High School Boy’s Cross Country Poll: Week 4

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 boys race times and the meets and dates that they occurred.

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

This week’s schedule

Bel Air Invitational: 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8 at Blackie Chesher Park. Bel Air, Chapin, Austin, Burges, Bowie, Jefferson, Del Valle, Americas, Pebble Hills, VVECHS, YWLA, Harmony, Hanks, Mt View, El Dorado, Horizon, Cathedral, Montwood, Coronado, Irvin.

San Elizario/Tornillo Invitational: 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 at Tornillo High School. El Paso, Eastwood, Parkland, Ysleta, San Eli, Tornillo, Santa Teresa, Chaparral, Eastlake, Fabens, Loretto, Clint, Anthony, Gadsden.

This week’s boys action is Blackie Chesher Park – AGAIN – for the Bel Air Invitational and at Tornillo for the San Elizario/Tornillo Invitational.

Top 10

1. Franklin: Franklin placed three runners in the top five and five in the top 10 to win the Clint/Riverside Invitational at Clint High School. Senior Matthew Engle won his second race of the season in 15:43.62. Senior Sebastian Gonzalez was third (15:54.87), senior Adan Castillo was fifth (15:58.99), senior Juan Leal was sixth (16:01.24), senior Carlos Mendez was seventh (16:05.08) and senior Gabriel Uranga was tenth (16:35.37). The team will not race this weekend.

2. Eastwood: The Troopers did not race last week. They are schedule to race at the San Elizario/Tornillo Invitational on Saturday.

3. El Paso High: The Tigers won the Americas Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park with 35 points. Junior Miles Westbrook won his second individual title, finishing in 16:32.15. Other top 10 runners were senior Leo Valenzuela (third, 16:52.60), junior Ulysses O’Rourke (seventh, 17:37.79) and senior Aydan Lugo (ninth, 17:45.03). The Tigers are scheduled to race at the Bel Air Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park.

4. San Elizario: The Eagles finished second at the Clint/Riverside Invitational with 73 points. San Elizario had two runners in the top 10 – senior Julian Guerra (fourth, 15:58.34) and senior Angel Maese (eighth, 16:12.46). The team is schedule to race at the San Elizario/Tornillo Invitational at Tornillo on Saturday.

5. Coronado: The T-Birds finished third at the Clint/Riverside Invitational. Senior Edgar Valles was second in 15:54.34 and junior Max Sandhu was ninth in 16:23.52. The team will race at the Bel Air Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park on Friday morning.

6. Pebble Hills: The Spartans finished second at the Americas Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park with 73 points. Senior Mark Barajas was second in 16:41.361.The team will race at the Bel Air Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park on Friday.

7. Burges: The Mustangs finished third at the Americas Invitational with 93 points and move up two spots. Junior Jesus Gastelum-Bustamante was fourth in 17:19.07 and junior Malin Arnoldussen was sixth in 17:24.52. Burges will race the Bel Air Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park on Friday.

8. Chapin: The Huskies drop a spot after finishing fifth at the Americas Invitational. Chapin, who is still without senior Seth Truax, had two runners in the top 10 – junior Braulio Torres (eighth, 17:38.755) and Sean Sanchez (tenth, 17:45.41). Only three runners are scheduled to race at the Bel Air Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park on Friday morning.

9. Eastlake: The Falcons finished fourth at the Americas Invitational. Its top runner was Sebastian Garces who was 13th in 18:03.83. They are schedule to race at the San Elizario/Tornillo Invitational on Saturday.

10. Del Valle: It appears no one wants the 10th spot. In consecutive weeks there is a new No. 10 team. The Conquistadores take the spot after finishing sixth at the Clint/Riverside Invitational. Its top runner was junior Damian Espinosa who was 14th in 16:59.87. They will race at the Bel Air Invitational Friday morning.

Dropped out: Bel Air.

On the brink: Socorro, Montwood.

The Eagles finished second at the Clint/Riverside Invitational last week.

Top times (3 mile or 5K)

1, Aidan Torres, Eastwood, 15:28.90 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

2, Matthew Engle, Franklin, 15:31.34 (Mary Frances Keisling Park, 8/19).

3, Miles Westbrook, El Paso, 15:34.11 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

4, Juan Leal, Franklin, 15:38.50 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

5, Sulliman Rodriguez, Eastwood, 15:39.73 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

6, Leo Espino, Eastwood, 15:44.38 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

7, Adan Castillo, Franklin, 15:52.10 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

8, Sebastian Gonzalez, Franklin, 15:54.87 (Clint High School, 9/2).

9, Julian Guerra, San Elizario, 15:58.34 (Clint High School, 9/2).

10, Edgar Valles, Coronado, 15:59.00 15:54.34 (Clint High School, 9/2).

11, Luke Cruz, Eastwood, 15:55.39 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

12, Carlos Mendez, Franklin, 16:00.64 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

13, Diego Romero, Americas, 16:05.7 (Cleveland Invitational, 8/26).

14, Mark Barajas, Pebble Hills, 16:09.0 (Cleveland Invitational, 8/26).

15, Angel Maese, San Elizario, 16:12.46 (Clint High School, 9/2).

16, Israel Quintana, Immanuel Christian, 16:15.78 (Mary Frances Keisling Park, 8/19).

17, Leo Valenzuela, El Paso, 16:15.98 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

18, Humberto Serna, Coronado, 16:16.93 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

19, Max Sandhu, Coronado, 16:23.52 (Clint High School, 9/2)

20, Seth Truax, Chapin, 16:27.53 (Mary Frances Keisling Park, 8/19).

21, Eric Gonzalez, Eastwood, 16:30.89  (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

22, Gabriel Uranga, Franklin, 16:33.62 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

23, Sebastian Mendez, Franklin, 16:35.41 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

24, Braulio Torres, Chapin, 16:37.93 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

25, Rodrigo Pinales, Coronado, 16:38.34 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).

Del Valle checks in at No. 10 this week on the strength of junior Damian Espinosa who was 14th in 16:59.87 at the Bel Air Invitational.

Power Rankings

1, Miles Westbrook, El Paso, 38 (2).

2, Matthew Engle, Franklin, 37 (2).

3, Juan Leal, Franklin, 25.

4, Adan Castillo, Franklin, 23.

5, Diego Romero, Americas, 22 (1).

5, Sebastian Gonzalez, Franklin, 22.

7, Leo Valenzuela, El Paso, 21.

8, Aidan Torres, Eastwood, 20 (2).

9, Edgar Valles, Coronado, 17.

10, Mark Barajas, Pebble Hills, 14.

Sulliman Rodriguez, Eastwood, 13.

Humberto Serna, Coronado, 13 (1).

Israel Quintana, Immanuel, 12.

Ulysses O’Rourke, El Paso, 12.

Carlos Mendez, Franklin, 12.

Seth Truax, Chapin, 11.

Max Sandhu, Coronado, 11.

Rodrigo Pinales, Coronado, 8.

Luke Cruz, Eastwood, 8.

Eirik Arredondo, Austin, 8.

Evan Romero, Canutillo, 8.

Leonardo Resendez, Bel Air, 7.

Lorenzo Shields, El Paso, 7.

Gastelum-Bustamante, Burges, 7.

Malin Arnoldussen, Burges, 7.

Julian Guerra, San Elizario, 7.

Bradley Jacobo, Montwood, 6.

Esteban Armendariz, Burges, 6.

Leo Espino, Eastwood, 6.

Jeremiah Loustaunau, Austin, 6.

Christian Hurtado, Americas, 6.

Hernnan Duarte, Bel Air, 5.

Jesse Ortiz, Fabens, 5.

Justin Ontiveros, El Paso, 4.

Gabriel Uranga, Franklin, 4.

Jorge Soto, Pebble Hills, 3.

Yael Lira, Bel Air, 3.

Damian Espinosa, Del Valle, 3.

Braulio Torres, Chapin, 3.

Sebastian Mendez, Franklin, 3.

Pedro Jimenez, Austin, 3.

Angel Maese, San Elizario,  3.

Jayden (Seth) Vargas, Montwood, 2.

Benjamin Lerma, Canutillo, 2

Ivan Martinez, Socorro, 1.

Abraham Martinez, Horizon, 1.

Jacob Martinez, Franklin, 1.

Aydan Lugo, El Paso, 2.

Sean Sanchez, Chapin, 1.

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Author: Victor R. Martinez

My love of running began with my son Deric. His passion and talent for distance running opened my eyes to a sport I never imaged I would embrace with such enthusiasm. As a journalist at the El Paso Times, I was the lead writer for cross country and track for several years and I was able to tell the stories of these amazing unsung athletes. Never a runner myself, I decided to change that when I turned 50 in 2016 when I trained for my first 5K. I've been running ever since and I love every minute of it - well - sort of.

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