Probably somewhat embarrassed by how their previous showing north of Dolores shook out, Ignacio cross country’s boys may have subconsciously been eager to return to the same Boggy Draw Bear Chase course three weeks later.
This time all bathroom visits were completed before the Bobcats officially stepped to the starting line and waited for the starter’s gun beginning the final race of Mancos’ 2024 Chicken Creek Challenge. Relocated due to the bizarre land-dispute drama developing too close for comfort near the challenge’s regular route, the event went off in Dolores High School’s proverbial backyard with hardly a hitch and the high school boys first wave headed out under sunny skies and a temperature already rising through the upper 70s.
Having run well at the Chase, though ultimately disqualified along with his teammates after a hurried entry onto the course following a late exit from the loo, junior Trace Crane was a man on a mission at the Challenge. Clocking a second-place time of 19 minutes, 11.30 seconds, he finished behind only senior Justin Yazzie (19:07.89) of Many Farms, Arizona.
Helping IHS cop second place among teams vying for the 2A/3A San Juan Basin League boys’ championship, Crane had to outkick Telluride senior Sean McKillop across the finish line – McKillop was 0.49 seconds slower – en route to earning SJBL Boys Runner-of-the-Year.
IHS junior James Martin also sought the honor but ended up placing fifth overall in 19:30.81. Sophomore Thunder Windy Boy posted a 21:18.01 and came in 18th overall, and classmate Judah Ashley completed the Bobcats’ scoring quartet with his 25th-place 22:03.48.
In the final 10-team standings, MFHS – an Arizona Interscholastic Association Class 2A school, competing in its Division IV – prevailed with a low count of 25 points accumulated in an unusual score-4 system. In it, title-eligible teams could have as many as seven runners earning points, though any additional runners would be factored out along with all those of non-contending crews. Paced by sixth-place Aaron Nielson (19:43.72), SJBL champ Dolores (40) emerged as the runner-up ahead of Ignacio (48).
Led by freshman Travis Taylor (15th, 21:05.16), injury-hit Bayfield ended up with 121 points and eighth-place status, though the Wolverines’ 2-3-4 runners finished within eight spots of each other. Ryan Kurtz took 34th in 23:16.63, Carter Lamb was 37th in 23:31.30 and Tyler Foster 42nd in 24:07.19.
Ridgway, meanwhile, rose to the top in both the Challenge’s overall and SJBL-only girls standings; with individual champion Natasha Hessler (21:35.45) earning SJBL Girls Runner-of-the-Year – as a freshman, and by more than 37 seconds over race runner-up Austin Cook, a junior at now-3A THS.
Telluride (37) settled for second place, while DHS (52) finished third.
Junior Alyssa Atencio was yet again Ignacio’s lone entry and finished 44th in 33:25.32. Kamala Smith was Bayfield’s best, posting a 34th-place 30:02.71, while Bridgette Ireland took 35th in 30:24.91 and Kamryn Fleener 46th in 33:37.27.
With the 2024 season entering its final weeks. IHS will next see action on Friday at the Sargent-hosted Eric Wolff Invitational. Held at the Monte Vista Golf Course, the meet’s first middle-school race is slated for 9 a.m., with the first high school feature at 10.
Bayfield, meanwhile, will rest up and prepare for the upcoming 3A-Region II Championships scheduled for Oct. 24, at North Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs. Ignacio will then run the next day at 2A-Region IV, at the Rio Grande Club & Resort in South Fork.
