Sectionals to be held in Rio Rico next week
By Raymundo Frasquillo
THATCHER – Sixteen schools will be represented in the Thatcher Invitational on Wednesday, Oct. 16. The Eagles will host Benson, Fort Thomas, Globe, Miami, Morenci, Pima, Queen Creek, Safford, Saint David, San Carlos, Tombstone, Whiteriver Alchesay, and Willcox. Two New Mexico schools, Bayard Cobre and Silver City Silver, are also expected to attend.
John Gleason Lancer Invitational – Girls Varsity
Morenci freshman Katerine Escalona clocked in at 26:50.70 for 100th of 121 entrants, sophomore Hazel Salinas was 12th (26:55.50), sophomore Karol Escalona 112th (27:50.50), and freshman Catalina Garcia 115th with a personal best of 28:50.20. The times were 23:23.20 for Salinas and 23:25.10 for Karol Escalona last season.
Safford freshman Krista Zale clocked in with a time of 27:50.70 to finish 113th and senior Elayne Hatchett 31:24.30 for 121st.
Phoenix Xavier placed with 73 points, Oro Valley Ironwood Ridge was second (78), Tucson Rincon/University third (92), Tucson Mica Mountain fourth (122), and Glendale Mountain Ridge fifth (146).
The top five individual finishers were Rincon/University senior Amelia North with a time of 19:03.10, followed by Xavier junior Ella Wadsworth (19:14.80), Mica Mountain sophomore Hailey Burke (19:260.80), Tucson Catalina Foothills junior Katherine McNulty (19:23.00), and Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian junior Haley Floyde (19:23.80).
McNulty had a 19:03.60 clocking to top a field of 140 in 2023, Salpointe senior Kylie Wild had 18:48.70 for first of 96 in 2022, and Wild’s 18:06.30 was faster than the other 126 entrants in 2021.
Copper Hills Classic – Girls Varsity
Benson junior Rayleigh Olsen (24:58.12) completed the Greenlee County Golf 5,000-meter course in 22:03.02. Thatcher Class of 2024 grad Sedona Nelson re-set the bar with a 20:47.00 clocking last season.
Fort Thomas junior Sadie Harvey was second (23:02.37), Pima senior Kennedy Minor third (24:32.55), third, Thatcher junior Jade Richardson (26:09.00) fourth, and Pima senior Sadie Richardson (24:44.04) fifth.
The Thatcher Eagles took home the first place team award, with Jade Richardson, freshman Grace Daley seventh (28:48.43), junior Claire Palmer 10th (25:06.19), junior Clara Barron 11th (25:34.58), and sophomore Addison Williams 13th (25:48.56). The sixth and seventh Eagles, sophomore Emily Welker and junior Savanna Kartchner were 14th (25:55.30) and 15th (26:03.50), respectively.
Pima came in second with Kennedy Minor, Sadie Richardson, freshman Kaylen Minor at sixth (24:46.80), sophomore Hinckley Minor at 19th (27:09.96), and freshman Jailey Tilley 24th (29:20.41).
Third place Benson had Olsen, junior Araya Stanley at 16th (26:22.32), freshman Sasha Canales at 17th (26:53.39), freshman Fiona Pralgo 18th (27:01.73), and freshman Savanna Mesa 22nd (31:21.01).
Morenci was fourth with sophomore Hazel Salinas finishing eighth (25:03.17), freshman Katerine Escalona ninth (25:05.67), junior Karol Escalona 20th (27:21.11), freshman Peytin Corbell 23rd (28:50.18), and freshman Catalina Garcia 29th (31:42.15).
Fifth place Fort Thomas had Harvey, freshman Breanna Gambler at 21st (28:13.21), junior Makayla Chapman at 25th (29:35.89), senior Adaia Lorenzo 26th (30:54.30), and junior Talia Pike at 30th (32:19.39). The sixth and seventh Apaches, and freshman Tawnee Jones and senior Ashante Cheney were 31st (34:04.16) and 32nd (35:04.87), respectively.
Three Tombstone sophomore runners also completed the run, Ayrianna Canez at 12th (25:41.38), Kihanna Yocupicio at 22nd (28:22.23), and Anastacia Lopez-Gonzales at 27th (30:58.13).
Copper Hills Classic – Girls Open
Thatcher freshman Delila Sanchez came in first during the Girls Open race with a 26:06.62 clocking. Thefield had 21 participants, with 16 from Thatcher, four from Fort Thomas, and one from San Carlos.