Bronco boys win home meet, girls third as team closes regular season

by Jessica Walker
Contributing Writer
The San Juan High School cross country team hosted the annual John Thornton Invitational this past Wednesday, October 4. The John Thornton course is one that, as any runner will attest, is grueling.
Set on Pacheco Trail behind the Visitor Center, the sandy course features several hills including a massive, rocky hill about halfway through the race that elicits groans as racers round the corner and discover it towering menacingly before them.
With twelve different schools at the meet this year, there was no shortage of competition either. Despite the challenging course and competition, the Bronco harriers clearly demonstrated their skill and showcased the hard work they have been putting in with a first-place victory for the boys and a third-place finish for the girls.
The team also came away with several individual top finishes. Winning the entire meet and leading his team to victory with a time of 17:27 was Edward Lyman. He breezed through the course, beating the nearest competitor by over a minute.
Also with impressive individual top-ten finishes were Ryan McCullough in sixth with a time of 19:04, Abe Lyman in seventh with a time of 19:12, Noah Begay in ninth with a time of 19:18, and Austin Pincock in tenth with a time of 19:19.
Platte Lyman came in next in 14th with a time of 19:29. It’s unusual to see a freshman on the boys varsity team, but Platte has been a consistent, integral member of the varsity team this season.
Rosendo Martine rounded out the varsity runners with a 28th-place finish and a time of 20:13. Despite not being fully recovered from his illness, Martine beat his 2022 time by over 20 seconds.
That’s pretty impressive since the 2022 race was run on the much faster time trial course due to heavy rains that made the Pacheco Trail course impassable.
Brittany Jensen and Sincere Nez led the San Juan girls team with decisive finishes. Coming in neck-and-neck, Jensen and Nez claimed ninth- and tenth-place finishes with times of 22:41 and 22:42.
Brinley Jones and Leah Johnson were next to cross the finish line in 23rd and 28th with times of 25:02 and 25:55. Johnson was followed by Ada Lyman in 36th with a time of 26:41.
Sierra Black and Rose Kartchner rounded out the varsity team in 43rd and 44th. Just seconds apart, the duo finished with times of 27:56 and 27:59.
Next up for the Broncos is the Monticello Milk Run, a just-for-fun competition with other San Juan County teams on Tuesday, October 10 at the Hideout Golf Course. The winners receive a favorite post-run treat, chocolate milk, as their prize.
On Tuesday, October 17 the team heads to Moab to compete in the 2A Region 15 Championship at Grand County High School.