Flagstaff takes team, individual titles

HOLBROOK, Ariz.

It was a good day for the Flagstaff High cross-country program.

The boys and girls team captured team titles at the Holbrook Invitational on Oct. 22, running on the Hidden Cove Golf Course.

The boys team won the meet with 39 points while the girls did the same with 49 points.

Flagstaff senior Lance Harris captured the individual title in the boys race with a 16:34.19 effort.

In the girls race, Flagstaff junior Mia Hall won the individual title with a 18:32.89 effort.

His triumph last week was his third win for season with his most recent one taking place two weeks ago during the city meet in Flagstaff.

“I think all my work has come in for the past three years, so I’m finally able to show what I’m capable of,” Harris said.

Harris said his team is on a mission after having its string of consecutive 4A state titles being snapped by Gilbert High School during last year’s state meet.

“This year, we definitely got to take state back,” Harris said. “But I think as a team, we’re definitely focused on working hard, getting that work ethic in for the workouts and taking the easy days off to do what we want to do. So the pressure is there but, we’re making sure that the pressures won’t affect us when that time comes.”

The Flagstaff team finished ahead of Snowflake (126), Holbrook (151), Page (161) and Chinle (214).

The Eagles also had Cole Troxler take sixth, Troy Baker at 10th, Mckay Dunn at 12th, Ryan Hatch at 14th and Shaydon Begay at 15th.

“I improved from last time, which is like two years ago,” Begay said, while acknowledging that there was no meet in Holbrook last season due to the pandemic.

“I think I really improved on my time and as you just saw, I placed on the team,” Begay said, who clocked in at 17:44.91.

A new athlete coming in from Page, Begay says he is adjusting well with the new altitude Flagstaff provides and that he is bonding with the team.

“Yeah we did really good, he came in with a huge pack (time),” Begay said. “That’s what I really love about this team. We work on everything together, so just to keep that group, instead of coming here and worrying about ourselves, this team is actually worrying about each other; like as a family.”

Despite not placing high in the team standings, Page and Ganado’s program has been known for creating great runners and they are both planning on making it to state.

One of Ganado’s top runners is Micah Silvers who placed third overall with 16:48.84. He and his team have one goal and he believes they are close to obtaining it.

“Make state with my team. I know Ganado hasn’t really made state in the boy’s team, so that was our goal this year since we’re in a division,” he said. “To make state as a team and do well out there and in sectionals… I hope to place three state titles in state, that’s my goal.”

Ganado’s coach, Leandra Thomas, said she has faith in her boy’s team making it to state.

“We only had two individuals make it last year, but this year we’re really pushing to get our boys team to make it,” Thomas said. “This day they’ve been progressing. We have a pretty good boys team, it’s just getting our fourth and fifth level to move a little further up.”

For girls team, Thomas said senior Whitney James is one of their best runners on the Lady Hornet team.

Along with James, there were other girls that were missing but Thomas hopes to have them back on Nov. 2 at the state qualifying meet in Holbrook.

For Page, first-year coach Brandon Dugi is expecting his team to do well this year. Last year the Sand Devils placed third at state.

“They did pretty good,” Dugi said, adding that he’s still trying to build up his girls squad.

This year, he said, sophomore Jade Reid is having an outstanding year and at the Holbrook meet she placed seventh.

As for the state qualifying meet next week, the Page coach said all the teams are working hard to get to state.

At the Holbrook meet, he was missing some of his top male runners.

He’s anticipating them to be back for the sectional meet.

In the girls race, Chinle’s Temyra Bia was the area’s top finisher. The Wildcat junior took fourth with a time of 20:29.57 despite battling an ankle injury.

“I did pretty good,” she said. “Ever since my last race my ankles have been hurting but I still pushed through.”

The Lady Wildcats took fourth in the team standings with 101 points behind Flagstaff, Coconino (66) and Snowflake (90).

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