Broncos pull off resounding win at Mancos race, Whitehorse and Mon Valley get strong results

by Jessica Walker
Contributing Writer
With sprinkling rain and cooler weather, local teams tested out a technical, rocky cross country course modified from years past as they traveled to Mancos, CO.
The Chicken Creek Invitational boasted competitors from 13 schools and all four of the Four Corners states.
San Juan
The Broncos drew a busy homecoming week to a close in Mancos. Although difficult to traverse and mostly single-track, the course seemed to agree with the San Juan harriers.
Winning the invitational and leading his team to a first-place victory over Monticello was Edward Lyman in 18:09. He ran most of the race with Buckaroo Jesse Pettit on his tail but was able to pick up his pace in the last half mile to widen the gap for a clear victory.
Lyman was joined in the top ten by two of his teammates, Abe Lyman and Logan Keith. Abe executed an excellent race and crossed the finish line in fourth with a time of 18:57, beating his previous best on the course by over a minute. Keith completed the race in seventh with a time of 19:46.
Edging out the competition by mere tenths of a second, Toby Ward came in next to finish in 12th. His time of 20:02 is nearly 30 seconds faster than his previous best on the course.
Next to come in was Ryan McCullough who ran a time of 20:30 to earn 14th place. Tayden Bitsoie and Noah Begay rounded out the varsity runners in 21st and 22nd place with times of 21:15 and 21:26.
Although they didn’t run varsity this week, Rosendo Martine and Dakota Long also had remarkable performances. Both Broncos ended the race within 14 seconds of Begay, the seventh-place varsity runner on the team.
On the girls side, the absence of two of the top four varsity girls at the race was keenly felt. Senior captain Saylor Perkins placed 31st with a time of 28:10 to lead the squad to a seventh-place finish.
Perkins was followed by Rose Kartchner in 36th with a time of 30:20. Jessie Black and Megan Black came home 47th and 49th with times of 33:32 and 35:20. Olivia Weeks finished 53rd with a time of 37:56.
Maggie Decker and Maddora Pilcher, both competing in their first varsity race, rounded out the Bronco runners. Decker placed 54th with a time of 51:08 and Pilcher got 55th with a time of 51:09.
The Broncos are headed to Mt. Carmel, UT this Wednesday, October 5th to compete in the Kanab Invitational.
Whitehorse
The Whitehorse High School girls team finished fourth, led by Heidi Clark in ninth overall with a time of 24:27. Hannah Clark was next for the Raiders in 19th with a time of 26:35.
Isabel Zuniga was the third-fastest Whitehorse runner, coming home 26th with a time of 27:36. Just three places behind was Shantel Begay in 29th with a time of 28:04.
Elam Etsitty and Ethan Begay led the Raiders to a fifth-place team finish on the boys side. Etsitty finished 16th with a time of 20:41 and Begay finished just four seconds later in 17th with a time of 20:45.
Begay was followed by Robryan Tapaha who finished 55th in 27:26. Riley Benallie rounded out the team with a 62nd-place result in 31:03.
Whitehorse will run in the Southwest Classic in Durango, CO this Friday, October 7.
Monument Valley
Lillianna Fatt and Gratona Gray gave Monument Valley girls solid representation at the Chicken Creek Challenge. Fatt came in first with an 18th-place finish and a time of 26:16 and Gray finished in 46th with a time of 32:55.
The Cougar boys were led by Josiah Gipe who finished 26th in 21:44. Isaiah Singer was close behind Gipe in 28th with a time of 21:51.
Singer was followed by Keshawn Atene in 44th with a time of 23:51 and Tyden Teeasyatoh in 67th with a time of 54:50. The Cougars’ collective efforts led to a seventh-place team finish.
Monument Valley hits the road to compete in the Green River Invitational this Wednesday, October 5.