Madeleine Burns had a stellar Saturday afternoon as one of two athletes to represent Durango High School at the Nike Chandler Rotary Invitational in Chandler, Arizona.
Burns won the 3,200 meter race with a time of 10 minutes, 36.96 seconds, and bested two Arizona runners, Abi Archer of Chaparral High School, who ran a 10:38.05 to take second, and Hanna Hall of Flagstaff High School, who took third (10:43.09). Burns’ time was a meet record.
It was only Burns’ second meet of the season, and her first time competing in the 3,200 this year. She won the 800 last week at the Piedra Vista Invitational in Farmington over teammate Bekah Moenning by just 2.7-tenths of a second. Burns will return to action next weekend at the Mickey Dunn Invitational in Grand Junction.
On the boys side, Aidan Fitzgerald competed in two events and also had top-ten performances. Fitzgerald took fifth in the 1-mile final with a time of 4:20.14. Valor Christian’s Cole Sprout won the event with a 4:08.61, while 2-3-4 were all Arizona runners.
Fitzgerald, a senior, finished in sixth in the 1,600-meter final and ran a 4:18.68, which was just 0.03 seconds behind fifth-place finisher Bowen Martin of Page High School, who ran a 4:18.65. Sprout also won the 1,600 with a time of 4:07.20. Rylan Stubbs of Campo Verde was second (4:10.62), Isiah Seldman of West Ranch was third (4:15.10), and Lee Nasewytewa of Desert Vista was fourth (4:17.44).
It was a season-best time for Fitzgerald, who won the 1,600 at the Piedra Vista Invitational with a time of 4:29.00.
DHS will compete as a full squad at the Mickey Dunn Invitational on Friday in Grand Junction. Bayfield High School will be at the same meet.
bploen@durangoherald.com
