Underdogs to champs

The Carson High cross country team had been chasing down Bishop Manogue and Galena all season.

Coming into Friday’s Class 5A North regional cross country meet, the Senators knew they weren’t going to have the quickest runners on the course.

However, it was the team that put together solid performances across the board to win the Senators.

Now, the Carson High girls have a shot at a state title for the first time since the Senators won it back in 2011.

“Since we’re all underclassmen, it’s kind of a bigger deal,” said sophomore Eleanor Romeo.

Six of the top seven for Carson are freshmen or sophomores adding to the accomplishment of a regional crown.

“We’ve been kind of chasing them for a while, so the fact that we beat them is really cool,” said Jinnie Ponczoch.

It was going to be a tight finish the whole was as Carson’s 48 team points edged out Bishop Manogue (54) by six total points. Galena ended the meet with 60 points as a squad.

Freshmen Vea Miner (20:04) and Hannah Budd (20:06) were the quickest across the line for the Senators, taking sixth and seventh place, respectively.

Ponczoch (20:41) and Brianna Rodriguez-Nunez (20:57) were right behind them in 10^th and 11^th.

Rounding out the top six scorers for Carson were freshman Madison Hager and sophomore Romeo, taking 14^th and 16^th, respectively.

Ella Dooley, who has been battling through an injury, was 50^th for the Senators in 25:21.

There were a number of reasons why the Senators thought they were able to put together one of their best meets on the season’s biggest stage, at least to this point.

“Pushing ourselves harder in every practice,” said Miner.

“I think just the mental game,” said Rodriguez-Nunez. “It was really hard during eighth grade and this year it helped me a lot.” 

(The Carson High girls cross country team gets out to a quick start at the Class 5A North regional cross country meet Friday afternoon at Reed High School. The Senators won the Class 5A regional championship with six finishers inside of the top 16 overall. Pictured from left to right are Vea Miner, Hannah Budd (25), Jinnie Ponczoch (20), Brianna Rodriguez-Nunez (21) and Eleanor Romeo (22). / Carter Eckl)

Macy, Miner, Thorton qualify for Carson boys

Sophomore Sawyer Macy led the way for the Senator boys cross country team, medaling with a fifth place finish in 17:13 Friday morning.

The Class 5A boys were the first race of the regional meet, but that didn’t slow down the Senators.

Sophomore Alex Miner (17:51) and freshman Sean Thornton (18:00) also qualified for the state meet in Boulder City this coming weekend.

“I came in mentally prepared,” said Macy. “It feels pretty good. It’s good to know as a sophomore I’m coming into (state), meaning that junior and senior year I can really step it up.”

Macy admits he runs a slower opening mile, but tries to use that to his advantage when closing the race.

Samuel Davis (30^th), Nate Freed (39^th), Alan Gomez-Jauregui (43^rd) and Mark Walther (54^th) wrapped up their respective seasons at the regional meet.

(Carson High’s Sawyer Macy hits a downhill stretch during the Class 5A North boys regional cross country meet at Shadow Mountain park on the campus of Reed High School. Macy, a sophomore, was fifth overall for Carson. / Carter Eckl)

Falcons send both teams to state, Dayton adds a qualifier

For the second year in a row, the Sierra Lutheran boys cross country team will represent their school at the Class 2A state cross country meet after qualifying as a team.

Last year, the Falcons were third and repeated that performance this past Friday at the regional race.

Max Woelfel led the Sierra Lutheran boys runners with a ninth place finish in 19:40 while Joshua Fox was 16^th in 20:17.

Fellow sophomore Chandler Ricks took 19^th for the Falcons in 20:45.

Freshman Gunnison Marr and Cameron Bourne joined the rest of the team in qualifying for state with 33^rd and 43^rd place finishes.

The Sierra Lutheran girls team was also third with 46 team points Friday afternoon.

Senior Saige Gregory continued to be one of its most impressive runners, taking fifth place overall in 22:23.

Kailey Fitzpatrick crossed the line in 24:50 while Vanessa James completed her race in 25:00 as the two took 12^th and 14^th, respectively.

Christi Kennedy was the final of the Falcons’ four runners to finish in 28:12.

“The boys team started off the day with personal records set by almost all the athletes,” said Sierra Lutheran cross country coach Robin Williams. “The girls had an incredible day with every girl setting new personal records. … They have worked hard, and they ran hard for this opportunity to go run the State Meet in Las Vegas. I am so proud of what they have accomplished throughout the season, and they continue to surprise me with each meet. This is a chance for them to be a part of something bigger.”

For Dayton High, the lone qualifier came from the girls race where Allison Hoffman was 23^rd.

The Dust Devil sophomore will head down to Boulder City as an individual qualifier after stopping the watch in 23:43 at the Class 3A regional meet.

(Sierra Lutheran’s Max Woelfel turns a corner during the Class 2A North regional cross country meet at Reed High School Friday. Woelfel and the Falcon boys qualified for the state meet as a team after taking third overall with 64 points. / Carter Eckl)