Bronco harriers showcase talent in Monticello

by Jessica Walker
Contributing Writer
On the eve of Labor Day weekend, the San Juan High School cross country team made a brief trip to their neighbors in Monticello for the annual Loyds Lake Classic. The race proved to be an exhilarating one for the Broncos.
Abe Lyman led the team, finishing the 3.1-mile course in 18:00. His abundant amount of natural talent and enormous potential were on full display as he clinched a fifth-place overall finish.
Rosendo Martine came in next in seventh place in 18:42. Martine has shown incredible dedication and fire throughout the offseason. Together, Lyman and Martine are exceptional leaders for a talented, promising boys varsity team.
Less than 20 seconds after Martine, Platte Lyman crossed the finish line in 18:57. His performance earned him a 12th-place finish.
Keegan McCullough, Jack Kartchner, and Oren Bradford finished next in 17th, 19th, and 24th with times of 19:13, 19:22, and 19:38. Noah Begay rounded out the varsity team in 20:36 and a 27th-place finish.
In the JV division Austin Pincock raced to a first-place finish. Dominating the next finisher by almost a minute, Pincock finished in 18:45. His blazing time was fast enough that if he had run in the varsity division he would have placed eighth overall and third on his team.
Five other JV runners finished in the top ten: Jeraden Hurst (fourth, 20:21), Ethan Francom (fifth, 20:21), James Gosney (seventh, 21:04), Logan Keith (eighth, 21:12), and Kyle Begay (ninth, 21:17).
In a thrilling team finish for the varsity team, the boys edged out Provo High School, a school over four times their size, for a second-place team finish.
Normally only the first four or five runners (depending on the meet) contribute directly to the team score and the remaining runners are used as tiebreakers.
Jack Kartchner was the tiebreaker in this race and he decisively bested Provo High’s Alex Castro securing the second-place finish for the Broncos.
In the JV division, the boys’ impressive individual finishes led to a commanding win. Their win alongside the varsity team’s second-place finish showcases the depth of a tremendously promising boys team.
The top two varsity runners on the girls side, in a strange coincidence, claimed the same places as the top two varsity boys (fifth and seventh) with the same amount of time separating them (42 seconds).
Brittany Jensen was the first female harrier to cross the line. She did so in 22:04, knocking nearly 30 seconds off her 2023 course time. Sincere Nez was next in 22:46.
Jensen and Nez are two athletes who continue to demonstrate how competitive, talented athletes can propel each other’s performances to new heights.
Just a week earlier at the UIAAA Invitational their places had been reversed with Nez racing to a season-best just 20 seconds ahead of Jensen.
Sierra Black and Harmony Oshley followed Nez, crossing the finish line in 26th and 30th with times of 28:33 and 30:38.
Rounding out the final three varsity athletes for San Juan were Rose Kartchner, Taryn Nielson, and Jessie Black. The trio finished within five places of each other in 31st, 33rd, and 36th. Their times were 31:24, 32:50, and 33:25.
Although the girls’ team performance was hampered by the absence of Brinley Jones and Ada Lyman, two varsity runners who have consistently placed third and fourth, the team still put up a solid overall performance, earning a fourth-place team finish.
The Broncos will travel across state lines for their next race in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Tiger Invitational is set for this Saturday, September 7 at the Connected Lakes State Park Cross Country Course. Racing begins at 9 a.m.