Thatcher boys place first in Willcox meet
By Raymundo Frasquillo
BAYARD – Season-best times for each of the seven Morenci entrants were posted in the New Mexico Bayard Cobre Invitational on Sept. 14. The Wildcats were a point shy of tying for first place.
Senior Anthony Heathman clocked in at 18:24.00 for fifth of 54 entrants, senior Trent Nelson was seventh (18:29.00), freshman Ryder Nelson 14th (19:48.00), freshman Braxton Merrill 16th (20:03.00), and junior Lyndale Waterhouse 20th (20:41.00). Sixth and seventh Wildcats, junior Aaron Esquivel and senior Tristan Burke were 39th (22:20.00) and 44th (23:21.00), respectively.
Eight New Mexico schools were represented, including Cliff, Cobre, Deming, Las Cruces, Las Cruces Mayfield, Santa Teresa, Silver City’s Silver, and Truth or Consequences Hot Springs; two from Arizona in Morenci and Tombstone; and one from Texas in El Paso Irvin.
Nine schools had a full team. Silver finished first with 61 points, Morenci second (62), Tombstone third (66), Las Cruces fourth (115), Cobre fifth (129), Mayfield sixth (132), Cliff seventh (140), Irvin eighth (195), Hot Springs ninth (219).
The top five finishers were Silver junior Brock Anderson with 17:24.00, followed by Las Cruces junior Jacob Sierra (17:47.00), Tombstone senior Landen Pease (18:08.00), Cliff freshman Bryson Shock (18:19.00), and Heathman.
Texas El Paso Eastwood Class of 2017 grad Daniel Bernal set the course record of 16:57.00 on Sept. 20, 2014, as a freshman.
Willcox Invitational – Boys Varsity
Safford junior Grady Lackner clocked in with a time of 20:06.89 to finish first during the Willcox Invitational on Sept. 11. There were 61 participants from 12 schools, with four light of a full team. The Thatcher Eagles placed first with 54 points, followed by Benson (65), Sells Baboquivari (73), Morenci (81), Tombstone (103), Saint David (159), Fort Thomas (180), and Douglas (191).
Morenci’s Heathman and Trent Nelson were second (20:10.30) and third (20:16.72), respectively, Thatcher senior Callum Winkler fourth (20:17.66), and Sells Baboquivari sophomore Ezekiel Hendricks fifth (20:37.78).
Benson was in second with sophomore Jace Myatt finishing sixth (20:43.10), senior Syric Ramirez 10th (21:38.65), sophomore Salomon Crowley 17th (22:55.28), sophomore Kolten Maxwell 23rd (23:43.10), and freshman Prisco Capangpangan 24th (23:49.04). The sixth and seventh Bobcats, freshmen Dallin Jones and Orion Allred were 39th (24:52.85) and 43rd (26:18.07), respectively. Safford Class of 2020 grad Jacob Urrea set 18:18.30 as the time to beat during the Oct. 15, 2019 meet.
Baboquivari ended third with Hendricks, sophomore Angel Martinez at 13th (22:15.26), freshman Kyler Baptisto at 20th (23: 52.86), junior Juan Martin at 25th (23:55.69), and senior Mariano Francisco at 26th (23:58.73). The sixth and seventh Warriors, freshman Kaiden Thomas and senior Cade Widener were 29th (24:09.56) and 23rd (24:20.19), respectively. The Thatcher Eagles included Winkler, freshman Westen Dement in seventh (20:47.74), junior Gavin Reed in ninth (21:26.52), junior Bryson Nielson in 16th (22:55.14), and freshman Ryan Griffin in 30th (24:15.05). The sixth Eagle, senior Hudson Gibson was 31st (24:17.09).
Fourth place Morenci had Heathman, Trent Nelson, and Ryder Nelson at 11th (21:59.03), Esquivel at 42nd (25:32.66), and Waterhouse at 44th (26:23.12).
Tombstone placed fifth with senior Landen Pease at eighth (20:50.00), senior Danary Jackson at 15th (22:48.78), freshman Aiden Werkheiser at 34th (24:24.30), sophomore Colton Thursby at 36th (24:36.98), and freshman Logan Masters at 38th (24:45.13). The sixth Eagle senior Hudson Gibson was 31st (24:17.09).
Sixth place Saint David had sophomore Brayden Posey at 18th (23:11.67), senior Corban Fry at 19th (23:11.95), sophomore Ezra Fry at 49th (27:42.95), sophomore Zak Barten at 54th (28:30.97), and sophomore Nathan Merrill at 58th (29:45.94). The sixth Tiger was sophomore Jaryn Brogan at 61st (41:13.86).
Fort Thomas was seventh with junior Aiden Victor at 27th (24:04.62), freshman Aaden Anderson at 40th (25:00.63), junior Leandro Kenton at 50th (27:54.79), freshman Vernon Nofchissey at 42nd (28:29.52), and junior Koby Hunter at 56th (29:25.72).
Eighth place Douglas had Israel Salcido at 41st (25:18.32), Elayan Gonzalez at 45th (26:34.59), Francisco Santana at 48th (27:13.67), Albert Botello at 52nd (28:20.70), and Ramon Chavez at 55th (29:06.74).
Other individual finishers were Safford junior Noah Gonzales at 12th (22:13.10), Pima sophomore Oliver McCray at 14th (22:29.14), Pima junior Isaac Thompson at 21st (23:27.43), Bisbee sophomore Pete Noperi at 22nd (23:27.95), Safford freshman Cort Konrath at 28th (24:06.72), Bisbee senior Eduardo Navarrete-Martinez at 33rd (24:20.90), Willcox sophomore Nathan Riggs at 35th (24:25.08), Willcox sophomore Mark Wilson at 37th (24:43.05), Safford freshman Karlos Enrico at 46th (26:51.59), Pima freshman Kia Nieves at 51st (28:01.98), Pima sophomore Carsten Cluff at 57th (29:42.20), Bisbee senior Michael Hernandez at 59th (29:52.25), and Bisbee junior Eliel Bonilla at 60th (32:10.17).
Willcox Invitational – Boys Open
The lone Tombstone entrants, freshman Chase Davidson had a time of 25:19.34 to place first of 22 open runners, with 10 from Thatcher, five from Morenci, four from Baboquivari, and two from Willcox.
