Challenging some of New Mexico’s biggest and best cross-country teams Saturday at the 2022 V. Sue Cleveland Storm Invitational, Durango’s competitive fire all but warranted a U.S. Forest Service ban.
Particularly the Durango girls, outran the whole varsity field gathered in Rio Rancho, which included reigning NMAA Class 5A state champion Albuquerque Volcano Vista and 4A rulers Los Alamos, to earn the team title with an adjusted score-5 total of 51 points.
“I thought they would be in the top three, but they just ran really well,” said DHS head coach Ron Keller. “I was a little surprised we won, but it may have surprised the girls more than anything; they were pretty excited about it.”
Los Alamos ended up second, and 4A Albuquerque Academy came in third.
When the scores were first reported, Durango’s top finisher, Dewa Ilg, wasn’t included, but the Demons still had the lowest team score.
“The girls beat them soundly,” Keller said.
Ilg, a sophomore, was vying to take the individual title out of the Land of Enchantment. She clocked 19:40 flat and placed third behind only 5A Albuquerque High soph Daniela Figueroa (19:33.20) and Los Alamos senior Emma Montoya (19:35.50). Durango’s Sofia Voss wasn’t far behind that trio, either; the sophomore finished sixth in 20:15.60.
Classmate Brynn Aggeler made it three Lady Demons in the top 10 via her 10th-place 20:42.60. “She stepped up and started running better,” Keller said. “She felt stronger and looked stronger.”
Freshman Mira Quayle, who ran in her first varsity race after winning the JV competition last week at Grand Junction Central, placed 16th in 21:01.50. Senior Ashley Forrest finished 21st in 21:24.80 to round out Durango’s team score. Freshman Ayumi Lambert crossed 27th in 21:30.40 and senior Seneca Wilson finished 88th in 24:38.90.
Finishing after the Demons were Los Alamos (88), Albuquerque Academy (99), Eldorado (116), Volcano Vista (127, Rio Rancho (143), Albuquerque (169), La Cueva (183), El Paso Coronado (251), Farmington (255), Piedra Vista (287), Pojoaque (291), Moriarty (348) and Cibola (378).
In the boys’ varsity race, featuring not only reigning 5A kings VVHS and 4A monarchs Los Alamos, but also reigning 4A individual champ Rendon Kuykendall (Albuquerque Hope Christian) and 5A champ Steven West (Albuquerque Sandia), Durango didn’t fare badly at all.
Paced by junior Charlie Dillman, who placed 15th in 17:17.30, the Demons’ score-5 204 was good enough for eighth place out of 18 scoring teams. Topping the table was Volcano Vista with 50, followed by El Paso Coronado (58), 5A Rio Rancho (61), Los Alamos (128), Cleveland (130), Eldorado (163), Albuquerque Academy (183) and the Demons.
Now a senior, West won in 15 minutes, 37.40 seconds. Coronado senior Luis Pastor followed in 15:51.50 and Kuykendall, also a senior, took third in 16:14.00.
DHS junior Nathaniel Ellis (17:39.80) crossed the finish line 25th. “Nate had a fall,” Keller said. “He got right back up, but it took him off his game a bit.”
Freshman Miles Snow (18:43.50) ended up 59th, junior Brodie Dorko (19:12.50) took 72nd, freshman Anthony Bonanno (19:35.10) crossed 79th and junior Micah Zastrocky placed 88th out of 127 runners in 20:08.30.
Up next, Durango will run at Cheyenne Mountain with some of Colorado’s best squads this weekend, then return to New Mexico for the UNM Invitational before heading to the Border Wars in Salt Lake City.
“I feel like we’re making improvements every week and I’m looking forward to the next three weeks,” Keller said. “We’re going to be tested.”
Electing to forego the Dolores-hosted Boggy Draw Bear Chase, Ignacio cross-country at last got their ’22 season underway by sending a small group to the Storm Invite.
The first entrant exceeding 20 minutes in the boys’ varsity race, senior Eppie Quintana finished 86th in 20:04.10. Freshman Dillon Brann was 107th in 21:52.00 and sophomore Asher Gallegos came in 125th in 25:10.50.
Junior Zoey Ashley was IHS’ only representative in the girls’ event and she clocked a 28:43.90 to place 118th.
At present, the ’Cats are next scheduled to compete Sept. 10 at the Joe I. Vigil Invitational in Alamosa at the Cattails Golf Course.
Competing in the shorter middle-school races at the Cleveland Invite, Escalante Middle seventh-grader Caden Voss won the boys’ event in 12:14.80, nearly 45 ticks ahead of the runner-up. In the middle-school girls’ feature, Rebekah Quayle placed 15th in 17:02.70.
Wade Mitchell, meanwhile, finished second for DHS in the junior varsity boys’ race in 18:24.80.
– Cody Olivas contributed to this report
