By Raymundo Frasquillo
RIO RICO – Six sectional races in three divisions, three for girls and three for boys, will be run at 590 Camino Lito Galindo in Rio Rico on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The top 50 percent of teams and the next seven individual finishers will qualify for the state meet a week later.
Morenci is one of 14 schools being represented in the Division IV – South Sectional meet, with girls starting at 4 p.m. and boys at 4:30 p.m.
Joining the Greenlee County schools are Benson, Bisbee, Florence American Leadership – Anthem South, Fort Thomas, Pima, Saint David, Sells Baboquivari, Tombstone, and Willcox along with Tucson teams Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind, Desert Christian, The Gregory School, and Saint Augustine Catholic.
Safford and Thatcher are in the Division III – South Sectional meet, with girls running at 5 p.m. and boys at 5:30 p.m.
In addition to the two Graham County schools, Douglas, Rio Rico, Sahuarita, and Sahuarita Walden Grove as well as Tucson schools Amphitheater, Andrada Polytechnic, Catalina Magnet, Empire, Palo Verde Magnet, Pusch Ridge Christian, Sabino, Sahuaro, Salpointe Catholic, and Tanque Verde.
The Division II – South Sectional races start at 6 p.m. for girls and 6:30 p.m. for boys.
Thatcher Invitational – Girls Varsity
Nine schools were represented in the Discovery Park-held Thatcher Invitational on Oct. 16. Whiteriver Alchesay placed first with 45 points, Thatcher second (70), Benson third (77), Morenci fourth (94), Pima fifth (104), and Fort Thomas sixth (126). Tombstone had three participants and both Globe and Safford had two apiece.
There were 44 individual finishers with Benson junior Rayleigh Olsen completing the 5,000-meter course in 22:14.95, Alchesay freshman Peyton Parker second (23:13.45), Fort Thomas junior Sadie Harvey third (23:35.17), Benson senior Shannon Frost fourth (24:34.24), and Alchesay freshman Kylie Mansfield fifth (24:29.76).
Alchesay’s first-place team award was earned by Parker, Mansfield, sophomore Kylie Ovah in sixth (24:29.89), freshman Dolli Nachu in ninth (24:54.39), and junior Teliah Goseyun in 25th (27:54.45). The sixth and seventh Falcons, freshman Cedella Stevens and sophomore Abrianna Manson were 26th (28:10.23) and 31st (28:47.59), respectively.
Thatcher was second with junior Jade Richardson in 13th (25:39.59), junior Clara Barron 14th (25:40.56), sophomore Addison Williams 15th (25:59.94), freshman Grace Daley 16th (26:14.99), and junior Claire Palmer 10th (26:52.20). The sixth and seventh Eagles, sophomore Emily Welker and junior Savanna Kartchner were 18th (27:10.61) and 19th (27:15.49), respectively.
Third place Benson had Olsen, Frost, freshman Savanna Mesa at 21st (27:48.40), junior Araya Stanley at 29th (28:25.71), and freshman Sasha Canales at 30th (28:42.56). The sixth Bobcat, freshman Fiona Pralgo was 32nd (29:48.54).
Morenci was fourth with freshman Katerine Escalona finishing 10th (25:11.38), sophomore Hazel Salinas 12th (25:31.81), junior Karol Escalona 23rd (27:31.23), freshman Peytin Corbell 24th (27:50.48), and freshman Catalina Garcia 33rd (31:01.25).
Fifth place Pima had freshman Kaylen Minor at seventh (24:34.04), senior Kennedy Minor at eighth (24:38.48), sophomore Hinckley Nelson at 19th (27:09.96), and freshman Jailey Tilley at 24th (29:20.41), senior Sadie Richardson (24:44.04) fifth.
Fort Thomas came in sixth with Harvey, freshman Breanna Gambler at 27th (28:14.57), junior Talia Pike at 35th (31:28.62), junior Makayla Chapman at 37th (32:11.38), and freshman Jordyn Hinton 39th (33:33.31), The sixth and seventh Apaches, senior Ashante Cheney and freshman Tawnee Jones were 40th (33:48.67) and 41st (34:35.83), respectively.
Seven others also completed the run, three Tombstone sophomores Ayrianna Canez at 11th (25:17.07), Kihanna Yocupicio at 28th (28:18.71), and Anastacia Lopez-Gonzales at 34th (31:19.53); Globe sophomores Carina Garcia at 20th (27:28.10) and Alexis Mull at 43rd (42:37.49); and Safford freshman Krista Zale at 38th (33:02.27) and senior Elayne Hatchett at 42nd (36:09.68).
Thatcher Invitational – Girls Open
The Girls Open race winner Thatcher senior Lizzy Bauman had a 26:38.08 clocking. The field had 41 participants, with 20 from Thatcher, 16 from Alchesay, three from San Carlos, and two from Fort Thomas.
