Eagles, Lady Bengals prevail at Curtis Williams Invite

By Santiago Ramos Jr.
Special to the Times

GALLUP – The Navajo Prep boys and the Gallup girls reigned supreme during Saturday morning’s Curtis Williams Invitational at Red Rock Park in Church Rock, N.M

Individually, Window Rock sophomore Bearren Kee and Miyamura senior Lorianna Piestewa grabbed top honors over the sandy 3.17-mile course.

This week area schools will be at the Zuni Invitational which will be held on Friday afternoon. This meet, which is normally held on Saturdays, was moved up a day in order not to conflict with the solar eclipse Saturday morning.

The varsity girls’ race will be at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity boys at 5:30 p.m. The mid-school girls’ race will be at 2 p.m. followed by the mid-school boys at 2:30 p.m., the JV girls at 3 p.m., the JV boys at 3:45 p.m., and the elementary race at 4:30 p.m.

Boys

It was a close call in the boys’ team standings.

Navajo Prep held off Los Lunas for the boys’ team trophy – 85 points to 88.

Host Gallup took third with 97 points followed by Kirtland Central 140, Miyamura 148, Window Rock 151, Piedra Vista 174, Tohatchi 191, Shiprock 200, Many Farms 231, Bloomfield 279, Rehoboth Christian 302, Wingate 313, NACA 337 and Grants 382. Navajo Pine, Thoreau, Ramah, Dulce, Hozho Academy and Alamo Navajo did not score.

Running on the Red Rock Park course for the first time, Window Rock’s Kee easily topped the competition with a winning time of 17:28, outdistancing runner-up Gallup’s Theodore Roundface who finished with a 17:42. Tohatchi’s Briley Dauphinais placed third (17:54).

“It was pretty sandy the first mile,” Kee said. “After the first mile it got pretty easy. It was pretty flat. I’m pretty good on flat courses. I had a pretty good start. I didn’t get blocked or anything. I was way in the front in second place. Then that guy got tired, so I passed him.

“I just kept the lead the whole race,” Kee continued. “Halfway through I felt pretty good so I took off more. Then at the end I got pretty tired, so I kept pushing myself.”

Kee said he had a slow start to the season.

“I had a pretty slow start from the beginning of the season. I started picking it up ever since the Rio Rancho Jamboree. Then Twilight I PR’d (personal best record). Going into this race I felt pretty good.”

Kee finished second at Monument Valley behind his older brother Ryan Kee, a senior, who finished 11th (18:39) at Gallup.

“I’m peaking and getting ready for state,” Kee said.

Kee will be competing at the Tuba City Invitational this weekend, followed by the 3A meet at Page, sectionals and then state at Cave Creek.

Navajo Prep’s Elijah England finished fourth (17:55), followed by Shiprock’s Kaden Lapahie fifth (18:02), Piedra Vista’s Isaac Lacey sixth (18:03.18), Gallup’s Sage Livingston seventh (18:03.66), Los Lunas’ Eneas Armijo eighth (18:32), Miyamura’s Dustin Chatto ninth (18:33.00) and Miyamura’s Luke James 10th (18:33.42).

In addition to England, Navajo Prep had Macalen Cousens place 12th (18:42), Mathius Garcia 19th (19:22), Deaken Begay 23rd (19:31), and Dylan Lansing 30th (20:04).

Navajo Prep head coach Stephanie Coon said that she was pleased with her boys and girls teams.

“After racing well in Arizona the previous weekend our focus for the Gallup race was coming tighter and staying together throughout the race,” she said. “This wasn’t just for the boys. It was also the plan for the girls. We have a bye this coming weekend, a much-needed break as we’re coming to the end of the season.”

Girls

Meet host Gallup claimed the girls team trophy putting three runners in the top 10 to finish with 71 points ahead of Navajo Prep with 87 points.

Kirtland Central was third with 134 points, followed by Tohatchi 138, Miyamura 139, Shiprock 154, Piedra Vista 159, Window Rock 179, Wingate 185, NACA 219, Rehoboth Christian 222 and Los Lunas 261.

Ramah, Bloomfield, Many Farms, Grants, Thoreau and Dulce did not score.

Piestewa coasted to a winning time of 20:58 over her competition over the 3.17-mile course.

Piedra Vista’s Nicole Pierce was 17 seconds back of Piestewa with a 21:15.

Rehoboth’s Emily Garcia was third (21:26) followed by Navajo Prep’s Nicole Tsosie fourth (22:00), and Gallup’s Mykeia Vicente-Wolf fifth (22:14).

Piestewa said she feels that she’s improving each week.

“It’s my last Curtis Williams meet,” said Piestewa who won last year’s Gallup meet along with two during her eighth grade year. “I’m constantly improving my times and that’s all I’m looking for and to have fun. I’m placing at almost every single one except I didn’t place at the Desert Twilight race.”

Piestewa said that running at Red Rock Park is different each time.

“Every time I run this course it’s different. But today it was very sandy when we first started. When we got to the road it felt good. And then we came to the back and it got sandy again for the rest of the course. But it helped me keep my legs strong and helped me push myself.”

Piestewa said she maintained a good tempo during the race.

“I felt like I had a good pace,” she said. “Piedra Vista passed me, but I kept telling myself just keep pushing. There’s nobody that’s going to stop me right now and just keep pushing. My coaches and my teammates help me get better every day. My parents always push me the hardest they can. I just pray that I can grow as a person and as an athlete. I’m hoping that I can peak at state and hit my best time.”

Piestewa, who finished fifth at state during her eighth-grade year and 11th her sophomore year, says she’s looking forward to competing at her final state cross country meet after missing last year’s state meet after suffering a broken foot at the Zuni meet.

Piestewa, a three-time defending state girls wrestling champion, placed third at the Miyamura Invitational earlier.

Tohatchi’s Catherine Denetclaw finished sixth (22:15), Gallup’s Madison Martinez seventh (22:30), Window Rock’s Laniya Begody eighth (22:45), Shiprock’s Taylor Begay ninth (22:51.58), and Gallup’s Merisha Long 10th (22:51.75).

Gallup’s fourth and fifth runners, Natalie Dixon finished 19th (23:57) and Denayah Wylie 32nd (24:43).

Gallup head coach Kyle Benally said his girls were “tested.”

“The girls were tested but showed their resilience through a very challenging sandy course at Red Rock Park,” Benally said. “From the get-go, our front runners had to set the tone and the others had to follow. We knew the competition was going to be tough. We knew the teams were out to beat us at our home meet. That’s where our ladies’ resolve played a huge factor in their winning mindset. A challenge is what is needed to test our own mental strength to see the team we’re building. As we have seen firsthand, anyone can win, and anyone can be beat.

“So, we do not focus on one victory as that is only setting our path up for success later down the road coming into our district and state meets,” Benally said. “Not every race is going to be our best and that is what is teaching us all how to become better equipped come November for district and state.”

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