Tohatchi girls capture individual, team titles at home meet
Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Tohatchi runners Catherine Denetclaw (left) and Kaylee Mitchell go through some exercises before the start of the varsity girls race at the Náshdóítsoh Invite on Friday. Denetclaw won the race in 21:58.36 while Mitchell took third at 22:39.37.
TOHATCHI – It didn’t take long for Tohatchi harrier Catherine Denetclaw to take control of the 5K race at last week’s Náshdóítsoh Invite.
Denetclaw took over at the half-mile mark, a lead that she did not relinquish last Friday afternoon on Hamburger Hill.
“When I took the lead I was pretty comfortable with my pace,” Denetclaw said. “But during the first two miles I was a little scared that I would run out of energy at the end, but I managed to keep my pace.”
Denetclaw, who attends McKinley Academy, toured the rocky course at the Tohatchi-hosted meet in 21:58.36. Miyamura junior Kylie Montano took second at 22:34.68 while Tohatchi’s Kaylee Mitchell (22:39.37) finished third. Wingate’s Telecia Tom (23:00.41) and Tohatchi’s Danny Brooke (23:00.41) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Zuni’s Leilani Eli headed the next five at 23:46.24 with NACA’s Rylee Edaakie coming in seventh at 23:52.12. Rehoboth Christian’s Marvah Toddy (24:05.08) placed eighth followed by Cuba’s Cara Toledo (24:24.93) and Rehoboth’s Deiyanera Franklin (24:36.44).
In the team standings, Tohatchi won the 13-team meet with 55 points as the Lady Cougars also earned an 11th place showing from Jewelisa Jimmie and a 39th effort from Janay Peterson.
Rehoboth Christian garnered second with 64 points ahead of Miyamura (78), NACA (94) and Zuni (97).
“This is huge for us,” Tohatchi head coach Dion John said. “It shows what we can do as a team, but we still have a lot of improvements to make. We have to make sure we stay healthy as much as we can.”
It’s been years since a Tohatchi girl has captured the individual title at the Náshdóítsoh meet, but John knew that his pupil had the means to do it.
“She came out wanting it more, knowing that this is our own meet,” the Tohatchi coach said of Denetclaw.
“I think all the girls were just hyped up about that,” he added. “They wanted to do well on our home course. We just did what we normally do because we didn’t change nothing coming into this race.”
John recognized that there is slight shift within his cross country program. For the past few years, the Tohatchi boys were the ones challenging for a state trophy.
This year, his girls squad is showing some promise as they hope to finish in the upper echelon at the 3A state meet.
“I see that shift,” John said. “The girls are starting to see that culture change, and they’re wanting to be just as good as the boys are. I feel like both programs are getting there.”
Denetclaw also acknowledges that shift as well.
“I’m definitely feeling a lot more confident in myself and in my team,” Denetclaw said. “I’m just amazed about my team. I feel like they’ve really improved. They’re running a lot closer to me this year than last year.”
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