Excellent day for both San Juan cross country teams in Durango
The San Juan Bronco harriers began the month of October with an exceptional run in Durango, CO at the Four Corners Classic this past Friday, October 1.
The Durango course, set at the Hillcrest Golf Course, is fairly flat but also features a 5K distance instead of a three-mile distance.
For those not familiar with running distances, although the 5K is only a tenth of a mile longer, it’s normal for times to be 45 seconds to a minute slower than three-mile distances.
Any personal record is impressive, but with the added distance each record set became even more so. Among the Broncos who set personal records at this race were Logan Keith, Dakota Long, Luke Jones, and Nadia Armajo.
Leading out the racing in Durango was the boys team. Edward Lyman was the first Bronco to cross the finish line with an 18:33 time, snagging a top-ten finish in eighth place.
The next three runners finished within seconds of each other. First in the pack was Ryan McCullough in 18th with a time of 19:26. Close behind was Abe Lyman in 19th with a 19:30. Next was Daniel Jolley in 20th in 19:32.
Less than 20 seconds behind Jolley was Logan Keith who finished with a time of 19:49. As mentioned above, Keith’s time gave him a new personal best.
Only a freshman, Keith has continued to impress this season as he has consistently gained speed and climbed into and up through the varsity spots.
Following Keith and rounding out the varsity runners for the Broncos were Spencer Jensen in 32nd with a time of 20:27 and Toby Ward in 35th with a 20:37.
The Broncos’ tight finishes and teamwork led them to a third-place team result. They were bested only by the host Durango Demons and Shiprock.
In the girls race, Ella Lyman was the first Bronco to cross the finish line. Against stiff competition, Lyman was able to finish in 18th place, posting a season-best time of 23:18.
She was followed by Saylor Perkins in 48th who finished in 27:04. Perkins has been one of the most consistent runners for San Juan this season and continues to be a huge asset to the girls team.
Perkins was followed by a pack of Broncos who finished in 64th, 65th, and 66th. Leading the charge was Taryn Nielson with a time of 32:54. Megan Black finished in 32:58 and Nadia Armajo came across in 33:05.
Next up, the Broncos will take another trip across the state line to compete at the Chicken Creek Challenge in Mancos, CO this Saturday, October 9 in one of the final races before the 2A Region 19 Cross Country meet later this month.