By Raymundo Frasquillo
GREENLEE COUNTY – Morenci welcomes nine schools to its scheduled Cross Country meet on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Listed entrants include Thatcher from the Division III Southern, along with Benson, Bisbee, Fort Thomas, Pima, Saint David, San Carlos, Tombstone, and Willcox from the Division IV South. Starting times are 2 p.m. for the open run, 2:30 p.m. for varsity boys, and 3 p.m. for varsity girls.
Last season, Benson was first with 50 points, Morenci second (68), Thatcher third (78), Tombstone fourth (83), Pima fifth (116), San Carlos sixth (133), and Willcox seventh (168). Fort Thomas and Saint David both had four entrants.
Among the expected returnees from the 2024 Top 20 of 51 finishers are Benson senior Jace Myatt with 18:51.49 for first, Thatcher sophomore Weston Dement sixth (19:24.17), Fort Thomas senior Aiden Victor ninth (19:55.71), Morenci sophomore Ryder Nelson 10th (20:03.33), Pima junior Oliver McCray 11th (20:05.32), Benson senior Emerson Owens 13th (20.24.22), Pima senior Keaton Bryce 14th (20:32.58), San Carlos junior Dakota Edwards 15th (20:44.04), Benson junior Kolten Maxwell 16th (20:44.38), Morenci senior Lyndale Waterhouse 17th (20:50.65), Benson senior Makai Pralgo 18th (20:51.10), and Tombstone junior Jason Whipple 20th (20:55.59).
Thatcher Boys Invitational (Oct. 8)
Whiteriver Alchesay came in first with 43 points, Nogales second (62), Thatcher third (79), Benson fourth (79), Fort Thomas fifth (164), Pima sixth (171), San Carlos seventh (188), Safford eighth (214), Saint David ninth (235), and Willcox 10th (183). Morenci, with three entrants, did not field a whole team.
Last season, Morenci left Discovery Park with the first-place team award. The quickest quintet had 66 points, followed by Safford (81), Thatcher (88), Alchesay (102), Benson (104), Tombstone (105), San Carlos (187), Miami (196), Saint David (236), and Willcox (242). There were 77 participants from 13 schools, with Pima and Fort Thomas having four entrants apiece and Globe two.
Individually, Alchesay sophomore Yonah Beatty set the pace with a 16:39.78 clocking to top a field of 66. Thatcher freshman Brysen Kartchner was second (18:02.93), Thatcher sophomore Weston Dement third (18:08.92), Nogales freshman Nicholas Arana fourth (18:14.40 PR), Benson junior Jace Myatt was fifth (18:15.17), Alchesay sophomore Kyree Cheney sixth (18:28.77 SR), Safford senior Noah Gonzales seventh (18:33.31 PR), Benson freshman Brody Upshaw eighth (18:38.54), Nogales junior Javier Nunez ninth (18:40.78), and Alchesay junior Rashaad Butterfield 10th (18:58.91).
Alchesay junior Micah Yazzie was 11th (19:05.46), Benson freshman Jacob Rubio 12th (19:06.35 PR), Nogales freshman Ruben Hernandez 13th (19:11.43 PR), Fort Thomas freshman Elijah Titla 18th (19:16.70 PR), Alchesay junior Yonah Beatty 15th (19:19.23 PR), Alchesay freshman Reginald Cosen 16th (19:27.66 PR), Nogales sophomore Santiago Saucedo 17th (19:29.68 PR), Pima senior Charles Richardson 18th (19:32.26 PR), Nogales sophomore Axel Martinez 19th (19:32.82), and Thatcher freshman Easton Baker 20th (19:33.89).
Meet winner Alchesay landed six of the top 20 finishers with Yonah Beatty in first, Cheney sixth, Butterfield 10th, Yazzie 11th, Yohan Beatty 15th, and Cosen 16th. The seventh Falcon, junior Joshua Alchesay, was 21st (19:43.64).
Runners-up Nogales had its entire quintet in the Top 20, with freshman Nicholas Arana fourth (18:14.30), junior Javier Nunez ninth (18:40.78), freshman Ruben Hernandez 13th (19:11.43), sophomore Santiago Saucedo 17th (19:29.68), and sophomore Axel Martinez 19th (19:32.82). The sixth and seventh Apaches, freshman Mateo Baro and junior Denzel Curlango, were 23rd (19:53.13 PR) and 41st (21:09.88), respectively.
Third place Thatcher had Kartchner second, Dement third, Baker 20th, sophomore Blake Bingham 25th (20:03.11), and sophomore Jason Hansen 30th (20:22.45 PR). The sixth and seventh Eagles, junior Caden Burkett and sophomore Ryan Griffin, were 35th (20:44.26 PR) and 36th (20:45.00), respectively.
Benson was fourth with Myatt in fifth, Rubio 12th, Baker 20th, Hunter Pratt 24th (20:00.15), and Orion Allred 31st (20:26.26), respectively. A sixth Bobcat, Prisco Capangpangan, was 38th (21:03.88).
Fifth-place Fort Thomas had Titla 18th, senior Leandro Kenton 27th (20:13.49 PR), sophomore Aaden Anderson 39th (21:06.52 PR), junior Keon Williams 43rd (21:37.32), and freshman Demari Anderson 45th (22:09.84 PR). The sixth and seventh Apaches, freshman Michael Rogers and sophomore Amare Ethelbal, were 55th (22:59.59 PR) and 64th (25:17.89), respectively.
Pima was sixth with Charles Richardson at 18th, senior Keaton Bryce 22nd (19:44.57 PR), junior Joel Mattice 42nd (21:11.66), freshman Tell Richardson 44th (21:39.73), and sophomore Alakai Nieves 48th (22:24.71). The sixth and seventh Roughriders, juniors Cartsen Cluff and Adam Bryce, were 56th (23:23.63) and 58th (23:48.75 PR), respectively.
Seventh-place San Carlos had junior Dakota Edwards 28th (20:15.66), senior Aden Patterson 29th (20:17.63), junior Kris Church 37th (21:00.08), junior Talen Pechuli 49th (22:32.89), and freshman Aiden Burdette 50th (22:40.79). The sixth Brave, sophomore Kevin Church, was 51st (22:44.48).
Safford was eighth with Gonzales seventh, freshman Kaden Zaugg 46th (22:16.32), senior Christian Barney 47th (22:17.20 PR), sophomore Karlos Enrico 54th (22:53.30), and junior Michael Cuevas 65th (25:31.65 SR).
Saint David was ninth with junior Stratford Reynolds 33rd (20:40.02 PR), junior Braydon Posey 34th (20:41.33), junior Zak Barten 53rd (22:51.63 PR), junior Ezra Fry was 59th (24:06.48 SR), and senior Jaxen Brogan 63rd (25:00.98 PR).
In tenth place, Willcox had junior Nathan Riggs 32nd (20:27.82 SR), freshman Cooper Allred 40th (21:08.57 PR), junior Mark Wilson 52nd (22:50.85 PR), freshman Ruben Sanchez 60th (24:18.71), and sophomore Brigham Nolan 61st (24:29.54). The sixth Cowboy, sophomore Landon Hooper, was 62nd (24:47.26 PR).
Morenci sophomore Ryder Nelson was 26th (20:10.79), sophomore Ezra Gros 57th (23:41.38 PR), and Isaiah Schenk 66th (25:49.56 PR).
Alchesay freshman Deejaye Juan finished first (20:12.71) in the boys open.
