

8, Andres Gurrola, Eastwood, 21.

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

9, Gael Alvarado, Hanks, 20.

9, Andrew Valdiviezo, Riverside, 20.

Aaron Saenz, Americas, 19.

Israel David, Eastlake, 18.

Austen Percifull, Franklin, 13.

Angel Torres, Tornillo, 13.

Jayden Bustillos, Riverside, 12.

Devon Paez, Eastwood, 11.

Daniel Romero, Tornillo, 11.

Seth Truax, Chapin, 11.

Omar Rivera, Canutillo, 9.

Israel Quintana, Immanuel, 8.

David Ramirez, El Paso High, 8.

Preston Arnett, Cathedral, 8.

Irvin Vazquez, San Elizario, 8.

Joaquin Chavez, Eastwood, 7.

Frank Lozano, Franklin, 7.

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.

Heiden Pereda, Eastwood, 2.

Matthew Marshall, Eastwood, 1.

Isaac Romero, Franklin, 1.

Jesse Morales, Americas, 1.

Mauricio Cuartes, Eastwood, 1.