RIO GRANDE COUNTY – Gearing up to at last run upon their own home course, with spots in the fast-approaching CHSAA Cross Country State Championships at stake, Ignacio’s boys traveled Friday out to Monte Vista for the last regular-season cross country meet on their 2025 schedule and shone quite brightly.
Competing at the Sargent-hosted Eric Wolff Invitational, seniors Trace Crane (17 minutes and 54.72 seconds) and James Martin (18:05.41) crossed the finish line within 11 seconds of each other in placing sixth and eighth respectively. With junior Thunder Windy Boy (18:21.22) coming in 12th and freshman Matthew Maestas (21:07.22) 57th, head coach Kent Gillin’s gang accumulated an adjusted 73 points in the score-4 figures and ranked third at day’s end.
That outcome came with an asterisk; Pagosa Springs also ended up with 73 but actually had a fifth runner available (IHS did not) to finish and serve as the tiebreaker. Ultimately, Dolores tallied a winning low of 57 points and was the only other crew to outdo the ’Cats – who will again contend with DHS, as well as fellow San Juan Basin Leaguers Mancos, Ouray and Ridgway when hosting the 2A-Region IV Championships at 10 a.m. Friday at Jack-a-lope Acres.
Sargent will also attend, along with Wolff attendees Antonito, Center, San Luis Centennial, Westcliffe Custer County, Lake City Community School, Monte Vista and Blanca Sierra Grande. Buena Vista is also on the guest list.
A score-4 meet, the regional’s top four teams plus all entrants placing top-15 will qualify for State.
With a trip to Monument Valley Park, site of the TPL/BFL meet, for the 3A-Region II Championships on Thursday awaiting them, Bayfield also ran at the Wolff and placed ninth (138 points) in the boys’ team standings while also running against some of their Intermountain, as well as soon-to-be regional rivals.
Sophomore Travis Taylor started out well for the Wolverines, but ultimately slowed just enough to permit senior Porter Sutherlin (19:24.30) to pass him and place a team-leading 26th overall. Taylor (19:32.95) ended up 29th, with juniors Cameron Mars (20:21.54) and Ryan Kurtz (20:29.51) taking 45th and 48th.
Sure to be a contender at the upcoming regional, PSHS freshman Rylan Ash clocked a swift and winning time of 16 minutes, 55.44 seconds, beating Centauri sophomore Lincoln Bagwell (17:09.35) by nearly 14 seconds.
In the girls’ feature at the Wolff, BHS junior Abigail Robertson took eighth in 21:33.40 seconds and led the Wolverines to a sixth-place finish. Bayfield’s 99 points ranked behind Del Norte (60), Pagosa Springs (52), Salida (51), Gunnison (39) and Centauri (37). Monte Vista freshman Shae Romero (19:42.45) was the individual champ, with DNHS freshman Scarlett Maxwell (19:59.56) the runner-up and GHS freshman Jordan Callahan (20:44.97) placing third.
BHS senior Wrenalee Moore took 23rd in 23:01.54, freshman Ashlynn Bravo 55th in 25:53.81 and senior Kamala Smith 59th in 26:10.25.
