Panther girls take second

Panther girls take second; Jay boys grab third

Sept 15, 2001

STAFF REPORT

AZTEC — It was a good outing for the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls cross-country team and a good run for the Mancos boys cross-country team at the annual Aztec Invitational which was held Sept. 8.

The Cortez girls captured second place in their division and the Mancos boys took third in their side.

The Bayfield girls’ cross country team dominated the Aztec Invitational on Saturday, scoring 26 points to easily defeat the second-place 57 put up by MCHS. Aztec placed third with 67.

Wolverine runner Jackie Shaw finished as the top runner for the meet. She crossed in 20 minutes, 57 seconds, her best time of the season.

For the Panther girls, Amanda Graffis zipped to a 21:39 for third place, Hannah Mortensen finished in eight in 23:41, Julie Christenson ran a 24:22 for 12th, Chesleigh Keene placed 13th in 24:22, Chelsea Mortensen came in 19th in 25:26, Holly Smith came in 21st in 26:15, Jessica Millican had a personal best time of 27:51 for 22nd, and Casey Johnson finished 28:28 for 30th.

The top four places scored in the meet.

Jordan Davis had a nice run for the MCHS boys after missing the first meet because of an injury. He finished fourth overall with a time of 19:23. Drew Webster came in 17th in 21:06.

"This was a very good meet for us," MCHS first-year head coach Amber Olson commented. "Bayfield has excellent runners. But we did very well."

Olson reported the Aztec course is one of the toughest in New Mexico.

"It was a very hilly course," she added. "It wasn’t so much that it was hard, but there were a lot of hills. They weren’t big hills but lots of rolling type."

MHS boys finished with 65 points. Host Aztec won the meet with 46 and Bayfield finished with 59. Only the top three teams were scored.

"I’m encouraged with the guys, they really ran well," MHS head coach Tim Dunham commented. "It was a small meet but a pretty good one. It was a hilly course, starting at the Aztec High School practice field. For this type of course, they did a good job."

Mancos had three runners place among the top 10. Preston Hennrich was the top placer, in seventh, with a clocking of 20 minutes, 04 seconds. Alan Cummings, eighth, was timed in 20:12 and Levi Martinez, 10th, in 20:26. Ian Millikin came in 18th in 21:18 and Kyle Yeomans, 22nd, in 22:16.

Individually for the MHS girls, Karena Dunham was the top female runner for the Blue Jays as she placed 29th in 28 minutes, 15 seconds. Aspen Hennrich came in 31st in 29:02; Dorothy Edgerton, 32nd, in 30:21; Lindy Rousset, 35th, 34:56; and Cassandra Kennedy, 36th, 34:56.

"We have such a young girls’ team this season. This was their first meet of the season," he added.

Shiprock is next on the schedule today, Sept. 15, for MCHS and MHS.

"There is one big hill on the Shiprock course but other than that it has even terrain," Dunham said.

The Panthers will travel this Wednesday, Sept. 19, to compete at Blanding, Utah.