Zuni runners capture team titles at own Patason Amesoli Invite

By Santiago Ramos Jr.
Special to the Times

ZUNI, N.M. – The Zuni boys and girls cross country teams grabbed top team honors during the Patason Amesoli Invitational held Friday afternoon in front of Dowa Yalanne Mountain in Zuni.

The Zuni T-Birds coasted to the boys team title packing their first five runners in the top 10 to finish with 28 points. Miyamura was a distant second with 63 points, followed by Tohatchi 76, Thoreau 97, Rehoboth Christian 118, To’Hajiilee 165 and Quemado 172.

The girls team competition was real close with the Zuni Lady T-Birds able to hold off Miyamura for the team title – 38 points to 42.

Tohatchi took third with 61 points with Crownpoint fourth with 68.

“It’s always a good feeling to win your own meet,” veteran Zuni head coach Chris Carroll said. “The boys and girls both worked hard all week and it showed in the races. Our goal was to get our traveling trophy back and it’s always a positive when you reach your goals.”

Carroll had to move up the Zuni meet a day early from Saturday morning to Friday afternoon due to the solar eclipse that had teams opting out.

“Moving the meet to Friday was a chore,” Carroll said. “It was exhausting and hot. But it was important to be culturally sensitive to the teams around the area in regard to the solar eclipse.

“Teams that did not show were the Central Consolidated Schools along with Navajo Prep but the crowds were still there and the Paterson Amesoli meet is one of the best in the state,” Carroll said. “I thank to thank my coaching staff, my runners and the community of Zuni for all their help to make this cross country meet a success.”

Area teams will be at the Albuquerque Academy Extravaganza Saturday morning in a preview of the state meet. Albuquerque Academy will be hosting the state cross country meet Saturday, Nov. 11 beginning at 9 a.m.

The 3A boys race will be at 9 a.m. followed by the 3A girls at 9:40 a.m., 5A boys at 10:40 a.m., 5A girls at 11:20 a.m., A/2A boys at 12:20 p.m., A/2A girls at 1 p.m., 4A boys at 2 p.m. and the 4A girls at 2:40 p.m.

Zuni will skip the Academy meet and will instead compete at the Holbrook Invitational.

Boys

Tohatchi senior Briley Dauphinais, who finished third at Zuni a year ago, took the lead at the 700-meter mark and sprinted to a winning time of 17:54 over the sandy 3.1-mile course in front of DY. He easily beat a field of 53 other harriers.

Zuni sophomore Deron Lastyano crossed 31 seconds back in second with an 18:25.

“It was really sandy,” said Dauphinais, who finished third last week at Gallup. Previously, he finished third at Chinle and second at Newcomb. “Every time we went on a downhill I took a chance and I kind of need a surge on the downhills. Then once we got to the middle in the back I just kept nice and smooth. I climbed back up and I pushed on the hills. My finish I kept it as smooth as well. I felt pretty good.”

Dauphinais, who finished fourth at state, says he feels good about district and state.

“I feel really good,” he said.

The Zuni T-Birds also had senior Kiohn Duran finish third (18:39), senior Andrew Romancito sixth (19:00), sophomore DeShawn Soseeah seventh (19:01) and sophomore Aaron Lahi 10th (19:16).

Miyamura’s Luke James took fourth (18:41), Thoreau’s Ian Silversmith fifth (18:52), Miyamura’s Titus Skeets eighth (19:14.06) and Tohatchi’s Jared Peterson ninth (19:14.33).

Girls

Zuni junior Maleah Lalio spearheaded Zuni’s team win in the girls race with a winning time of 20:50 beating 34 other runners.

Miyamura senior Lorianna Piestewa, who won the Curtis Williams Invitational last week, finished 11 seconds back of Lahi with a 21:01.

Lalio, who finished first at the Miyamura and Santa Fe meets earlier this season, said she had a slow start.

“At the beginning I thought I wasn’t going as fast but I was trying to stay calm and not lose the girl (Piestewa) that was in front of me in the first mile,” Lalio said. “In the second mile almost at the turn I started catching up to her. I was trying to get through the soft sand and just trying to keep the same pace. I was just trying my hardest to stay up there. I didn’t look back but I could hear her (Piestewa) gaining up on me but I just tried to stay calm the whole way. I had a pretty good finish but it hurt. Having mental strength to just like to not slow down and just try to keep the same pace – that was the hardest thing.”

Running on her home course, Lalio said she had an advantage.

“I felt like I had a little advantage ‘cause I knew where to go fast,” she said.

The Lady T-Birds also had freshman Arianna Lasiloo finish seventh (24:54), junior Katie Hooee eighth (25:11), junior Jazmine Lasiloo 10th (25:39) and senior Ladean Blackhair 17th (26:28).

In addition to Piestewa taking second, Miyamura had Shelby McCray finish fifth (24:15), Reika Secatero 13th (25:47), Jaylin Cadman 15th (25:55) and Baylee Tsosie 16th (26:05).

Tohatchi’s Kaylee Mitchell finished third (23:23), Rehoboth Christian’s Emily Garcia fourth (23:35), Rehoboth Christian’s Marvah Toddy sixth (24:43), Tohatchi’s WynterRose Sheka eighth (25:07), and Crownpoint’s Tyra Tsosie ninth (25:08).

Cross country high school coach Thomas Valley, whose 1987 California state cross country championship team was featured in the movie “McFarland USA” was a special guest to the Zuni meet.

“His presence brought many smiles to all the competitors throughout the meet,” Carroll said. “His presentation at the end of the meet of his life story was a great way to end our meet.”

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