T-Birds continue domination at Curtis Williams meet

By Michael Peretti
Special to the Times

RED ROCK PARK, N.M.

The Zuni Thunderbirds have been dominant this season, and this past weekend was no different, as they ran away with individual and top team honors at the Curtis Williams Invitational at Red Rock Park.

“The boys had a hard week,” Zuni head coach Chris Carroll said of his team. “I know they were tired.”

Despite having a hard week of training, and having to look ahead to their home meet this coming week, Zuni placed all five of their top runners in the Top 10, with their No. 6 runner coming in 12th, as the Thunderbirds easily ran away with top team honors with 30 points.

DeShawn Goodwin was the team’s top runner, winning the race with a time of 16:37.

His teammates followed with Kameron Eustace in fifth (17:22), Jarek Chimoni seventh (17:32), Jacy Edaakie eighth (17:38) and Breydon Othole in ninth (17:38). Alec Lastyano placed 12th (18:06) for Zuni.

“I felt I ran pretty well,” Goodwin said of the race. “The course was fast.”

Coming in a distant second place was Navajo Pine, with their runners placing second, sixth, 13th, 15th and 45th for 81 points, followed by Los Lunas with 97 points. Miyamura was fourth (112), followed by Gallup (131), Kirtland Central (137), Window Rock (191), Bloomfield (221), St. Michael (241), Farmington (243), Silver (252) and Aztec (297).

Navajo Pine’s top runner, Michael Marshall, took second with a time of 17:02, followed by a pair of Miyamura runners with Tayan Benson in third (17:08) and Rylie Watson in fourth (17:16).

Navajo Pine’s Dominique Clichee placed sixth (17:29) while Los Lunas runner Lance Lueras rounded out the Top 10 with a time of 17:39.

Grants’ Rob Frye placed 11th (17:43) while Window Rock’s Burlander Kee was 13th (13:10). Kirtland Central had Satchel Houge as their top runner in 17th (18:17), Gallup’s top runner was Rylie Begay (18th; 18:18), Farmington had Seth Leslie (23rd; 18:28), Bloomfield Cobe Downing (24th; 18:30), St. Michael Trey Holgate (26th; 18:42), Quemado Noah Busayong (35th; 19:03), Silver Matthew Holguin (36th; 19:04), Aztec Caleb Olson (40th; 19:26) and Tse Yi Gai Sheldon Castillo 43rd; 19:33).

Gallup head coach Wilbert Nez said he was pleased with how the race went overall, and that he was happy with how both his teams finished.

“We have been battling a few injuries and the cold bug, but with the runners we had I was happy with how we performed,” he said.

He added that the team should be able to get their score closer to Kirtland and Miyamura once they get fully healthy and that he feels the team will be better prepared the next time they race on the track at Red Rock Park, which will be the district meet in a few weeks.

“This gave us a chance to see the district teams, and how they do on the district course,” he said.

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