Personal-best, season-best times posted in Mesa
By Raymundo Frasquillo
BISBEE – Morenci, Pima, Safford, Thatcher, and Willcox will be among the dozen teams running in historic Warren Ball Park on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
A day earlier on Sept. 29, Fort Thomas and San Carlos headed to the Dischii’Bikoh Invitational.
The state qualifying Rio Rico-held sectional is a month away on Nov. 4.
Remaining Meets
Fort Thomas has the Thatcher Invitational on Oct. 7 and the Benson Invitational on Oct. 14 remaining on its regular season schedule, while Morenci is slated to attend the Thatcher meet on Oct. 7, the Marana-held Eye of the Tiger Invitational on Oct. 10, the Benson Invitational on Oct. 14, and the Tucson-held John Gleeson Lancer Invitational on Oct. 17, before hosting its Copper Hills Classic at the Greenlee County Golf Course on Oct. 21.
Safford has the Gilbert-held Crossroads District Park Invitational on Oct. 9, the Tucson-held John Gleeson Lancer Invitational on Oct. 17, and the Morenci-held Copper Hills Invitational on Oct. 21, and San Carlos has the Tucson-held Saint Augustine Invitational on Oct. 3, the Thatcher Invitational on Oct. 7, the Gilbert-held Crossroads District Park Invitational on Oct. 9, the Benson Invitational on Oct. 14, and the Verde Valley Invitational on Oct. 29.
Thatcher lists four more meets prior to the Nov. 4 sectional. The Eagles host the Thatcher Invitational at the Mount Graham Golf Course on Oct. 7, travel to the Benson Invitational on Oct. 14 and to the Morenci-held Copper Hills Classic on Oct. 21; and Willcox also travels to the Thatcher meet on Oct. 7, to the Benson meet on Oct. 14, and to the Morenci meet on Oct. 21.
2026 Desert Twilight Festival (Sept. 25) – Girls
Morenci, Pima, Safford, San Carlos, and Thatcher were among the participating teams in the Mesa-held Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival on Friday, Sept. 25. There were 237 high schools and 31middle schools represented in the meet.
5K Run #15 Small School Varsity 1
Morenci senior Hazel Salinas was 77th (23:30.0 SB) of 223, freshman Danielle Ellington 78th (23:30.8 PR), sophomore Arris Hooper 84th (23:39.0 PR), and freshman Raeleigh Lucero 99th (24:04.0 PR).
5K Run #16 Small Schools Varsity 2
Thatcher junior Madi Lunt 14th (21:47.6) of 226, Thatcher junior Brightyn Stevens 19th (21:51.7), Thatcher junior Delila Sanchez 49th (23:09.6), Pima sophomore Ella Ashby 53rd (23:19.4), San Carlos senior Malia Antonio 55th (23:20.5), Thatcher sophomore Lilie Aranda 57th (23:22.5), Pima sophomore Jacey Tilley 63rd (23:30.1), Pima junior Kaylen Minor 73rd (23:52.5), San Carlos sophomore Samirah Ailak 112th (24:56.4), San Carlos sophomore Olivia Haozous 113rd (24:56.9), Thatcher senior Nataly Walker 149th (26:06.9), Pima senior Page Ashby 157th (26:26.2), Safford sophomore Charity Dalton 165th (26:50.4), Pima junior Jailey Tilley 166th (26:52.2), San Carlos sophomore Kyra Browning 171st (27:12.2), San Carlos senior Seanice Patten 194th (28:47.5), and San Carlos sophomore Kayetin Kenton 218th (30:52.5).
5K Run #2 Small Schools Freshmen
Kinslee Dorr of Pima was seventh (24:17.5) of 71, Deznae Nzeukou of San Carlos 20th (26:40.7), Sofia McCray of Pima 28th (28:06.3), Macie Nelson of Pima 29th (28:06.6), and Kaydence Harney of San Carlos 38th (29:52.1).
5K Run #9 Small Schools Open
Thatcher junior Macady Kartchner 56th (25:24.8) of 297, Thatcher freshman Kate Gibson was 66th (25:45.0), Thatcher freshman Allie Henry 134th (28:00.6), Thatcher junior Martha Haller 145th (28:25.6), Safford sophomore Ayviana Cutler 186th (29:59.8), Safford senior Alexis Abeyta 187th (30:00.9), Safford senior Hannah Hendricks 227th (32:10.6), and San Carlos sophomore Mykhal Patten 244th (33:00.0).
1.6 Miles Run #6 Junior High
San Carlos was 18th of 19 with 497 points, with 7th grader Kylyn Kenton 109th (13:41.1) of 199, 8th grader Layla Browning 123rd (14:09.1), 7th grader Naylene Smith 144th (14:59.1), 8th grader Kaiulani King 151st (15:30.7), 7th grader Paradise Elgo 157th (15:38.1). The sixth, seventh, and eighth Braves, 8th grader Nayleah Betom, 8th grader Beulah Nosie, and 6th grader Taleah Boni were158th (15:41.8), 168th (16:39.1), and 193rd (20:33.3), respectively.
45th Willcox Invitational (Sept. 16) – Girls
The girls’ run started a few minutes after the boys, in an effort to beat the forecasted flash flood warning. However, a relentless downpour was unleashed before the mixed open run was completed. Spectators and runners alike hurried to parked vehicles in an effort to escape the deluge.
“It seemed as if I had jumped into the river with all my clothes on,” said a drenched spectator before opening his vehicle door.
Pima finished the 3.1-mile Diablo Mountain course first with 46 points, Thatcher second (61), Morenci third (72), Vail Empire fourth (84), Tombstone fifth (87), and Fort Thomas sixth (130).
Sierra Vista American Leadership (4), Safford (2), Douglas (1), Eloy Santa Cruz (1), and Willcox (1) did not have full teams.
Empire sophomore Eshe Stockton (771) reset the meet record of 22:28.4 (Oct. 15, 2019) held by current Morenci head coach and then junior Kayla O’Connell, crossing the finish line in 22:15.73.
The other Top 12 of 46 individuals were Thatcher junior Brightyn Stevens (799) in second with 23:40.7, Sierra Vista ALA freshman Clara Curtis (733) third (24:21.6), Pima sophomore Jacey Tilley (790) fourth/3 pts. (24:36.3), Thatcher senior Addison Williams (801) fifth/4 pts. (24:39.4), Pima junior Kaylen Minor (788) sixth/5 pts. (24:45.1), Pima freshman Kinslee Dorr (786) seventh/6 pts. (24:45.5), Empire freshman Ianna Cochran (767) eighth/7 pts. (24:46.0), Tombstone senior Kihanna Yocupicio (807) ninth/8 pts. (24:50.8), Pima sophomore Ella Ashby (784) 10th/9 pts. (24:55.1), Morenci junior Arris Hooper (780) 11th/10 pts. (25:02.9), and Morenci senior Hazel Salinas (783) 12th/11 pts. (25:19.8).
Meet winner Pima also had senior Hinckley Nelson (789) 26th/23 pts. (27:29.5). The sixth and seventh Roughriders, Sofia McCray (787) and senior Page Ashby (785) were 32nd/28 pts. (28:19.4) and 35th/31 pts. (28:36.6), respectively.
Runner-up Thatcher also had junior Delila Sanchez (798) 15th/14 pts. (25:32.8), sophomore Lilie Aranda (795) 17th/16 pts. (26:17.9), and freshman Kate Gibson (796) 29th/25 pts. (28:09.2). The sixth Eagle, junior Macady Kartchner (797), was 30th/26 pts. (28:10.1).
Third-place Morenci also had freshmen Danielle Ellington (779) 13th/12 pts. (25:23.2), Raeleigh Lucero (781) 20th/19 pts. (26:51.3), and Shaysea Marin (782) 22nd/20 pts. (26:52.7).
Fourth-place Empire also had freshman Taylor Bryner (766) 18th/17 pts. (26:22.8), junior Sophia Karn (768) 33rd/29 pts. (28:23.4), and junior Penelope Matthews (769) 34th/30 pts. (28:26.0). The sixth and seventh Ravens, freshmen Bailey Bermont (765) and Cameron Rupel (770), were 38th/34 pts. (29:11.1) and 40th/35 pts. (29:17.8), respectively.
Fifth-place Tombstone also had sophomores Hailey Yocupicio (806), 16th/15 pts. (25:41.4), Samantha Meza (804), 19th/18 pts. (26:31.9), Isabel Aguilar (805) 25th/22 pts. (27:18.0), and Taylor Murray (805) 27th/24 pts. (27:48.6). The sixth Yellow Jacket, senior Anastacia Lopez-Gonzales (803), was 36th/32 pts. (28:37.8).
Sixth-place Fort Thomas had sophomore Alanah Harvey (773) 14th/13 pts. (25:31.5), junior Leiynn Wesley (778) 24th/21 pts. (27:07.7), senior Corey Cody (772) 31st/27 pts. (28:16.6), junior Tyrekia Harvey (774) 37th/33 pts. (28:44.0), and senior Alycia Sanchez (776) 44th/36 pts. (33:03.8). The sixth Apache, senior Lyra Sanchez (777), was 45th/37 pts. (34:26.7).
Non-placing (fewer than five entrants) teams, Sierra Vista ALA also had freshmen Francesca Nash (793) 21st (26:52.7), Jaida-Marie De La Cruz (746) 41st (31:00.6), and Rebecca Parle (763) 46th (35:45.5); Safford had sophomore Charity Dalton (759) 23rd (26:52.9) and senior Alexis Abeyta (791) 42nd (31:28.8); Willcox had sophomore Katelyn Millenaar (808) 28th (27:57.6); Eloy Santa Cruz had freshman Ileana Herrera (794) 39th (29:16.8); and Douglas had freshman Lea Rivera (816) 43rd (31:50.5).
In the Girls Open Run, Thatcher freshman Allie Henry finished first with 28:38.2.
Last season, Benson was first with 39 points, Thatcher second (57), Pima third (73), Tombstone fourth (75), and Fort Thomas fourth (90).
Benson senior Rayleigh Olsen was first (23:19.2) of 34, Fort Thomas senior Sadie Harvey second (24:55.8), Thatcher sophomore Brightyn Stevens third (25:02.3), Benson sophomore Sasha Canales fourth (25:28.6), Benson sophomore Savanna Meza fifth (25:29.6), and Pima sophomore Kaylen Minor sixth (25:30.0).
Tombstone junior Kihanna Yocupicio was seventh (25:32.3), Pima freshman Jacey Tilley eighth (25:40.0), Thatcher junior Addison Williams ninth (25:52.7), Tombstone junior Ayrianna Canez 10th (26:14.3), Pima freshman Ella Ashby 11th (26:37.9), and Thatcher junior London Rhoton 12th (27:08.9).
Thatcher senior Sadie Dorr finished first (30:00.29) of 27 in the girls’ open run.
In 2024, Thatcher was first with 39 points, Morenci second (51), Pima third (60), and Fort Thomas fourth (75).
Pima senior Sadie Richardson was first (24:43.5) of 32, Benson junior Rayleigh Olsen second (24:58.2), Fort Thomas junior Sadie Harvey third (25:58.2), Thatcher junior Jade Richardson fourth (26:09.0), Tombstone sophomore Kihanna Yocupicio fifth (26:09.8), and Douglas senior Ana Bojorquez sixth (26:18.5).
Morenci sophomore Hazel Salinas was seventh (27:03.5), Morenci freshman Katerina Escalona eighth (27:23.0), Pima freshman Kaylen Minor ninth (27:28.4), Benson junior Araya Stanley 10th (27:44.1), Thatcher sophomore Emily Welker 11th (27:56.3), and Thatcher sophomore Addison Williams 12th (28:17.4).
Thatcher junior Clara Barron finished first (25:19.4) of 29 in the girls open.
The 2023 meet had Thatcher first with 20 points and Benson second (42).
Benson senior Ella Allred was first (24:13.6) of 25, Tombstone senior Cora Lehman second (24:20.3), Thatcher senior Sophie Welker third (24:34.8), Thatcher senior Brooklynn Door fourth (24:47.9), Thatcher senior Sedona Nelson fifth (24:49.6), and Douglas junior Ana Bojorquez sixth (25:06.6).
Douglas senior Mercedes Rangel was seventh (25:31.0), Thatcher junior Jade Richardson eighth (25:31.0), Tombstone freshman Kihanna Yocupicio ninth (25:32.8), Thatcher freshman London Rhoton 10th (26:05.2), Morenci freshman Hazel Salinas 11th (26:25.0), and Thatcher senior Danielle Welker 12th (26:30.0).
Thatcher junior Audrey Smith finished first (28:29.6) of 23 in the girls open.
