High School Boy’s XC Poll: Week 7

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

Clint/Fabens Invitational: 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at Clint High School.  Burges, El Paso, Austin, Bowie, El Dorado, Riverside, Del Valle, Parkland, YWLA, Clint, Fabens, Mt.View, Horizon, Santa Teresa, Tornillo, Loretto, San Elizario, Canutillo , Harmony, Cathedral.

Dale Reinhardt Invite: 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at Socorro’s Student Activities Complex.  Franklin, Coronado, Jefferson, Chapin, Socorro, Eastwood, Valle Verde, Ysleta, Hanks, Bel Air, Ft Hancock, Anthony.

Nike South: 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at The Woodlands. Eastlake, Pebble Hills, Americas, Montwood.

Las Cruces Invite: 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at Las Cruces High. Irvin.

Top 10

1. Eastwood: The Troopers finished second out of 27 teams and 231 runners in the “sweepstakes” division at the Desert Twilight, the Nike Pre-Southwest Regional meet, in Queen Creek Arizona. Top 50 runners were seniors Andres Gurrola (20^th, 15:32.20, Isaac Mendoza (27^th, 15:43.30) and Devon Paez (46^th, 16:03.40). The team’s 1-5 split was 41 seconds. U.S. No. 12 Niwot High, the defending Colorado state champion, won the event with 63 points. Eastwood finished ahead of U.S. No. 14 Desert Vista. The Eastwood JV will race at the Dale Reinhardt Inviteon Saturday.

2. Americas: The Trailblazers won the Class 6A division of the Lubbock Invitational with 58 points, one point ahead of McKinney Boyd. Four seniors – Jared Laverty (third, 16:06.5) and Carmelo Corral (fourth, 16:23.8), Aaron Saenz (10^th, 17:03.2) and Jesse Morales (11^th, 17:03.6) – finished in the top 11. Americas will compete at Nike South in The Woodlands on Saturday.

3. Franklin: The Cougars won the Rob Winter Classic at Organ Mountain High School in Las Cruces with 51 points, one point ahead of host Organ Mountain. Franklin landed three runners – junior Diego Flores (third, 16:16.48), junior Austen Percifull (eighth, 16:45.90) and sophomore Juan Leal (10^th, 16:47.31) – in the top 10. Sophomore Frank Lozano was 12^th in 16:48.08. The team will race at the Dale Reinhardt Inviteon Saturday.

4. Coronado: The T-Birds finished third at the Rob Winter Classic at Organ Mountain High School in Las Cruces and move up one spot. Junior Luis Pastor picked up his second individual championship finishing in 15:26.95 and junior Sam Flores was ninth in 16:46.76.  Sophomore Carlos Mendez was 14^th in 16:57.24. Coronado will compete at the Dale Reinhardt Inviteon Saturday. 

5. San Elizario: The Eagles were 21^st in the mega-competitive “sweepstakes” division at the Desert Twilight in Queen Creek Ariz. Junior Chris Moreno was 23^rd out of 231 runners, finishing in 15:36.90. The Eagles will race at the Clint/Fabens Invitational at Clint High School on Saturday.

6. Cathedral:  The Irish dropped two spots after finishing 26^th in the “sweepstakes” division at the Desert Twilight Invitational in Arizona. Its top runner was sophomore Preston Arnett who was 105^th in 16:34.80. Cathedral will try to get back on track at the Clint/Fabens Invitational at Clint High School on Saturday.

7. Pebble Hills: The Spartans were sixth in the Class 6A division of the Lubbock Invitational with 137 points. Junior Omer Ibrahim won his fourth individual title of the season finishing in 15:34.8. Junior Noah Castorena finished 16^th in 17:26.9.  Pebble Hills will hit the road again when they travel to Nike South in The Woodlands on Saturday.

8. Riverside: The Rangers had a team average of 17:13 in the “sweepstakes” division at the Desert Twilight Invitational. Senior Andrew Valdiviezo had a top 50 finish, placing 47^th out of 231 runners in 16:02.50. The Rangers will compete at the Clint/Fabens Invitational at Clint High School on Saturday.

9. Hanks: The Knights were fifth in the Class 5A division of the Lubbock Invitational with 149 points.  Juinor Alejandro Tarin was third in 16:27.2 and senior Gael Alvarado was fourth in 16:32.4. The team average was 17:54.5. Hanks will race at the Dale Reinhardt Inviteon Saturday.

10. Burges: The Mustangs were sixth in the Class 5A division of the Lubbock Invitational with 168 points. Senior Julian Maldonado had a top 10 finishing, placing ninth in 16:57.0. Burges will race at the Clint/Fabens Invitational at Clint High School on Saturday.

Dropped out: None.

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, Angel Torres, Tornillo, 15:58.00 (Mae Simmons, 9/25).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Power rankings
(number parenthesis indicate meets won):

1, Luis Pastor, Coronado, 54 (2).

2, Jared Laverty, Americas, 48 (4).

3, Omer Ibrahim, Pebble Hills, 45 (4).

4, Alejandro Tarin, Hanks, 43.

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

6, Carmelo Corral, Americas, 34.

7, Diego Flores, Franklin, 28 (1).

8, Gael Alvarado, Hanks, 27.

9, Angel Torres, Tornillo, 23 (1).

10, Isaac Mendoza, Eastwood, 22.

10, Andres Gurrola, Eastwood, 22.

Andrew Valdiviezo, Riverside, 20.

Aaron Saenz, Americas, 19.

Daniel Romero, Tornillo, 19.

Israel David, Eastlake, 18.

Austen Percifull, Franklin, 16.

Jayden Bustillos, Riverside, 12.

Devon Paez, Eastwood, 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.

Julian Maldonado, Burges, 7.

Frank Lozano, Franklin, 7.

Sam Breceda, Coronado, 6.

Denovan Estrada, Franklin, 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.

Sam Flores, Coronado, 2.

Matthew Marshall, Eastwood, 1.

Isaac Romero, Franklin, 1.

Jesse Morales, Americas, 1.

Mauricio Cuartes, Eastwood, 1.

Juan Leal, Franklin, 1.