By Raymundo Frasquillo
SAFFORD – Thatcher tallied 142.7 points to place first, Morenci was second (104.5), Pima third (101.1), Safford fourth (30.2), and San Simon fifth (13.5) on May 1. It was for the 2025 season-ending Eastern Arizona Junior High Association Safford Rotary Track and Field meet.
The Graham County school placed first in two events, of 18 in the 800 (2:22.42a) and of 10 in the 1600 (5:10.51a), with 8th grader Aiden Labrum.
Other event winners were Morenci 8th grader Keston Armstrong in the 100 (11:14a) of 19, 200 (23.07a) of 14 and of 16 in the long jump (18-4), Morenci 8th grader Damian Paz in the 400 (57.61a) of 16, Pima 8th grader Landon Minor in the 100 hurdles (15.79a) of 10, Pima 7th grader Jack Bryce in the shot put (35-10) of 18, San Simon 6th grader Luke Perkins in the discus (93-3) of 19, and Pima 8th grader Sheldon Turnidge in the high jump (5-0) of 11.
Morenci finished first in the 4×100 (48.24a) of four with 8th grader Yanuel Gigante, 8th grader Marcus Najar, Paz, and Armstrong, along with the 4×400 (4:09.80a) of four with 7th grader Christopher Marble, 8th grader Samuel Alvarez, Najar, and Paz.
Pima was first in the 4×200 (1:47.51a) with Minor, Turnidge, 7th grader Caiden McEuen, and 7th grader Leo Bryce.
1st – Thatcher Eagles (28 placers, 2-8)
The Eagles were second in the 200 (26.36a) with 8th grader Zayden Gonzales, in the 400 (58.61a) with 8th grader Daxton Carter, in the 800 (2:25.79a) and in the 1600 (5:10.71a) with 8th grader Brysen Karchner, in the discus (84-6) with 8th grader Miles Curley, and in the 4×100 relay (51.26a) with 8th grader Christian Gomm, Daxton Carter, 8th grader Jacob Montez, and Gonzales; tied for second in the high jump (4-10) with 7th grader Brax Bingham and 8th grader Aiden Labrum; third in the 100 (12.35a) with Gonzales, in the 200 (26.60a) with Gomm, in the 800 (2:32.64a) and 1600 (5:13.61a) with 7th grader Theodore Haller, and in the 4×200 relay (1:15.21a) with 7th grader Dayson Palmer, Montez, 7th grader Jared Richins, and Gomm; fourth in the 400 (1: 40.67a) with 8th grader Jacob Scott, in the 800 (3:07.79a) with 8th grader Camden Carter, and in the long jump (16-1) with Daxton Carter; tied for fourth in the 100 hurdles (17.26a) with Gomm; fifth in the 200 (28.71a) with Palmer, in the 400 (1:05.13a) with 7th grader Brax Bingham, and in the 1600 (6:17.96a) with 7th grader Tyson Mullenaux; tied for fifth in the high jump (4-8) with 8th grader Jacob Scott and Richins; sixth in the 100 (13.03a) and in the 200 (28.90a) with Montez, in the 100 hurdles (18.00a) with Palmer, and in the long jump (15-4) with Kartchner; tied for sixth in the shot put (28-6) with Curley; and eighth in the shot put (27-11) with 8th grader Easton Baker.
2nd – Morenci Wildcats (14 placers, 2-8)
The Wildcats were second in the 100 (12.25a) with 8th grader Damian Paz and in the 4×200 relay (1:48.40a) with 6th grader Kai Gobert, 7th grader Brayden Mason, Gigante, and Alvarez; tied for second in the long jump (17-3) with 8th grader Marcus Najar; third in the 400 (1:02.39a) with Marble; fourth in the 100 (12.93a) with Najar, in the 200 (27.96a) with Alvarez, in the 400 (57.61a) with Paz, and in the shot put (30-0) with 7th grader Noah Biggs; fifth in the 100 (12.99a) with Gigante; sixth in the 400 (1:05.33a) with 7th grader Christopher Vozza; tied for sixth in the 800 (2:39.57) with Marble; seventh in the long jump (14-4) with Najar and in the long jump (14-4) with Gobert; and eighth in the 200 (29.24a) with Gobert and 100 hurdles (18.39a) with Mason.
3rd – Pima Roughriders (20 placers, 2-8)
The Roughriders were second in the 100 hurdles (16.04a) with Leo Bryce and in the shot put (35-2) with 8th grader Landon Merrill; tied for second in the high jump (4-10) with McEuen and in the long jump (17-3) with 7th grader Leo Bryce; third in the 100 hurdles (17.23a) with McEuen, in the 4×100 relay (58.74a) with 7th grader Trigg Allred, 7th grader Eli Bergener, Turnidge, and 6th grader Preston Minor, and in the 4×400 relay (5:13.25a) with Preston Minor, 6th grader Jace Martin, 7th grader Ridge Bryce, and 6th grader Xander Gojkovich; fourth in the 1600 (5:43.14) with 7th grader Drew Bryce and in the discus (83-7) with 7th grader Jack Bryce; fifth in the discus (78-5) with 8th grader Landon Minor and in the long jump (15-10) with McEuen; tied for fifth in the high jump (4-8) with 8th grader Landon Merrill; sixth in the 1600 (6:38.96a) with 6th grader Kason Minor; tied for sixth in the 800 (2:39.57) with Drew Bryce; seventh in the 1600 (6:45.75a) with Allred; tied for seventh in the 100 (14.16a) with Taylor and in the discus (49-8) with Richardson; and eighth in the 800 (2:47.64a) with Martin, in the 1600 (7:2132a) with Bergener, in the discus (73-11) with 8th grader Tucker Bryce, and in the long jump (14-2) with Leo Bryce.
4th – Safford Bulldogs (9 placers, 2-8)
The Bulldogs were third in the shot put (32-9), discus (84-6) with 8th grader Robert Cobos and in the 4×400 relay (4:49.92a) with 8th grader Kaden Zaugg, 8th grader Duncan Hill, 8th grader Ammon Clonts, and 7th grader Joseph Vargas; fourth in the 4×100 relay (1:01.69a) with 6th grader Bronson Bowman, 6th grader Nixon Jacobson, Vargas, and Zaugg and in the 4×200 relay (2:02.78) with Bowman, Jacobson, 8th grader Tek Stewart, and Zaugg; tied for fourth in the 100 hurdles (17.26a) with Jacobson; tied for fifth in the high jump (4-8) with Zaugg and Bowman; sixth in the 1600 (6:57.25a) with Dalton; and seventh in the 400 (1:12.42a) with Hill and in the 100 hurdles (18.10a) with Clonts.
5th – San Simon Longhorns (8 placers, 2-8)
The Longhorns were fifth in the shot put (28-11) with 6th grader Luke Perkins; tied for fifth in the shot put (28-11) with Perkins; sixth in the discus (76-9) with 6th grader Braidin Morin; tied for sixth in the shot put (28-6) with Morin; seventh in the 200 (29.03a) with 6th grader Neziah Martinez and in the discus (76-3) with 6th grader Malachi Reza; and eighth in the 100 (13.72a) with Martinez and in the 400 (1:13.71a) with 6th grader Liam Lentz.
