The Durango High School cross country team showed off its depth Saturday at the Pagosa Springs Cross Country Classic.
The Demons, running a bevy of junior varsity runners in the varsity event, won both the boys and girls team events. Final standings and point totals weren’t immediately available.
“Just awesome, and the kids ran with such passion,” DHS head coach David McMillan said.
The girls team had four runners place in the top 10 and six in the top 20, led by Emily Edwards’ third-place finish. Emily Schaldach was next in fourth place, followed by Sarah Smagacz in seventh, Sarah Clark in ninth, Alle McKown in 17th and Sydney McMunn in 19th.
The Durango boys squad, meanwhile, placed nine runners in the top 15 and five in the top 10. David Moenning led the way in third place, followed by Harry Steinberg in sixth, Jacob Branch in seventh, River Weiss in eighth, Thomas Pannell in 10th, Reese Gibbons in 11th, Ande Lloyd in 12th, Isaac Ducker in 13th and Jordan Helms in 15th.
“I think they learned the lesson from running on single track in the home meet at Saul’s Creek (in Bayfield) last weekend that when they get on a rolling track, they just have to attack the course,” McMillan said.
The Demons also paid tribute to late Pagosa Springs High School bus driver Joseph Garcia, who died last Saturday at the Demons and Wolverines’ home meet. DHS runners wore yellow socks, with some adding yellow ribbons or yellow armbands, to honor Garcia and show support for the Pirates.
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DHS freshman wins Ohio 10K
One of the Durango High School cross country team’s own flew solo in a 10-kilometer race in Ohio, and he soared all the way to the top.
DHS freshman Cristoph Cikraji, son of Bob and Kaori Takano, won the 10K event Saturday at the Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in western Ohio, near Dayton.
Cikraji, 14, finished the race in 35 minutes, 46 seconds to top the field of 1,496 participants, both male and female.
Cikraji topped Kyle Brumbaugh of Huber Heights, Ohio, who finished second in 36:32.
Cikraji was 11th in last year’s race in 42:02.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
