Pretty much every team from the Southwest Colorado competed in the 4-Corners Cross-Country Classic on Friday at the Hillcrest Golf Club in Durango. The race for the team titles, however, was a battle between two squads: Durango and Alamosa.
“It was nice to have other teams here because it makes for a more exciting meet, but it basically came down to two teams,” said DHS head coach Ron Keller.
Durango ended up winning the high school boys team title while Alamosa scored the girls team title.
In the high school boys race, Luke Swenk of Durango took the lead right away, but Isaac Higareda of Alamosa was able to stay with him early on.
“The whole race I was pushing; the competition was really good,” Swenk said. He said his strategy was to go as hard as he could for the first two miles and then see where his competition was. By that point, however, Swenk was able to put about 100 yards between him and Higareda, allowing him to cruise to a first-place finish in 16 minutes, 26 seconds.
“That’s what we wanted; someone to go out and challenge him,” Keller said. “At some point, Luke made a move, and he didn’t go with him and then Luke was able to extend his lead.
Higareda finished second, and his teammate Mario Villalba crossed fourth, but the rest of the top eight was all Demons.
Nathaniel Ellis crossed third in 17:29, Charlie Dillman finished fifth in 17:43, Miles Snow crossed seventh in 18:01, and Anthony Bonanno finished eighth in 18:06 to help DHS secure the team title with 24 points. Brodie Dorko placed 12th (18:25), and Slader Schweitz crossed 23rd (19:13) for the varsity squad.
“It was only our second or third win of the year, so it was really special, especially at home,” Swenk said.
Alamosa scored 50 points to place second as a team, followed by Monticello (Utah) with 74, Centauri (117), Pagosa Springs (134) Bayfield (161) and Ignacio in seventh (179).
Tristan Sager crossed 24th in 19:16 to lead the Wolverines, followed by Porter Sutherlin (34th, 19:57), Hunter Carroll (21:00), Sawyer Flinders (51st, 21:46) and Will Kennedy-Jones (56th, 22:27).
Eppie Quintana led Ignacio with a 35th-place finish in 19:59. Trace Crane (43rd, 21:00), Corey Gomez (46th, 21:13), Aven Bourriagua (49th, 21:22) and Dillon Brann (62nd, 23:05) also ran for the Bobcats.
In the high school girls race, the top 10 runners at the 1-kilometer mark were all Demons and Mean Moose, with Willow Lott and Dewa Ilg of Durango on the heels of Alamosa’s Sarah DeLaCerda.
DeLaCerda, however, was able to pull away and win the race in 18:55. Lott crossed second in 19:40, but four of the next five runners were Moose, helping AHS take the team title with 20 points.
The Demons ended up second with 35 points, with Ilg (sixth, 20:23), Brynn Aggeler (eighth, 20:40), Nina Quayle (ninth, 21:15) and Mira Quayle (10th, 21:19) rounding out Durango’s score while Sixtine La Merle (15th 22:21) and Aileen McManus (17th, 22:25) not far behind.
“I think (Alamosa) beating us tells us we’re not quite where we want to be so we have to continue to elevate our game,” said DHS head coach Ron Keller.
Centauri finished third as a team with 102, followed by Mancos (105) and Pagosa Springs (118).
Three Bayfield girls competed. Wrenalle Moore (43rd, 27:02) led BHS, followed by Sage Flinders (45th, 27:42) and Kamala Smith (57th, 30:01).
Lauren DeKay ran for Ignacio and placed 41st in 26:51.
In the college men’s 8K, Fort Lewis beat RMAC foe Westminster College, as well as Colorado Mountain College and Dine College, to finish first as a team.
Noah Peterson of Westminster won the individual title in 27:47, but Cebastian Marquez finished second in 27:54 to lead FLC.
In the college women’s race, New Mexico took first with 24 points, and Fort Lewis finished second with 40.
Semira Firezghi of UNM won the race in 18:34. Angel Curley crossed sixth in 19:51 to lead the Skyhawks.
Durango also won the middle school boys title with 26 points, led by Caden Voss (first, 10:52) and the middle school girls title with 27, led by Lacy Ruggiero (first, 11:44).
