All three members of Bayfield's small but tough girls' cross country team proved their mettle on Friday.
Appreciating the pace, though not factoring into the team standings, Bayfield's developing trio of Olivia Keitz, Sarah Ruybal and Mylee Sanders enjoyed their finest event to date. Each logged a season-best time in Delta, with Keitz earning 27th place in 23 minutes, 43.89 seconds. Ruybal finished in a 44th-place 25:49.25, and Sanders took 56th in 28:59.12.
Fruita-Monument's 35-point total was the meet's winning low, with Paonia (53), 3A Delta (66), Grand Junction Central (98) and 2A Ouray (105) rounding out the top five.
With season-bests coming from two support runners, the BHS boys' team set itself up well for the season's final month with a season-best fifth-place showing.
The fourth and fifth of the Wolverines' scoring five, Rylan Ross crossed in a 39th-place 19:37.03 and Nathan Carlson stayed close enough to take 43rd in 19:40.37, as the Wolverines totaled an adjusted 118 points to rank behind G.J. Central (45), Fruita-Monument (70), 3A Olathe (95) and the hosting Panthers (113).
Sophomore Elco Garcia, Jr., paced Bayfield at Sweitzer Lake State Park, with his sixth-place 17-minute, 23.86-second effort narrowly bettering GJC junior David Cardenas' 17:23.91. 2A Telluride's Jaden Evans was the champion in 16:13.27, but THS did not impact the team standings as only three Miners were in the 86-runner field.
GJC junior Tyman Smart was runner-up in 16:21.93, and FMHS senior Dalton Haraway finished third in 16:52.46. DHS junior John Ames (16:58.91) and OHS junior Cooper Rondinelli (17:19.21) filling out the top five.
BHS' Jonas Nanaeto took 24th in 18:31.22, with Sloan Mazur right behind in 27th (18:43.67). Young Nakai Lovato placed 57th in 20:54.33, while Xander Hovenstine (season-best 21:25.81) and Ethan Cook (21:29.56) finished 62nd and 63rd, respectively.
The Wolverine harriers will next compete Friday, Oct. 6, at Montezuma-Cortez's Ancient Trails Invitational, with action set to begin at 4 p.m.
SWEITZER LAKE INVITATIONAL BOYS' TEAM STANDINGS: 1.Grand Junction Central 45, 2.Fruita Monument 70, 3.Olathe 95, 4.Delta 113, 5.BAYFIELD 118, 6.Paonia 137, 7.Ouray 163, 8. Meeker 195.
