State-wide adversity couldn’t do it. A stomach virus couldn’t, either. Hot weather in Phoenix failed. Cool weather this weekend didn’t make a difference.
No matter what confronts the Durango High School cross country runners, the boys and girls have been up to the task all season, and they keep getting better.
The Demons dominated Friday’s Class 4A Region 6 meet. The boys, led by a second-place run from senior Benjamin Lachelt, who finished in 15 minutes, 35 seconds, placed six finishers in the top 12 and blew away the field in impressive fashion at Confluence Park in Delta.
Nicholas Turco finished fourth in 15:55’ William Chandler took fifth in 16:02; David Moenning crossed sixth in 16:06; junior Harry Steinberg came in 11th at 16:28; and Seamus Millett was 12th in 16:29 for the champions.
The win came only a few weeks after several athletes were suspended for bringing marijuana products on a team trip to Arizona.
“This is just what they’ve been doing all season,” Durango head coach David McMillan said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “They’ve had a tough few weeks, but they’re the same kids with the same goals and ambitions they’ve always had. If one falls behind, another picks up the slack, and that’s what champions do.”
Durango’s score of 28 was far and away the best in the field. Battle Mountain finished second with 50, and Glenwood Springs came in third with 110.
Montrose’s Ian Meek won the individual boys race with a record time of 15:26.
More impressive to McMillian was the performance from the young Durango girls team that finished fourth and qualified for the state meet by finishing ahead of Summit.
The girls battled a stomach virus all week long and ended up having seven of nine runners finish with personal best times.
Sophomore Abby Scott fought a stomach bug off to finish 10th (19:24); Sarah Smagacz was 17th (19:55); freshman Becca Moenning spent a week with the stomach flu and finished 21st (20:18); and Anna Smagacz came in 31st (20:48).
The Demons’ 107 total was good enough to advance by two points.
“It was kind of a long shot for these girls to make it, but I always knew they could,” McMillan said. “They were sick, almost all of them, and they still came with their A-game. It speaks to the steely reserve of this group. They knew the odds were against them but they worked hard and came through.”
The final test for the heavily scrutinized yet ultra-talented and successful Durango Demons cross country team is a shot at the state championship next Saturday on Colorado Springs.
They’ve been talking about it all year and down playing every accolade attributed to them. The previous wins didn’t matter much to them, or at least that’s how they played it off. The state championship is the goal they’ve been running toward, no matter who is with them or against them.
jfries@durangoherald.com
