One team from Durango is champion of the 5A/4A Southwestern League. Another missed out by one point.
The Durango High School boys cross-country team picked the right day to have its best meet so far this season. Led by league champion Paul Knight, a senior who ran Friday’s 5-kilometer race in 15 minutes, 28 seconds, the Demons claimed first place Friday at the league championship race held at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Grand Junction.
“The guys race was shocking,” said DHS head coach Ken Flint. “I knew they had it in them, but they just put it together today in a crazy way.”
Behind Knight, Durango’s Land Lambert was fourth in 15:55, another personal record. Aiden Quayle would run to sixth in 126:09 for his new personal record, and Damian Frausto was right behind him in seventh place in 16:09. Also for DHS, Jack Benner scored as the fifth man in 18:11 for easily his best time of the season.
Durango’s top-four runners all earned all-league first team status with their performances.
The Durango girls narrowly missed out on making it a Durango sweep, as Fruita Monument edged Durango by one point.
“We had five girls give sub-20-minute runs today,” Flint said. “That is a great team performance. I can’t remember the last time we did that.”
Willow Lott, a sophomore, paced DHS with a fourth-place finish in 18:59. Angela McManus was the second-fastest DHS runner on Friday. The junior finished in roughly 19:10, Flint said. Tea Forrest also ran well to finish in 19:21. That gave the girls three on the all-league first team.
Maddy Persing, a senior, ran a personal record of 19:47 for her first sub-20 time since her freshman year, Flint said. Abby Gehr finished 11th in 19:49, and Kirstian Bodewes broke her personal record with a 20:17.
Official meet results were not available at press time Friday.
Durango will have a week off before regionals.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
