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
42nd Woodbridge Cross Country Classic: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15 at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calf. Eastwood.
El Paso High Invitational: 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 at Mary Frances Keisling Park. El Paso, Clint, Coronado, Montwood, Fabens, Del Valle, Canutillo, Mt View, Coronado, YWLA.
Loretto / Cathedral Open: 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 at Veterans Park. Loretto, Cathedral, Hanks, Franklin, Jefferson, Americas, Bel Air, Clint, Harmony, San Eli, Chapin, Gadsden, Horizon, Anthony, Chaparral, Anthony, Santa Teresa, Irvin, Andress, Bowie.
Top 10
1. Franklin: Franklin is ranked No. 4 in the state’s Class 6A division this week. They will race at the Loretto/Cathedral Open at Veterans Park on Saturday..
2. Eastwood: The Troopers are ranked No 10 in the state in Class 6A. They placed six runners in the top 10 and four in the top 5 to win the San Elizario/Tornillo Invitational at Tornillo. Junior Aidan Torres remains unbeaten this season, winning in 16:14.68. Senior Sulliman Rodriguez was second (16:30.16) followed by junior Luke Cruz (third, 16:39.51), senior Leo Espino (fourth, 16:49.66), senior Eric Gonzalez (seventh, 17:08.93) and sophomore Jonah Herd (eighth, 17:09.64). The team will travel to California to compete at the 42nd Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Irvine on Friday night.
3. El Paso High: The Tigers are ranked No. 10 in the state in Class 5A. The team won its second straight title, winning the Bel Air Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park with 45 points. Junior Miles Westbrook won his third individual title, finishing in 16:02.33. El Paso had two more runners in the top 10 – senior Leo Valenzuela (fourth, 16:17.06) and junior Ulysses O’Rourke (eighth, 16:51.62). The Tigers are scheduled to race at their own invitational at Mary Frances Keisling Park on Saturday.
4. San Elizario: The Eagles finished second at their own invitational with 48 points. San Elizario, which is ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 4A, had three runners in the top 10 – senior Julian Guerra (fifth, 17:00.96), senior Angel Maese (sixth, 17:03.84) and senior Gustavo Salazar (tenth, 17:17.69). They will race at the Loretto/Cathedral Open at Veterans Park on Saturday.
5. Coronado: The T-Birds finished second at the Bel Air Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park with 86 points. Coronado had three runners in the top 10 – senior Edgar Valles was third in 16:17.00, junior Max Sandhu was fifth (16:18.31) and sophomore Humberto Serna was seventh in 16:42.30. The T-Birds will race the El Paso High Invitational at Mary Frances Keisling Park on Saturday.
6. Pebble Hills: The Spartans rested their varsity at the Bel Air Invitational and will not race this weekend.
7. Burges: The Mustangs finished third at the Bel Air Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park with 133 points. Its top runner was junior Jesus Gastelum-Bustamante who finished sixth in 16:32.34. Burges will not race this weekend.
8. Chapin: The Huskies did not race last weekend. They will race at the Loretto/Cathedral Open at Veterans Park on Saturday
9. Eastlake: The Falcons finished third at the San Elizario/Tornillo Invitational. Its top runner was sophomore Daniel Flores who finished 16th in 18:18.76. They are schedule to race the Loretto/Cathedral Open at Veterans Park on Saturday.
10. Del Valle: Del Valle did not run its full varsity team at the Bel Air Invitational. Its top runner was junior Damian Espinosa who was ninth in 17:04.84. They will race at the El Paso High Invitational on Saturday.
Dropped out: None.
On the brink: Socorro, Montwood, Bel Air.
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, 16:04.94 (Blackie Chesher Park, 9/8).
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, 16:18.31 (Blackie Chesher Park, 9/8)
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, Jesus Gastelum-Bustamante, Burges, 16:32.34 (Blackie Chesher Park, 9/8).
23, Gabriel Uranga, Franklin, 16:33.62 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).
24, Sebastian Mendez, Franklin, 16:35.41 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).
25, Braulio Torres, Chapin, 16:37.93 (Eastside Sports Complex, 8/25).
Power Rankings
1, Miles Westbrook, El Paso, 48 (3).
2, Matthew Engle, Franklin, 37 (2).
3, Diego Romero, Americas, 31 (1).
4, Aidan Torres, Eastwood, 30 (3).
5, Leo Valenzuela, El Paso, 28.
6, Juan Leal, Franklin, 25.
6, Edgar Valles, Coronado, 25.
8, Adan Castillo, Franklin, 23.
9, Sebastian Gonzalez, Franklin, 22.
9, Sulliman Rodriguez, Eastwood, 22.
Max Sandhu, Coronado, 17.
Humberto Serna, Coronado, 17 (1).
Luke Cruz, Eastwood, 16.
Ulysses O’Rourke, El Paso, 15.
Mark Barajas, Pebble Hills, 14.
Leo Espino, Eastwood, 13.
Julian Guerra, San Elizario, 13.
Israel Quintana, Immanuel, 12.
Carlos Mendez, Franklin, 12.
Jesus Gastelum-Bustamante, Burges, 12.
Seth Truax, Chapin, 11.
Rodrigo Pinales, Coronado, 8.
Eirik Arredondo, Austin, 8.
Evan Romero, Canutillo, 8.
Angel Maese, San Elizario, 8.
Leonardo Resendez, Bel Air, 7.
Lorenzo Shields, El Paso, 7.
Malin Arnoldussen, Burges, 7.
Christian Hurtado, Americas, 7.
Bradley Jacobo, Montwood, 6.
Esteban Armendariz, Burges, 6.
Jeremiah Loustaunau, Austin, 6.
Hernnan Duarte, Bel Air, 5.
Damian Espinosa, Del Valle, 5.
Jesse Ortiz, Fabens, 5.
Justin Ontiveros, El Paso, 4.
Gabriel Uranga, Franklin, 4.
Eric Gonzalez, Eastwood, 4.
Jorge Soto, Pebble Hills, 3.
Yael Lira, Bel Air, 3.
Braulio Torres, Chapin, 3.
Sebastian Mendez, Franklin, 3.
Pedro Jimenez, Austin, 3.
Jonah Herd, Eastwood, 3.
Jayden (Seth) Vargas, Montwood, 2.
Benjamin Lerma, Canutillo, 2.
Daniel Romero, Tornillo, 2.
Aydan Lugo, El Paso, 2.
Ivan Martinez, Socorro, 1.
Abraham Martinez, Horizon, 1.
Jacob Martinez, Franklin, 1.
Sean Sanchez, Chapin, 1.
Gustavo Salazar, San Elizario, 1.
El Paso Running 