Narrow as the Chicken Creek Challenge’s ridge-like home stretch is, three runners began their kick toward the finish-line funnel almost at the same time on Sept. 30.
Two of them, one wearing an Ignacio uniform, made for a dramatic finish.
Emerging into the sunny clearing to fans’ enthusiastic cheers, Edward Lyman of Blanding, Utah’s San Juan High expanded his stride enough to separate from the group and clock a winning time of 18 minutes, 56 seconds.
Abram Lyman (19:03) narrowly edged Ignacio’s Cayson Burcham for second place because of one long step. Burcham took third overall at 19:04, and the Bobcats took third place overall in the team results.
“Cayson ran really strong,” Ignacio coach Karri McCarter said. “And that was his goal, to run with Edward – when they came past me, in the last part of the race, they were shoulder-to-shoulder for the most part. But Edward’s strength, his height and his hard work – for four years – paid off; he pulled away from Cayson and his brother.”
San Juan won the boys title, while Monticello (Utah) – led by senior Jesse Pettit’s fifth-place finish at 19:30 – finished second.
Ignacio’s second runner in, James Martin, finished 14th overall at 20:07, and Phillip Quintana clocked 20:34 to place 20th overall. Trace Crane (20:49) and Judah Ashley (20:51) soon crossed consecutively, placing 22nd and 23rd, respectively. Corey Gomez (21:04) came in at 26th.
“That little pack, James to Judah, they’re starting to run really tight,” McCarter said. “Everybody had a really good race.”
In the preceding girls race, which counted 49 finishers, Ignacio’s Lauren deKay (29:00) finished 24th, while Alyssa Atencio (34:08) took 43rd overall.
“Lauren’s struggled the past two years with ankle injuries, so she does really well out on the course with, at times, severe ankle strains. But she continues to run,” McCarter said. “And Alyssa’s goal, again, is to be in really good shape for basketball season – and she’s getting into fantastic shape. Both those girls are running really well.”
Monticello won the girls team title, thanks to the 1-2-3 finish of Marah Long (22:49, Lilli Burton (23:03) and Ayla Carling (23:27).
Up next, Ignacio will journey east to Colorado Springs for Air Academy’s Kadet Invitational on Friday.
