2nd Mancos Invite scheduled for today

2nd Mancos Invite scheduled for today

Oct. 7, 2000

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

Only the second ever Mancos Invitational Cross-Country Meet will be held today, Oct. 7.

"It was put together rather quickly last year. I think we have eight teams for sure and may be a couple more," MHS head coach Tim Dunham said. "I believe Bayfield; (Montezuma-)Cortez girls; Monticello, Utah; Monte Vista; Del Norte; Silverton; and Blanding, Utah; are all coming. But it should be a pretty good meet."

The runners will compete at the Chicken Creek Ski Area, north of Mancos. The varsity girls and boys will start around 10 a.m.

"This is a great course," he noted. "They run in the woods. There are no houses. They get to run among the pine trees. It is quite a unique setting for a high school cross-country course. There are a few hills with some climb. The starting elevation is around 7,500 feet above sea level."

Dunham reported he is changing the course a little bit at the start and finish lines in order to accommodate all the teams better.

The Blue Jay boys are still doing well, but the team suffered a blow when top distance runner Jordan Davis recently left the team and suddenly transferred to Cortez. They competed last Saturday, Sept. 30, at Bayfield, the first meet without Davis.

Aztec, N.M., won the boys’ meet with 30 points. Monticello, Utah, came in second with 43, followed by Pagosa Springs with 66, Mancos 69, Bloomfield, N.M., 78, and host Bayfield 83. Four other teams participated but did not have enough runners to score. The top finisher was Chris Parks of Aztec who won with a time of 18 minutes, 07 seconds.

Top placers for Mancos were: Jesse Rousset, ninth, 19:17; Doyle Edgerton, 17, 20:11; Greg Cummings, 20th, 20:44; Sven McNeil, 23rd, 20:56; and Micah Sucherman, 27th, 21:29. The Mancos JV boys won their meet and they were led by Alan Cummings who placed fourth in 20:46.

"Overall, I thought they did pretty well considering losing our top runner. They all picked it up. They ran hard. I still believe we have a good chance of going to State," Dunham remarked.

On the girls’ side of the ledger, Monticello won with 19 points. Bayfield came in second with 44, Pagosa Springs placed third with 46, and Alamosa fourth 84. The Jays did not have enough girls to score. The top female runner was Marilyn Harris of Monticello who finished in 21:52.

The Mancos girls were led by Megan Doty 30th, 28:05; Amanda Kennedy (who was ill) 34th, 30:20; and Dorothy Edgerton, 38th, 34:12.

"The girls are hanging in there. They are improving all the time," he said.

The Panthers, meanwhile, did not run at Gallup, N.M., on Sept. 30 as scheduled, according to MCHS head coach Dave Dillman. The Panthers are led by Becca Whitehead, Jennifer Millican, and Chesleigh Keene.

The Jays end the regular season at Sargent on Oct. 14. Regionals is set for Aspen on Oct. 21. State is set for Oct. 28.