Cooperation between La Plata County neighbors Bayfield and Durango created the competition.
But once the Wolverines and Demons toed the starting line at Hillcrest Golf Club in Durango last Friday night, DHS wasn't about to lend a hand to BHS or any of the other 10 girls' or 11 boys' programs represented at the 2015 Southwest Sunset Cross Country Challenge. The event was hosted by both schools and is the only home meet of the season for both squads.
Sloan Mazur led Bayfield's boys with a 33rd-place time of 19:42.1, while Bridget Goddard's 25th (achieved in 23:07.9) in the girls' main marked the varsities' best individual result and helped the Wolverine girls to a seventh-place finish with 135 points. BHS' boys racked up 185, however, and ended up 11th in the boys' standings.
The Durango boys foursome of winner Benjamin Lachelt (16:52.6), Nicholas Turco, William Chandler and Jordan Helms combined for a perfect 10-point total, and teammate David Moenning (17:13.9) was a non-scoring but still impressive fifth.
First in the girls' run went to DHS' Abby Scott (21:11.4), and rounding out the top five were teammate Sarah Smagacz (21:22.4), 3A Pagosa Springs' Olivia Reinhardt (21:40.5) and 5A Farmington teammates McKinzey Allee (21:50.5) and Anastasia Wilkinson (21:52.2).
Senior Lexa Fleming was the second of BHS' girls to finish, taking 32nd in 24:07.3, and junior Rachel Cooper (35th, 24:48.3) wasn't far behind. Junior Amber Johnson crossed in 46th (26:33.9), Sarah Ruybal took 61st (30:23.8), Mylee Sanders 62nd (33:27.9) and Jade Sanders 66th (34:52.4).
Junior Bryan Gram was Bayfield's second fellow completing the course, taking 48th in 20:52.2. Junior Joey Sandrey was next in, placing 53rd with a 21:22.6, and senior Brandon Stuever (63rd, 22:43.9) finalized the scoring quartet.
Finishing in sequence, Jackson Sibley, Justis Herrera and Daniel Jenkins capped BHS' showing at the unique, dark-sky event by taking 68th, 69th and 70th in respective times of 24:30.6, 25:14.7 and 25:29.4.
The BHS and DHS coaches, after competing in a night meet in Phoenix, thought an evening run would be fun in Southwest Colorado. The schools had hosted a meet in Saul's Creek for several years, but last year the U.S. Forest Service started a controlled burn the day before the meet, and some runners with health conditions weren't able to compete in the smoky conditions, so race organizers decided it was time to find a new location.
Up next Bayfield will run at tomorrow's Mountaineer/Cowboy Invitational, co-hosted by Western State Colorado University and Gunnison High School, with action set to begin at 9 a.m.
GIRLS' TEAM STANDINGS: 1.Durango 24, 2.Pagosa Springs 29, 3.Farmington, N.M., 49, 4.Alamosa 70, 5.Aztec, N.M., 90, 6.Center 125, 7.BAYFIELD 135, 8.Sargent 145, 9.Montezuma-Cortez 166, 10.Lake City Community 193, 11.Monticello, UT, 197. (Incomplete teams/finishers: Dolores/1.)
BOYS' TEAM STANDINGS: 1.Durango 10, 2.Alamosa 44, 3.Pagosa Springs 86, 4.Farmington, N.M., 88, 5.Sargent 94, 6.Monticello, UT, 128, 7.Moab, UT, Grand County 136, 8.Aztec, N.M., 137, 9.Lake City Community 150, 10.Montezuma-Cortez 151, 11.BAYFIELD 185. (Incomplete teams/finishers: Center/1, Dolores/3.)
