Morenci hosts cross country meet on Wednesday

By Raymundo Frasquillo

GREENLEE COUNTY – Ten schools are scheduled to compete in the 2025 Copper Hills Cross Country Classic on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The schools include Thatcher from the Division III Southern, along with Benson, Bisbee, Fort Thomas, Morenci, Pima, Saint David, San Carlos, Tombstone, and Willcox from the Division IV South. The starting gun sounds at 2 p.m. for the open run, 2:30 p.m. for varsity boys, and 3 p.m. for varsity girls.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Alchesay runners finished first, with six of seven in the Top 20 during the Thatcher Invitational. Individual placers were Benson senior Rayleigh Olsen (311) with first of 44, Alchesay sophomore Kylie Ovah (304) second, and Nogales junior Sophia Vallejo (331) third.

Last season, Thatcher placed first with 44 points, Pima second (54), Benson third (74), Morenci fourth (83), and Forth Thomas fifth (96).

Among the expected 2024 Top 10 finishers of 32 were Benson senior Rayleigh Olsen with 22:03.02 for first, Fort Thomas senior Sadie Harvey second (23:02.37), Thatcher senior Jade Richardson fourth (24:34.69), Pima sophomore Kaylen Minor sixth (24:46.80), Thatcher sophomore Grace Daley seventh (24:48.43), Morenci junior Hazel Salinas eighth (25:03.17), and Thatcher junior Claire Palmer 10th (25:06.19). Olsen finished 11th (21:35.6) of 109, Harvey 21st (22:13.0), Minor 54th (24:35.40), and Salinas 59th (24:47.1) during the 2024 Division IV state meet.

This season, Olsen clocked in with a course record 20:08.95 of 44 during the Thatcher-held Oct. 8 meet, Harvey was sixth (22:24.27), Minor 15th (23:38.72), Palmer 18th (23:56.18), and Salinas 19th (23:58.55).

Thatcher Girls Invitational (Oct. 8)

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Alchesay sophomore Peyton Parker (305) finished fourth at the Thatcher Invitational, and was followed by Thatcher sophomore Brightyn Stevens (351), who finished fifth.

Whiteriver Alchesay finished first with 34 points, Nogales second (62), Thatcher third (67), Fort Thomas fourth (91), and Pima fifth (94). Full teams were not fielded by Benson, with four entrants; both Globe and Morenci had two, and both Safford and Willcox each had one.

Last season, Alchesay was first with 45 points, Thatcher second (70), Benson third (77), Morenci fourth (94), Pima fifth (104), and Fort Thomas sixth (126). Tombstone had three entrants, and both Globe and Safford had two apiece.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Fort Thomas senior Sadie Harvey (318) ended sixth, Nogales freshman Ana Nunez (330) seventh, and Alchesay sophomore Dolli Nachu (303) eighth at the Thatcher Invitational.

Individually, Benson senior Rayleigh Olsen clocked in with a personal best 20:08.95 for first of 44, Alchesay junior Kylie Ovah second (20:16.37), Nogales junior Sophia Vallejo third (21:35.06), Alchesay sophomore Peyton Parker fourth (22:09.22), Thatcher sophomore Brightyn Stevens fifth (22:19.48), Fort Thomas senior Sadie Harvey sixth (24:24.27 SB), Nogales freshman Ana Nunez seventh (22:28.96 PR), Alchesay sophomore Dolli Nachu eighth (22:40.71), Pima freshman Jacey Tilley ninth (22:45.06), and Alchesay senior Cadence Antonio 10th (22:46.57 PR).

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Pima freshman Jacey Tilley (337) finished ninth, and Alchesay senior Cadence Antonio (301) finished 10th at the Thatcher Invitational.*

Thatcher junior Addison Williams was 11th (22:59.99 PR), Benson freshman Arden Tucker 12th (23:07.23), Nogales sophomore Arlette Munoz 13th (23:31.26), Fort Thomas freshman Maya Kessay 14th (23:38.40 PR), Pima sophomore Kaylen Minor 15th (23:38.72), Alchesay sophomore Kylie Mansfield 16th (23:45.70 SR), Alchesay sophomore Cedella Stevens 17th (23:51.78 PR), Thatcher senior Claire Palmer 18th (23:56.18 PR), Morenci junior Hazel Salinas 19th (23:58.55 SR), and Thatcher freshman Zoe Ochoa 20th (23:58.62 PR).

First place Alchesay had six of seven finish in the top 20, with Ovah second, Parker fourth, Nachu eighth, Antonio 10th, and Mansfield 16th. Sixth and seventh Falcons, Stevens and freshman Kylee Yellow, were 17th and 31st (25:37.65), respectively.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Thatcher junior Addison Williams (352) was 11th, Benson freshman Arden Tucker (314) was 12th, and Nogales sophomore Arlette Munoz (328) was 13th at the Thatcher Invitational.

Runners-up Nogales had Vallejo third, Nunez seventh, Munoz 13th, senior Mayte Navarro-Fernandez 26th (24:44.92), and senior Ximena Barnet 27th (24:48.09). The sixth and seventh Apaches, junior Jasmine Castro and senior Carolina Bustamante, were 29th (25:08.02 SR) and 38th (26:14.47), respectively.

Third place Thatcher had Stevens fifth, Williams 11th, Palmer 18th, Ochoa 20th, and sophomore Delila Sanchez 25th (24:39.26). The sixth and seventh Eagles, seniors Sadie Dorr and Sophie Martinez, were 30th (25:11.18 SR) and 35th (25:59.44), respectively.

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Fort Thomas freshman Maya Kessay (320) finished 14th, and Pima sophomore Kaylen Minor (335) finished 15th at the Thatcher Invitational.*

Fourth-place Fort Thomas had Sadie Harvey sixth, Kessay 14th, freshman Alanah Harvey 24th (24:36.05 PR), sophomore Tyrekia Harvey 32nd (25:43.32 PR), and senior Makayla Chapman 33rd (25:46.30 PR). The sixth and seventh Apaches, sophomore Leilynn Wesley and junior Corey Cody, were 34th (25:46.30) and 40th (27:40.63), respectively.

Fifth place Pima had Jacey Tilley ninth, Minor 15th, senior Merrill DeCrow 21st (24:10.43), freshman Ella Ashby 28th (24:59.74), and sophomore Jailey Tilley 39th (26:52.50). A sixth Roughrider, junior Page Ashby was 41st (28:20.36),

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Alchesay sophomore Kylie Mansfield (302) finished 16th, Alchesay sophomore Cedella Stevens (306) 17th, and Thatcher senior Claire Palmer (349) 18th at the Thatcher Invitational.

Benson had Olsen first, freshman Arden Tucker 12th (23:07.23), senior Araya Stanley 22nd (23:15.50), and sophomore Hayden Ray 42nd (28:33.28); Globe had juniors Carina Garcia 37th (26:14.03) and Sage Parsons 43rd (30:22.18 PR); Morenci had Salinas 19th and sophomore Peytin Corbell 23rd (24:32.77 PR); Willcox had freshman Katelyn Millenaar 36th (26:09.91 PR); and Safford had sophomore Krista Zale 44th (30:33.29 SR).

Thatcher senior Clara Barron finished first (24:33.57 SR) of 48 in the girls open run.