By Raymundo Frasquillo
RIO RICO – The Division III – South Sectional meet qualified Rio Rico with 48 points for first, Tucson Salpointe Catholic second (53), Tucson Tanque Verde third (111), Tucson Sabino fourth (116), Sahuarita Walden Grove fifth (180), Tucson Catalina sixth (186), Safford seventh (188), and Tucson Pusch Ridge Christian eighth (195) on Oct. 23.
The state meet is on the Cave Creek Golf Course, 15202 North 19th Avenue in Phoenix on Nov. 2.
Non-qualifying teams were Sahuarita ninth (230), Tucson Empire 10th (239), Tucson Palo Verde Magnet 11th (303), Thatcher 12th (312), Tucson Sahuaro 13th (358), Andrada Polytechnic 14th (406), Douglas 15th (418). Tucson Amphitheater had two entrants.
The top 10 individual placers were section champion Tanque Verde senior Andrew Smith with 16:33.40, Salpointe senior Aric Accetta with 16:38.90 (second), and Catalina junior Emiliano Caldera with 16:53. 80 (third), Sabino senior Noah Hymson with 17:04.90 (fourth), Rio Rico junior Julian Guillermo with 17:08.20 (fifth), Rio Rico sophomore Jay Teso with 17:27.50 (sixth), Rio Rico sophomore Arian Puig with 17:29.90 (seventh), Salpointe sophomore Ian Morelock with 17:34.50 (eighth), Salpointe senior Nathan Lehrling with 17:34.90 (ninth), and Rio Rico senior Jose Hernandez with 17:38.40 (10th).
Safford had junior Grady Lackner with 18:09.40 (13th), senior Andrew Ortega with 18:21.90 (19th), junior Noah Gonzales with 19:57.20 (46th), sophomore Justin Hatchet with 20:12.40 (54th), and sophomore Kendrick Fritz with 20:14.40 (56th). The sixth and seventh Bulldogs, freshman Cort Konrath and freshman Karlos Enrico were 21:50.10 (78th) and 22:24.60 (86th), respectively.
The seven individual qualifiers included Sahuaro freshman Jacob De Filipo with 18:13.70 (15th), Palo Verde junior Care Makiir with 18:30.00 (23rd), Sahuarita sophomore Daniel Kibbey with 18:44.90 (28th), Sahuarita sophomore Gabriel Felix with 18:53.10 (30th), Thatcher freshman Westen Dement with 19:14.10 (37th), Empire sophomore Ukiah Dziadosz with 19:16.90 (39th), and Empire senior Jeffery (Taylor) Zobell with 19:39.20 (43rd).
Thatcher had Dement, junior Bryson Nielson with 20:36.10 (61st), senior Wallace Haller with 20:40.40 (63rd), freshman Ryan Griffin with 20:46.90 (68th), and senior Callum Winkler with 20:04.50 (83rd). The sixth and seventh Eagles, senior Hudson Gibson and freshman Blake Bingham had 22:17.90 (84th) and 22:22.70 (85th), respectively.
Division IV – South Sectional
The Morenci Wildcats qualified for the state cross country meet on Nov. 2. The Cave Creek Golf Course, 15202 North 19th Avenue in Phoenix, will be their final challenge of the season. The Wildcats collectively completed the Rio Rico section course in third place among 11 teams on Oct. 23.
Sells Baboquivari was first with 69 points, Benson second (87), Morenci third (87), Tombstone fourth (103), Tucson’s The Gregory School fifth (106), and Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic sixth (167).
Non-qualifying teams were Pima at seventh (170), Bisbee at eighth (184), Willcox at ninth (230), Saint David at 10th (233), and Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind at 11th (266) as well as three-member schools Fort Thomas and Tucson Desert Christian.
The top 10 individual placers were section champion Tucson’s The Gregory School senior Jaxon Maher with 18:19.50, Saint Augustine sophomore Jonathan Ochoa with 18:21.10 (second), Baboquivari had junior Noah Segundo with 18:49.50 (third), Morenci senior Trent Nelson with 18:51.60 (fourth), Tucson’s The Gregory School senior Braden Lockaby with 19:11.50 (fifth), Morenci senior Anthony Heathman with 19:15.10 (sixth), Baboquivari sophomore Ezekiel Hendricks with 19:38.10 (seventh), Salpointe sophomore Ian Morelock with 17:34.50 (eighth), Tucson’s The Gregory School junior Quinn Denhert with 19:46.00 (ninth), and Benson senior Syric Ramirez with 19:58.10 (10th).
Representing Morenci in the state meet are seniors Trent Nelson with 18:51.60 (fourth) and Anthony Heathman with 19:15.10 (sixth), freshmen Ryder Nelson with 20:19.50 (13th), and Braxton Merrill with 21:09.10 (24th), and juniors Lyndale Waterhouse with 22:49.30 (44th) and Aaron Esquivel with 27:30.70 (69th).
Season bests are 18:13.20 (Sept. 19, 2024) for Heathman, 18:22.50 (Oct. 12) for Trent Nelson, and 22:13.60 (Oct. 12) for Esquivel while personal bests are 19:43.30 (Sept. 19) for Ryder Nelson, 20:03.00 (Sept. 14) for Merrill, and 20:33.10 (Oct. 12) for Waterhouse.
Section team champion Baboquivari had junior Noah Segundo with 18:49.50 (third), sophomore Ezekiel Hendricks with 19:38.10 (seventh), senior Mariano Francisco with 20:27.90 (15th), junior Juan Martin with 21:06.50), and freshman Kyler Baptisto with 21:14.10 (25th). The sixth and seventh Warriors, senior Cade Widener and freshman Milar Miller and sophomore Angel Martinez had 21:18.30 (26th) and 21:47.10 (35th), respectively.
Runner-up Benson had senior Syric Ramirez with 19:58.10 (10th), sophomore Jace Myatt with 20:14.50 (11th), sophomore Kolten Maxwell (20:47.20 (20th), junior Emerson Owens with (20:51.70 (21st), and junior Makai Pralgo with (21:20.10 (28th). The sixth and seventh Bobcats, freshman Prisco Capangpangan and sophomore Salomon Crowley had 21:20.20 (29th) and 22:13.00 (41st), respectively.
Fourth place Tombstone had senior Landen Pease with 19:56.50 (ninth), senior Danary Jackson with 20:30.90 (17th), freshman Jason Whipple with 20:33.10 (18th), freshman Aiden Werkheiser with 21:20.00 (27th), and sophomore Colton Thursby 22:02.20 (37th). The sixth and seventh Yellow Jackets, freshman Chase Davidson and senior Logan Masters had 22:23.00 (42nd) and 23:45.50 (47th), respectively.
In fifth place, The Gregory School had senior Jaxon Maher with 18:19.50 (first), senior Braden Lockaby with 19:11.50 (fifth), junior Quinn Denhert with 19:46.00 (eighth), junior Logan Hubble with 21:21.90 (32nd), and junior Nick Labukas with 26:48.80 (67th). The sixth and seventh Hawks, freshman Roi Gishes and junior Ben Tweito had 27:39.10 (70th) and 38:30.80 (76th), respectively.
Sixth place Saint Augustine had sophomore Jonathan Ochoa with 18:21.10 (second), freshman Christopher Carrillo with 21:53.50 (36th), sophomore Hector Medel with 22:09.70 (40th), junior Angel De Los Rios with 23:46.80 (50th), and sophomore Isaiah Ochoa Gomez with 24:30.90 (51st).
The seven individual qualifiers included Bisbee sophomore Pete Noperi with 20:14.60 (12th), Fort Thomas junior Aiden Victor with 20:25.80 (14th), Saint David senior Corban Fry with 20:29.10 (16th), Pima sophomore Oliver McCray with 20:34.50 (19th), Pima junior Keaton Bryce with 21:08.60 (23rd), Bisbee senior Eduardo Navarrete-Martinez with 21:21.50 (30th), and Desert Christian senior Mario Contreras with 21:21.70 (31st).
Other Graham County participants included Pima junior Isaac Thompson with 22:07.10 (39th), Fort Thomas junior Leandro Leandro Kenton with 22:36.50 (43rd), Pima freshman Van Papa with 23:35.50 (48th), Fort Thomas freshman Aaden Anderson with 23:42.10 (49th), senior Kaelsy Cluff with 26:18.40 (63rd), and Pima sophomore Carsten Cluff with 27:05.50 (68th).
