Martin paces Lady Raiders with another win

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
Whitehorse cross country standout Keiarra Martin added yet another win to her résumé this past Saturday, September 21 at the Shiprock, NM Chieftain Invitational.
Martin paced the Lady Raiders with a 20-minute, ten-second performance in the annual 5K varsity race hosted by Shiprock High School.
Lamyia Benally was 35th overall in 24:02 for the Whitehorse girls with Maria Yellowman finishing 40th in 24:16 and Heidi Clark taking 41st in 24:29.
Laylah Benally came home 47th for the Lady Raiders with her time of 25:04, crushing her personal best by over two minutes. Hannah Clark crossed the line in 56th place with a time of 25:36.
Katie Whitehair took 75th overall in 29:43, a new personal best by over two minutes. And Rayauna Lee was 77th with a time of 31:19, also a new personal record. The Whitehorse girls were eighth as a team at the event.
The Raider boys did not register a team score, but they got solid performances from the four runners who participated in the race.
Elam Etsitty led the team with a 21st-place finish, crossing the line in 19:09. Ethan Begay posted a time of 19:37 to take 30th overall.
Riley Benallie was 62nd for Whitehorse with his time of 22:30 and Hyatt Thomas took 68th place with a 23:18.
The Whitehorse harriers are going to stay very busy with six races over the course of the next 18 days. They’re in Moab for the Red Rock Invitational this Wednesday, September 25.
This Saturday, September 28 the team is heading right back to New Mexico for the SkyHawk Invitational in Newcomb.
On October 2 they’ll be at the John Thornton Invite in Blanding, then the Lake Powell Invitational in Page, AZ on October 5.
The Tuba City, AZ Invitational is set for October 9 and the team will conclude the regular season at the Chicken Creek Challenge in Mancos, CO on October 12.