Cross Country Runs Away with District Win
Varsity Girls win first at district. Jarahle Daniels, Diana Casteneda, Morgan Coleman, Madison Smith, Ashlyn Partain, Erica McQuinn, and Michelle Castillo. Photo contributed by senior Morgan Coleman.
October 10, 2018
“I have a lot of faith in this years team. Our ultimate goals are to win Region, advance to State and then medal as a team at State. I think we are 100% capable of doing that.” — Madison Smith
As heavy rain threatened, the Eagles lined up for the district cross country meet on their own course. After months of training and hours of anticipation, the runners gave the district meet their all and secured their place at the regional meet. The varsity boys placed second as a team, and for the ninth year in a row, the varsity girls earned the title of District Champs.
Following a successful District meet on Oct. 9 in Fairfield, both teams will travel to Huntsville to compete in the Regional meet on Oct. 22.
“The kids did a great job yesterday,” Coach Graves said. “I am very proud of all of the runners and satisfied with the work they have put in this year.”
Both JV and Varsity girls placed first as a team. In the varsity girls race each individual placed in the top 10. Competing against 26 runners, senior Madison Smith placed 1st, freshman Jarahle Daniels placed 2nd, senior Morgan Coleman placed 3rd, sophomore Erica McQuinn placed 4th, senior Ashlyn Partain placed 7th, sophomore Diana Castaneda placed 8th and freshman Michelle Castillo placed 9th.
“I have ran cross country since 8th grade,” Partain said. “Every year we win District so I was not surprised at all that we are District Champs for the ninth year in a row.”
The Varsity Boys placed second in District this year and will advance to Regionals, showing large improvement over last year’s results, in which only two runners advanced without the team. Out of 29 runners, junior Joey Davis placed 9th, sophomore Deandrea Rosales placed 11th, sophomore Hunter Noland placed twelfth, sophomore Landen Espinoza placed 13th, freshman Nick Salazar placed 21st, sophomore Eddie Sanchez 22nd, and junior Bryce Harrison placed 24th. Running alone in the JV race, freshman Leon Rosales placed 21st out of 32 runners.
“Even though I ran the JV race by myself,” Leon Rosales said. “They still encouraged me and pushed me to finish out the last race of the season.”
In the JV race, competing against 26 runners, junior Brooke Leatherman placed first, junior Natalia Salazar placed second, sophomore Alyssa Thorne placed third, sophomore Jenny Pina placed fourth, senior Paige Allen placed sixth, junior Joyce Ferguson placed tenth and junior Lyndi Wilson placed 12th. The team has been guided by seniors Smith, Coleman, and Partain.
“The attitude of the team is amazing,” McQuinn said, “thanks to the seniors this year.”
This will not be the Eagles first time to compete on the Huntsville course. This past September the teams ran in the Region III Preview race in which the girls team placed first.
“The Huntsville course is a pretty hard course,” Daniels said. “I am happy I got to experience how the race felt at the Region III Preview meet so now when we run Regionals I know what to do.”
The Lady Eagles did not advance as a team to State last year, and the only two runners to advance were Morgan Coleman and Madison Smith. The Lady Eagles have expressed high expectations for regional and state.
“I have a lot of faith in this years team,” Smith said. “ Our ultimate goals are to win Region, advance to State and then medal as a team at State. I think we are 100% capable of doing that.”
