On this blog you will find weekly profiles on runners of all levels and ages, top 10 high school cross country boys and girls teams along with the top 25 times. You will be able to find schedules and results for high school cross country and track, the USA Track & Field Border Association meets and the many road races in El Paso.
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.
The El Paso High boys are lead by sophomore Miles Westbrook along with junior Leo Valenzuela and sophomore Ulysses O’Rourke.
The El Paso High Tigers boys cross country team have quietly been building.
Almost every day during the summer, they would run, pacing themselves for the start of what could be a special next two years.
“Everyone actually started to try more and got at least two minutes faster,” said Miles Westbrook, who has won two individual titles this season, including the Class 5A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course. “We’re a really young team, we’re a bunch of freshman and sophomores who hopefully can run together through state next year.”
Westbrook, a sophomore, leads El Paso High along with fellow sophomores Ulysses O’Rourke and Lorenzo Shields. Juniors Aydan Lugo and Leo Valenzuela make up the core of the team.
“Track season helped a lot,” Westbrook said. “We developed a lot of speed from running track. After COVID, a lot of us hadn’t run in a while. Track season helped us build back that speed and then over the summer we built up our aerobic capacity and we were able to mix it together to be able to run fast during cross country.”
Westbrook is happy with his personal growth.
“I dropped 2 minutes off my 5K time but I’m also getting ready for track, hoping to go 4:35 or somewhere near that in the mile,” he said.
But he is more interested in helping the Tigers get to state.
“We’re building up for next year and the year after that,” he said. “A lot of us are young and we’re still growing and getting stronger. We going to be super good next year and our senior year when everyone is older and as fast as we can be.”
As for this season, he is hoping for a strong regional performance and, if not as a team, send two or three runners to state.
“Ulysses and Leo have had a strong season,” he said. “We’ve been running together every day, making sure we stay together.”
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.
Desert Twilight Invitational: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 at the Coyote Run Golf Course, Mesa, Arizona. Franklin, Del Valle, Socorro, Tornillo, San Eli, Eastwood.
Coronado Invitational: 8 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 1. at Don Haskins Park. Coronado, Irvin, Andress, Chapin, Socorro, El Dorado, Anthony, Ysleta boys, Cathedral, Loretto, Bowie.
Clint/Fabens Invitational: 8 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 1 at Fabens High School. Clint, Fabens, Radford, Montwood, Ysleta girls, YWLA, Ft. Hancock, Riverside, Hanks, Chapin, El Paso High.
Nike South: 7 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 1 at The Woodlands. Del Valle, Pebble Hills, Montwood, Americas, Eastlake.
San Elizario runners Chris Moreno and Julian Guerra set season best times at Old Settler’s Park.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars won the Class 6A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course with 29 points, placing six runners in the top 10. Matthew Engle paced Franklin, finishing second in 16:27.96 followed by Denovan Estrada (third, 16:37.82), Sebastian Gonzalez (seventh, 17:16.63), Ethan Fontaine (eighth, 17:17.04), Diego Flores (ninth, 17:17.10) and Oscar Guzman (tenth, 17:22.66). The team will travel to Mesa, Arizona to compete in the Desert Twilight Invitational.
2. Eastwood: The Troopers did not race this weekend. The team will compete at the Desert Twilight Invitational in Mesa, Arizona on Friday night.
3. Coronado: The T-Birds finished second at the Class 6A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course five points behind Franklin. Coronado had three runners in the top 10 including Luis Pastor who won his fourth race of the season. He finished in 16:03.09. Edgar Valles was fourth in 16:50.92 and Carlos Mendez was sixth in 17:08.56. The team will race at its own invitational on Saturday at Don Haskins Park.
4. Pebble Hills: The Spartans did not run its varsity on Saturday. The team will race at Nike South in The Woodlands on Saturday morning.
5. San Elizario: The Eagles raced two of its boys in the Silver Division of the McNeil Invitational in Round Rock. Chris Moreno won the event in a season best 15:22.10. Julian Guerra also had a season best, finishing tenth in 15:52.10. The race was at the state course at Old Settlers Park. The team will compete at the Desert Twilight Invitational in Mesa, Arizona on Friday night.
6. El Paso High: The Tigers easily won the Class 5A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course with 21 points. El Paso High had all five scoring runners finish in the top 7. Miles Westbrook won the 2.7 mile race in 15:14.29 followed by Leo Valenzuela (second, 15:22.91), Ulysses O’Rourke (fifth, 15:58.53), Aydan Lugo (sixth, 16:00.09) and Lorenzo Shields (seventh, 16:43.35).
7. Tornillo: Tornillo won the Riverside/Clint ISD Course Preview at Horizon Golf Course with 79 points. Angel Torres picked up the individual title in 16:25.30 and Daniel Romero was second in 17:14.55.
8. Americas: The Trailblazers finished third in Class 6A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course. Its top runner was Diego Romero who finished fifth in 17:04.65. The team is scheduled to race at Nike South in The Woodlands on Saturday morning.
9. Chapin: The Huskies finished second at the Class 5A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course. Two runners finished in the top 8 – Braulio Torres was fourth in 15:54.72 and Sean Sanchez was eighth in 16:51.50.
10. Bel Air: The Highlanders were second at the Riverside/Clint ISD Course Preview at Horizon Golf Course. William Potter was ninth in 18:24.71 and Leonardo Resendez was tenth in 18:44.33.
Dropped out: None.
On the brink: Hanks, Parkland, Montwood.
The season is heading into its final stretch. Championship season begins Oct. 14.
Top times (3 mile or 5K)
1, Anthony Casillas, Eastwood, 15:09.9 (Woodbridge, 9/16).
2, Chris Moreno, San Elizario, 15:22.10 (Old Settlers Park, 9/24).
3, Alexander Flores, Eastwood, 15:23.7 (Woodbridge, 9/16).
4, Diego Flores, Franklin, 15:26.04 (Southlake Carroll, 8/27).
Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top girls 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.
Riverside’s Camila Luna won the Class 4A division of the District Preview.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars dominated the Class 6A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course, placing seven runners in the top nine to score 22 points. FreshmanAbigail Pinon lead the way finishing second in 20:22.76 followed by Victoria Hoyt (third, 20:24.91), Emily Orr (fourth, 20:37.58), Sofia Camacho (sixth, 20:50.38), Sophia Keiser (seventh, 21:04.77), Abby Barraza (eighth, 21:09.72) and Alyssa Laspada (ninth, 21:13.79). The team will travel to Mesa, Arizona to compete in the Desert Twilight Invitational.
2. Eastwood: The Troopers did race this weekend. The team will compete at the Desert Twilight Invitational in Mesa, Arizona on Friday night.
3. Pebble Hills: The Spartans did not run its varsity on Saturday. The team will race at Nike South in The Woodlands on Saturday morning.
4. Montwood: The Rams move up one after an impressive second place finish at the Class 6A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course. Montwood seniorKassandra Jimenez won the event in 20:22.05 and freshman Mia Hairston was fifth in 20:46.20. The team will race at Nike South in The Woodlands on Saturday morning.
5. Eastlake: The Falcons were without a few of its top runners including junior Itzel Chavez at the Class 6A District Preview at Horizon Golf Course. Its top finisher was Natalie Martinez who finished 11th in 21:58.33. The team will travel to Mesa, Arizona to compete in the Desert Twilight Invitational.
6. El Paso High: The Tigers finished second at the Class 5A Preview at Horizon Golf Course. It must be noted that its top runners, junior Andrea Castillo and senior Jezarae Valenzuela and other runners, took a wrong turn on the course. Freshman Calista Sakellakos was seventh in 24:33.59, Marfil Sandino was eighth in 24:46.55 and Aleah Ortiz was ninth in 24:56.50.
7. Canutillo: The Eagles won the Riverside/Clint ISD Course Preview on Friday with 31 points. Natalie Rivera won her second individual championship finishing in 20:37.97. Nevaeh Escobedo was fifth in 22:34.52 and Jennifer Najar was sixth in 23:01.55.
8. Coronado: The T-Birds’ rested many of its top runners and finished fourth in the Class 6A Preview. Kyra Walker was the top runner for Coronado, finishing 16th in 23:09.50. The team will race at its own invitational on Saturday at Don Haskins Park.
9. Americas: The Trailblazers moved up a spot after its third-place finish in the Class 6A Preview at Horizon Golf Course. Sophomore Lexee Salas was tenth in 21:45.99 and classmate Laila Morales was 12th in 22:24.63. The team is scheduled to race at Nike South in The Woodlands on Saturday morning.
10. Hanks: The Knights were second at the Riverside/Clint ISD Course Preview. Sophomore Elizabeth Aguirre was third in 22:01.93) and junior Destinee Loeza was fourth in 22:12.51). The team will race at the Desert Twilight Invitational in Mesa, Arizona on Friday night.
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.
Clint ISD Course Preview: 8 a.m., Friday, Sept. 23 at Horizon Golf Course. Riverside, Bel Air, Ysleta, Del Valle, YWLA, Parkland, Hanks, San Elizario, Clint, Horizon, Mt. View, Anthony, Valle Verde, Fabens, Loretto, Radford, Canutillo, Tornillo.
EPISD/SISD Preview: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 24 at Horizon Golf Course. Coronado, Irvin, Austin, Franklin, Burges, El Paso, Chapin, Bowie, Andress, Jefferson, Pebble Hills, Eastlake, Montwood, Socorro, Americas, El Dorado.
Coronado juniors Edgar Valles and Preston Eastman finished one-two at the El Paso High Invitational.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars varsity did not race last week but its open team placed four runners in the top 9 to win the Cathedral Invitational at Veterans Park. Senior Oscar Guzman was second in 16:56.85, sophomore Ethan Fontaine was fifth in 17:16.48, senior Austen Percifull was eighth in 17:50.00 and junior Gabriel Uranga was ninth in 17:50.72. The team will race at the EPISD/SISD Preview Saturday at Horizon Golf Course.
2. Eastwood: The Troopers finished 24th in the Sweepstakes Division of the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Irvine, Calif. Its top runner was Anthony Casillas who had a personal record of 15:09.9, the new top time in the city. The Sweepstakes Division is considered to the second toughest race in the country, behind NXN.
3. Coronado: The T-Birds finished second at the El Paso High Invitational atMary Frances Keisling Park without its top runner Luis Pastor. Coronado had four runners in the top 8 including individual winner junior Edgar Valles (16:10.41). Junior Preston Eastman was second in 16:35.47, sophomore Max Sandhu was sixth in 17:23.85 and senior Sam Breceda was eighth in 17:54.35. The team will race at the EPISD/SISD Preview Saturday at Horizon Golf Course.
4. Pebble Hills: The Spartans finished fourth in the Class 6A division of the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park. Senior Omer Ibrahim was sixth in 16:40.4 and senior Noah Castorena was 16th in 17:38.0. Pebble Hills will race at the EPISD/SISD Preview Saturday at Horizon Golf Course.
5. San Elizario: They did not race last week. They will race Friday morning at the Clint Course Preview at Horizon Golf Course.
6. El Paso High: The Tigers won their own invitational atMary Frances Keisling Park with 28 points. El Paso had five runners in the top nine including sophomore Miles Westbrook (third, 17:08.75), junior Leo Valenzuela (fourth, 17:13.81), sophomore Ulysses O’Rourke (fifth, 17:22.87), junior Aydan Lugo (seventh, 17:32.34) and sophomore Lorenzo Shields (ninth, 18:03.08). The team will race at the EPISD/SISD Preview Saturday at Horizon Golf Course.
7. Tornillo: Tornillo finished second in the Class 3A division of the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park. Junior Daniel Romero was second in 16:18.6 and senior Angel Torres was fourth in 17:05.2. They will race Friday morning at the Clint Course Preview at Horizon Golf Course.
8. Americas: The Trailblazers move up one after finishing sixth in the Class 6A division of the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park. Its top runner was sophomore Diego Romero who was 19th in 17:44.8. The team will race at the EPISD/SISD Preview Saturday at Horizon Golf Course.
9. Chapin: The Huskies move down one after placing seventh in the Class 5A division of the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park. Its top runner was junior Seth Truax who was 14th in 17:26.7. Chapin will race at the EPISD/SISD Preview Saturday at Horizon Golf Course.
10. Bel Air: The Highlanders did not run a full team at the Cathedral Invitational, but junior Leonardo Resendez was fourth in 17:15.74. They will race Friday morning at the Clint Course Preview at Horizon Golf Course.
Dropped out: None.
On the brink: Hanks, Parkland, Montwood.
Eastwood’s Anthony Casillas.
Top times (3 mile or 5K)
1, Anthony Casillas, Eastwood, 15:09.9 (Woodbridge, 9/16).
2, Alexander Flores, Eastwood, 15:23.7 (Woodbridge, 9/16).
3, Diego Flores, Franklin, 15:26.04 (Southlake Carroll, 8/27).
Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top girls 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.
Clint ISD Course Preview: 8 a.m., Friday, Sept. 23 at Horizon Golf Course. Riverside, Bel Air, Ysleta, Del Valle, YWLA, Parkland, Hanks, San Elizario, Clint, Horizon, Mt. View, Anthony, Valle Verde, Fabens, Loretto, Radford, Canutillo, Tornillo.
EPISD/SISD Preview: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 24 at Horizon Golf Course. Coronado, Irvin, Austin, Franklin, Burges, El Paso, Chapin, Bowie, Andress, Jefferson, Pebble Hills, Eastlake, Montwood, Socorro, Americas, El Dorado.
Eastwood raced at the ultra-fast Woodbridge Classic. Six of the seven runners achieved personal best.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The open team placed eight runners in the top 10 and swept the Loretto/Cathedral Open Saturday at Veterans Park. Finishing one through six were sophomore Sienna Zarate (21:28.84), junior Brooke McCune (21:34.77), sophomore Tessa Gibbons (21:45.29), junior Hannah Martinez (21:51.16), junior Breckyn Wiebe (22:31.50) and senior Shani Malone (22:38.82). Sophomore Olivia Elder was eighth in 22:53.41 and senior Kayla Hicks was tenth in 23:04.54. The varsity will race at theEPISD/SISD Preview at Horizon Golf Course on Saturday.
2. Eastwood: Six Troopers set personal records in the rated division of the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Irvine, Calif., Friday night. The team finished 17th in the 34 team, 226 runner race. Sophomore Adelynn Rodriguez lead Eastwood, placing 40th in 18:04.4 on the 3-mile course. The 1-5 split was 1 minute and 7 seconds.
3. Pebble Hills: The Spartans placed fifth in the Class 6A division of the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park. SeniorNatalie Martinez Lopez was the only top 10 finisher, finishing ninth 20:41.8. Freshman Aubrey Arsenault had a top 20 race, finishing 19th in 21:33.6. The team is scheduled to race at the EPISD/SISD Preview at Horizon Golf Course on Saturday.
4. Eastlake: The finished eighth in the Class 6A division of the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park. Junior Itzel Chavez was the top Falcon runner, placing 24th in 21:54.2. The team is scheduled to race at the EPISD/SISD Preview at Horizon Golf Course on Saturday.
5. Montwood: The Rams did not race on Saturday. Montwood is scheduled to race at the EPISD/SISD Preview at Horizon Golf Course on Saturday.
6. El Paso High: The Tigers easily won its own invitational at Mary Frances Keisling Park with 17 points.El Paso High had five runners in the top six spots including the top three – junior Andrea Castillo (21:06.81), senior Jezarae Valenzuela (21:28.99) and junior Sofia Ramirez (21:49.86). Freshman Kylie Alvarez was fifth 22:04.20 and fellow 9th grader, Clarissa Castillo, was sixth in 22:21.76. The team will race at the EPISD/SISD Preview at Horizon Golf Course on Saturday.
7. Canutillo: The Eagles did not race its varsity last week. The team will race at the Clint ISD Course Preview Friday at 8 a.m. at Horizon Golf Course.
8. Coronado: The T-Birds’ finished second at the El Paso High Invitational atMary Frances Keisling Park. Coronado had two runners finish in the top 10 – junior Alexa Lawrence (fourth, 21:58.93) and senior Christina Duncan (ninth, 22:35.84). The team will race at the EPISD/SISD Preview at Horizon Golf Course on Saturday.
9. Hanks: The Knights were seventh in the Class 5A division of the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park. Hanks had two runners, sophomore Elizabeth Aguirre (ninth, 20:53.7) and junior Destinee Loeza (10th, 20:53.7), in the top 10. The team will race at the Clint ISD Course Preview Friday at 8 a.m. at Horizon Golf Course.
10. Americas: The finished ninth in the Class 6A division of the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park. Tornillo Invitational. Sophomore Laila Morales was the top runner, placing 36th in 22:49.9. The team is scheduled to race at the EPISD/SISD Preview at Horizon Golf Course on Saturday.
Dropped out: None.
On the brink: Socorro.
Eastlake junior Itzel Chavez leads the young Eastlake Falcons.
The Pebble Hills boys’ and girls’ cross country teams are having successful seasons.
The boys are ranked No. 4 and the girls are No. 3 in the El Paso Running Top 10.
Both squads are led by a pair of seniors – Natalia Martinez Lopez and Omer Ibrahim – who began to lay the foundation for success last fall.
Now, a year later, the boys and girls teams are realizing their potential.
“The teams are doing great,” Martinez Lopez said after posting a season best, 19:46.69 at Shawver Park on Sept. 10. “Both the guys and the girls have a great shot at regionals. We’ve been getting some great help from the freshman Audrey (Arsenault), she has really given us that step up that we needed.”
The Spartans have five runners with top 25 times including Natalie Franco (11,19:47.10), Martinez Lopez (12, 19:46.69), Arsenault (15h, 20:04.43), Carolina Zarrabal (19th, 20:28.43) and Sophia Santivanez (25th, 20:57.35).
“We all have progressed, especially Natalie, our junior, I’m really proud of her,” she said. “At practice, she is able to push me a lot more. We’ll continue to push each other throughout the season.”
Martinez Lopez was 10th at this weekend’sLubbock Invitational in the Class 6A Division and Arsenault was 19th.
Martinez Lopez said she is gaining confidence with every race.
“Last year I was really nervous,” she said. “Before every race, I had really bad anxiety. I doubted myself a lot. Track season really helped because it’s a shorter distance. Honestly, I prefer track over cross country. Track helped me learn how to cope with my nerves before a race. I’m still nervous, but not as nervous I was last year.”
Omer Ibrahim
Omer Ibrahim has been fighting nagging injuries in the early part of the cross country season.
First it was quad injury and then he strained his hip flexer.
“I still have knots but it’s getting better,” Ibrahim said after finishing second in 16:43.68 at the Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park. “I’m doing acupuncture and all sorts of new things so that’s helped.”
There was a possibility of Ibrahim missing the cross country season if he did not heal properly.
“If my injuries continued my dad (and coach Bashar Ibrahim), told me I would have to sit out cross country and focus on track so I had a lot at stake,” he said. “I’m feeling a lot better, honestly, all I care about is to keep on running.”
Ibrahim finished sixth at the Lubbock Invitational in the Class 6A Division in 16:40.4.
Senior teammate Noah Castorena was 16th in 17:38.0.
“I’m going try my best in the next six weeks to get back to full health and hopefully I can be back to where I should be and get ready for district, regionals and hopefully state.”
The Spartans have three runners in the city’s Top 25 times list – Ibrahim at No.6 (15:56.70) senior Castorena at 13th (16:28.95) and sophomore Ameen Ibrahim at 14th (16:33.63).
“I’m extremely proud of them, they have improved so much from where they were last year,” he said of his teammates. “They are pushing themselves more so when me and Noah leave, the younger ones can step up. It will be nice to come back and see them after I leave and see how well they can hold their own. I believe they’ll have a strong team for years to come.”
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.
Woodbridge Cross Country Classic: 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16 at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. Eastwood.
El Paso High Invitational: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 17 at Mary Frances Keisling Park. El Paso, Coronado, Socorro, Del Valle, VVECH, Riverside,
Loretto/Cathedral Open: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 17 at Veterans Park. Irvin, Franklin, Andress, Radford, El Dorado, San Eli, Ysleta, Bel Air, YWLA, Anthony, Eastwood, Santa Teresa, Gadsden, Chaparral, Bowie.
Lubbock Invitational: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 17 at Mae Simmons Park. Jefferson, Burges, Austin, Chapin, Pebble Hills, Montwood, Americas, El Dorado, Hanks, Ft Hancock, Tornillo.
Most teams will be racing on the regional course in Lubbock on Saturday.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars did not race last week and will have its open team run at the Cathedral Invitational at Veterans Park on Saturday.
2. Eastwood: The Troopers varsity did not race last week the Tornillo Invitational. However, Aidan Danny Torres was sixth in 16:58.94 and Sulliman Rodriguez was tenth in 17:11.85. Eastwood’s open team was second with 69 points. The team will race at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Irvine, Calif., Friday night.
3. Coronado: The T-Birds won the Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park with 21 points. Coronado had four runners in the top eight including individual champion senior Luis Pastor (16:06.92). Junior Edgar Valles was third in 16:55.29, junior Preston Eastman was fourth in 17:02.71, sophomore Max Sandhu was seventh in 17:29.59 and Carlos Mendez was eighth in 17:31.06. The team will race at the El Paso High Invitational atMary Frances Keisling Park.
4. Pebble Hills: The Spartans did not run a full team at the Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park. Senior Omer Ibrahim was second in 16:43.68. Pebble Hills will race at the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
5. San Elizario: The Eagles finished third at the Tornillo Invitational with 88 points. San Elizario had two top 10 runners – senior Chris Moreno (third, 16:35.59) and junior Julian Guerra (fourth, time not recorded). San Eli’s fourth runner junior Angel Maese was injured and jogged the final mile. The team will race at the Cathedral Invitational at Veterans Park on Saturday.
6. El Paso High: The Tigers won the Tornillo Invitational with 65 points. El Paso placed two runners – sophomores Miles Westbrook (fifth, 16:42.38) and Ulysses O’Rourke (tenth, 17:10.09) – in the top 10. The team will race at its own invitational at El Paso atMary Frances Keisling Park.
7. Tornillo: Tornillo finished fifth at its own meet despite its top two runners taking first and second place. Junior Daniel Romero (first, 15:39.55) and senior Angel Torres (second, 16:12.82) each set season-best marks. The Coyotes were missing one of its top 5 runners. The team will race at the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
8. Chapin: The Huskies did not run a complete varsity team Tornillo Friday night. Chapin had two runners in the top 5 – sophomore Braulio Torres was sixth in 16:53.43. Chapin will race at the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
9. Americas: The Trailblazers finished fourth at the Tornillo Invitational. Its top runner was senior Jacob Martinez (17th, 17:26.84). Americas will race at the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
10. Bel Air: The Highlanders make its season debut in the top 10 after its third-place finish at the Ysleta Invitational. Bel Air has gradually improved as the season has progressed. Its top runner Saturday was Leonardo Resendez who finished tenth in 17:45.13.
Dropped out: Cathedral.
On the brink: Parkland, Montwood.
Tornillo senior Angel Torres ran a season best 16:12.82 last week.
Top times (3 mile or 5K)
1, Diego Flores, Franklin, 15:26.04 (Southlake Carroll, 8/27).
Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top girls 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.
Woodbridge Cross Country Classic: 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16 at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. Eastwood.
El Paso High Invitational: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 17 at Mary Frances Keisling Park. El Paso, Coronado, Socorro, Del Valle, VVECH, Riverside.
Loretto/Cathedral Open: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 17 at Veterans Park. Irvin, Franklin, Andress, Radford, El Dorado, San Eli, Ysleta, Bel Air, YWLA, Anthony, Eastwood, Santa Teresa, Gadsden, Chaparral, Bowie.
Lubbock Invitational: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 17 at Mae Simmons Park. Jefferson, Burges, Austin, Chapin, Pebble Hills, Eastlake, Montwood, Americas, El Dorado, Hanks, Ft. Hancock, Tornillo.
Most of the teams will be headed to the Lubbock Invitational on Saturday.
Top 10
1. Franklin:The Cougars did not race last week. The open team will race at the Loretto/Cathedral Open Saturday at Veterans Park.
2. Eastwood: The Troopers varsity did not race last week. Senior Nahlur Gurrola finished ninth at the Tornillo Invitational in 21:33.37. The open team placed fourth. The team will race at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Irvine, Calif., Friday night.
3. Pebble Hills: The Spartans did not race all its varsity runners at the Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park. Senior Natalie Martinez Lopez won the event in a season best 19:46.69. The team will race at the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
4. Eastlake: The Falcons did not race all of its varsity runners at the Ysleta Invitational. However, junior Natalie Martinez was fifth in 21:54.55. The team will race at the Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
5. Montwood: The Rams placed three runners in the top five to win the Tornillo Invitational with 42 points. Senior Kassandra Jimenez picked up her third straight individual championship winning in19:13.61. Freshman MiaHairston earned a personal best 20:40.10 and finished third while senior Jazmine Miranda was fifth in 21:05.36. Montwood will race at Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
6. El Paso High: The Tigers finished second at the Tornillo Invitational with 48 points. El Paso High had three runners in the top 10. Junior Andrea Castillo was fourth in 20:47.37, senior Jezarae Valenzuela was eighth in 21:32.71 and freshman Clarissa Castillo was tenth in 21:53.66. The team will race at its own invitational atMary Frances Keisling Park.
7. Canutillo: The Eagles did not race its full varsity team but still managed a second-place finish at the Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park. The team placed three runners in the top six – senior Natalie Rivera (second, 20:52.23), freshman Nevaeh Escobedo (fourth, 21:52.16) and Jennifer Najar (sixth, 22:16.72).
8. Coronado: The T-Birds’ inconsistency makes them difficult to figure out. After a few disappointing weeks, Coronado is back in the top 10 after winning the Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park placing two runners in the top 10 – junior Alexa Lawrence (ninth, 22:30.08) and senior Christina Duncan (tenth, 22:35.46). The team will race at the El Paso High Invitational atMary Frances Keisling Park.
9. Hanks: The Knights placed third at the Ysleta Invitational atShawver Park, five points behind Canutillo. Hanks had two runners in the top seven – Elizabeth Aguirre (third, 21:43.29) and Destinee Loeza (seventh, Hanks, 22:27.94). The team will race at Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
10. Americas: The Trailblazers finished third at the Tornillo Invitational. Its top runners were sophomores Laila Morales (11th,21:54.28) and Gisele Abascal (13th, 22:00.10). The team will race at Lubbock Invitational at Mae Simmons Park on Saturday.
Dropped out: Chapin.
On the brink: Socorro.
The Coronado girls are back in the Top 10 after winning the Ysleta Invitational.
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.
Tornillo Invitational: 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 9 at Tornillo High School. Tornillo, Franklin, Burges, El Paso, Chapin, Eastlake, Americas, San Eli, Tornillo, Ft. Hancock, Eastwood, Chaparral, Santa Teresa.
Ysleta Invitational: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 10 at Shawver Park. Coronado, Austin, Jefferson, Pebble Hills, Eastlake, Socorro, Ysleta, Bel Air, Radford, YWLA, Anthony, Hanks, VVECH, Del Valle, Riverside, Cathedral, Santa Teresa, Bowie.
Franklin is ranked No. 6 in the Class 6A by the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars move up to the top spot placing four runners in the top eight to win the Trooper Twilight Invitational at the Eastside Sports Complex. Senior Diego Flores was third in 16:24.05, junior Matthew Engle was fourth, (16:33.91), senior Denovan Estrada was seventh (16:41.21) and junior Juan Leal was eighth (16:47.00). The team is ranked No. 6 in Class 6A by the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas. The team will not race this weekend.
2. Eastwood: The Troopers finished second at its own invitational. Junior Alexander Flores was the low-point man finishing sixth in 16:40.30. Junior Leo Espino was 11th in 16:55.90. Eastwood’s team average was 17:00.74. Eastwood is ranked No. 8 in Class 6A by the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas. The team will not race this weekend.
3. Coronado: The T-Birds finished third at the Trooper Twilight Invitational. Senior Luis Pastor won the individual title in 15:56.36. Junior Edgar Valles was 12th in 16:57.51. The team’s average was 17:02.61. Coronado will race at the Ysleta Invitational Saturday at Shawver Park.
4. Pebble Hills: The Spartans won its own invitational at Blackie Chesher Park with 25 points. Senior Omer Ibrahim won the event in 15:56.70. Three other runners finished in the top 10 – senior Noah Castorena (third, 16:28.950, sophomore Ameen Ibrahim (fourth, 16:33.63) and junior Robert Dickerson (tenth, 17:18.06). The team average was 16:44.23. The Spartans will race at the Ysleta Invitational Saturday at Shawver Park.
5. San Elizario: The Eagles finished fourth at the Trooper Twilight with a team average of 17:53.85. San Elizario had two top 10 runners – senior Chris Moreno (fifth, 16:34.80) and junior Julian Guerra (tenth, 16:54.40). San Elizario is ranked No. 2 in Class 4A by the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas. The team will race at Tornillo Invitational on Friday night.
6. El Paso High: The Tigers were fourth at the Trooper Twilight with an average score of 18:10.04. Its top runner was sophomore Miles Westbrook (18th, 17:20.37). El Paso will race at Tornillo Invitational on Friday night.
7. Tornillo: Tornillo moves up one after its sixth-place finish at the Trooper Twilight. The Coyotes had two runners in the top 9 – junior Daniel Romero (second, 16:20.50) and senior Angel Torres (ninth, 16:51.54). Tornillo cracked the Class 3A Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas poll, ranked No. 6. The team will race at its own invitational Friday night.
8. Chapin: The Huskies move up one after finishing second at the Pebble Hills Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park. Chapin had two runners in the top 5 – sophomore Braulio Torres was second in 16:23.31 and junior Seth Truax was fifth in 16:39.13. Chapin will race Friday night at Tornillo.
9. Americas: The Trailblazers move up one after finishing third at the Pebble Hills Invitational. Its top runner was sophomore Diego Romero (13th, 17:28.57). Americas will race at the Tornillo Invitational on Friday night.
10. Cathedral: The Irish drop three spots after not fielding a full team at the Trooper Twilight.
Dropped out: None.
On the brink: Parkland, Bel Air.
Eastwood’s Matthew Marshall and Anthony Casillas have two of the city’s fastest 25 times.
Top times (3 mile or 5K)
1, Diego Flores, Franklin, 15:26.04 (Southlake Carroll, 8/27).
Every Wednesday, El Paso Running will utilize a point system to highlight El Paso’s top girls 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.
Tornillo Invitational: 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 9 at Tornillo High School. Tornillo, Franklin, Burges, El Paso, Chapin, Eastlake, Americas, San Eli, Tornillo, Ft. Hancock, Eastwood, Chaparral, Santa Teresa.
Ysleta Invitational: 8 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 10 at Shawver Park. Coronado, Austin, Jefferson, Pebble Hills, Eastlake, Socorro, Ysleta, Bel Air, Radford, YWLA, Anthony, Hanks, VVECH, Del Valle, Riverside, Cathedral, Santa Teresa, Bowie.
Eastlake continues to improve each week.
Top 10
1. Franklin: The Cougars scored 18 points, placing six runners in the top seven at the Trooper Twilight Invitational at the Eastside Sports Complex. Freshman Abigail Pinon won her first varsity race in 19:56.78 followed by fellow freshman Emily Orr (20:02.96). Senior Alyssa Laspada was fourth in 20:12.14 followed by juniors Victoria Hoyt (20:25.80) Abby Barraza (21:02.61) and senior Sofia Camacho (21:06.88). The team will not race on Saturday.
2. Eastwood: The Troopers finished second at their own invitational at the Eastside Sports Complex with three runners in the top 10. Sophomore Adelynn Rodriguez was second in 20:04.84 and seniors Sophia Watts was eighth in 21:10.44 and Salma Lincon was tenth in 21:19.34. The team will not race this weekend.
3. Pebble Hills: The Spartans move up one after winning their own Invitational at the flat and extremely fast course at Blackie Chesher Park. Pebble Hills had four runners in the top 10 including junior Natalie Franco (third, 19:47.10), freshman Aubrey Arsenault (sixth, 20:04.43), senior Natalie Lopez Martinez (seventh, 20:06.08) and junior Carolina Zarrabal (ninth, 20:28.43). The team will race the Ysleta Invitational atShawver Park on Saturday.
4. Eastlake: The Falcons move up a spot after its second-place finish at the Pebble Hills Invitational at Blackie Chesher Park. Eastlake junior Itzel Chavez was the top runner finishing eighth in 20:18.87. Freshman Chloe Del Real finished 11th in 20:45.77. The team will race the Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park on Saturday.
5. Montwood: The Rams were without several of its top seven runners and managed to finish in fourth place at the Pebble Hills Invitational. Senior Kassandra Jimenez established a season city best 18:44.75 in winning her second straight individual title. The team will not race on Saturday.
6. El Paso High: The Tigers rested three of its top runners and finished fifth at the Trooper Twilight Invitational at the Eastside Sports Complex. Junior Andrea Castillo was ninth in 21:16.04. The Tigers will race at the Tornillo Invitational on Friday night.
7. Hanks: The Knights did not race this weekend. Hanks will return to action Saturday at the Ysleta Invitational at Shawver Park.
8. Canutillo: The Eagles did not race a full team at the Pebble Hills Invitational. Senior Natalie Rivera was second in 18:59.60 and freshman Nevaeh Escobedo was tenth in 20:35.04.
9. Americas: The Trailblazers are back in the top 10 after placing third at the Pebble Hills Invitational. Sophomores Lexee Salas (14th, 20:57.82), Laila Morales (15th, 21:22.62) and Gisele Abascal (18th, 21:38.94) had top 20 finishes. The team will race at the Tornillo Invitational on Friday night.
10. Chapin: The Huskies finished fifth at thePebble Hills Invitational. Two runners, sophomore Rebecca Duran (fourth, 19:58.44) and senior Gianny Correa (fifth, 20:01.61), had top five finishes. The Huskies will race at the Tornillo Invitational on Friday night.
Dropped out: Coronado.
On the brink: Socorro.
Freshman Abigail Pinon has lead the Cougars the past two weeks.
El Paso Running 