By Raymundo Frasquillo
RIO RICO – Morenci qualified for the state meet by finishing third of five teams in the Division IV – South Sectional meet in Rio Rico on Oct. 23. The Wildcats’ start time at Cave Creek Golf Course, 150202 North 19 Avenue in Phoenix is 1:35 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.
The Wildcats had 74 points for third place at Rio Rico with freshman Katerine Escalona finishing ninth (26:06.20), sophomore Hazel Salinas 10th (26:09.30), freshman Peytin Corbell 16th (27:29.10), junior Karol Escalona 18th (27:48.60), and freshman Catalina Garcia 28th (30:41.10).
Personal bests are 23:54.00 (Sept. 14, 2024) for Salinas, 24:12.50 (Sept. 19) for Katerine Escalona, 27:29.10 (Oct. 23) for Corbell, and 28:50.20 (Oct. 12) for Garcia. Karol Escalona had a season-best 25:17.10 on Sept. 19.
Section champion Benson scored 36 points with junior Rayleigh Olsen at third (24:27.80), senior Shannon Frost at fifth (24:56.00), sophomore Avery Owens at seventh (26:03.50), junior Araya Stanley at eighth (26:06.20), and freshman Savanna Mesa at 15th (27:13.90). The sixth and seventh Bobcats, freshman Sasha Canales and freshman Fiona Pralgo were at 17th (27:48.00) and 20th (28:47.90), respectively.
Pima, in its inaugural season, placed second with senior Sadie Richardson first (24:00.90), senior Kennedy Minor at fourth (24:30.30), freshman Kaylen Minor at sixth (25:01.20), sophomore Hinckley Nelson at 14th (27:01.90), and freshman Jailey Tilley at 26th (30:07.20). The sixth Roughrider, senior Mia Ashby finished 40th (40:28.90).
Personal bests were 24:00.90 (Oct. 23) for Richardson, 24:21.40 (Sept. 19) for Kaylen Minor, 24:23.30 (Sept. 19) for Hinckley, 24:30.30 (Oct. 23) for Kennedy Minor, 28:05.40 (Sept. 19) for Tilley and 30:06.40 (Sept. 19) for Ashby.
Individual qualifiers included Fort Thomas junior Sadie Harvey in second (24:04.20), Saint Augustine Catholic sophomore Natalia Giron at 11th (26:23.50), Tombstone sophomore Aryianna Canales at 12th (26:25.80), Baboquivari senior Melia Johnson at 13th (26:30.20), Tombstone sophomore at Kihanna Yocupicio at 19th (28:26.30), Fort Thomas freshman Breanna Gambler at 21st (29:40.20), and Baboquivari junior Jessica Ortega at 22nd (29:46.90).
Fourth-place Fort Thomas had Harvey, Gambler, junior Talia Pike at 23rd (29:51.40), junior Makayla Chapman at 25th (29:57.40), and freshman Jordyn Hinton at 37th (35:48.40). The sixth and seventh Apaches, junior Tawnee Jones and senior Ashante Cheney were 38th (36:26.10) and 39th (38:11.80), respectively.
Personal bests were 22:58.80 (Sept. 19) for Harvey, 27:44.20 (Sept. 19) for Gambler, 28:22.6 (Sept. 19) for Chapman, 29:51.40 (Oct. 23) for Pike, 28:34.10 (Sept. 19) for Cheney, 31:25.3 (Oct. 8) for Hinton, and 34:04.20 (Oct. 8) for Jones.
Fifth-place Baboquivari had Johnson, Ortega, junior Kyla Dolores at 24th (29:66.50), freshman Syria Antone at 27th (30:08.30), and junior Daynesia Miguel at 32nd (33:41.70). The sixth and seventh Warriors, junior Jasmyne Hendricks and senior Quala Toro were at 33rd (33:52.30) and 41st (41:03.10), respectively.
Tucson Desert Christian had four entrants, Tombstone (3) and Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic (2).
Division III – South Sectional
10 teams were competing in the Division III – South Sectional meet at Rio Rico on Oct. 23. Five qualified for the state meet at Cave Creek on Nov. 2. The Division III state meet for girls starts at 8:55 a.m.
Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian placed first with 49 points, Tucson Salpointe Catholic was second (60), Sahuarita Walden Grove third (83), Sahuarita fourth (101), and Tucson Tanque Verde fifth (141). Non-qualifying teams were sixth place Tucson Sahuaro (163), seventh place Thatcher (181), eighth place Tucson Sabino (197), ninth place Vail Empire (231), and 10th place Tucson Andrada Polytechnic (250). Schools represented with fewer than five members included Tucson Catalina with four, Tucson Palo Verde Magnet (2), and Douglas, Rio Rico, Safford, and Tucson Amphitheater with one apiece,
There were 74 individual finishers with Rio Rico junior Isabella Bravo completing the 5,000-meter course in 19:47.30, Pusch Ridge junior Hayley Floyd second (19:59.1045), and Salpointe sophomore Savannah Koontz third (20:35.20).
Section champion Pusch Ridge had Floyd, senior Lauren Potts ninth (22:06.50), freshman Sophy Floyd 12th (22:44.00), sophomore Gabriella Cervantes 13th (22:54.50), and junior Cameron Khol 20th (23:57.70). The sixth and seventh Lions, senior Jacqueline Rodenbeck and senior Emily Ashby were 31st (24:44.40) and 39th (25:21.20), respectively.
Fourth-place Sahuarita had sophomore Naomi Taylor at fifth (21:08.00), senior Angela Stinnett at 15th (23:36.50), sophomore Kylie Gallego at 16th (23:37.80), and senior Julianna Silvester at 29th (24:29.30).
The six individual qualifiers included Sabino freshman Maria Wright at sixth (21:46.00), Sahuaro senior Marley Gandee at seventh (22:02.40), Tucson Catalina junior Chanceline Manyom at 17th (23:51.20), Sabino junior Brooklyn Ball at 18th (23:54.50), Douglas senior Ana Bojorquez at 19th (23:56.00), Empire junior Taryn Baldwin at 21st (23:57.70).
Seventh place Thatcher had junior Clara Barron at 32nd (24:48.30), freshman Grace Daley at 36th (25:06.80), junior Jade Richardson at 38th (25:15.70), sophomore Emily Welker at 41st (25:29.30), senior Lizzy Bauman at 50th (26:35.60). The sixth and seventh Eagles, junior Claire Palmer and junior Savanna Kartchner were 52nd (26:55.80) and 53rd (27:11.60), respectively.
Safford freshman Krista Zale was 66th (29:11.10).
Personal bests are 23:49.10 (Sept. 4, 2024) for Daley, 24:33.30 (Sept. 4) for Baron, 25:45.00 (Sept. 19) for Kartchner and 27:50.70 (Oct. 12, 2024) for Zale.
Season bests are 23:59.70 for Richardson, 24:23.30 (Sept. 19) for Welker, 25:02.40 (Sept. 27) for Palmer, and 25:31.70 (Sept. 19) for Bauman,
