Speedy Firsts by Middle Schoolers in Runners’ Invitational

Lake City Community School fielded an impressive number of speedy runners during the school’s second annual cross country invitational which was held in Lake City last Friday afternoon, September 29.
In addition to teams of Lake City high school girls and a highly diversified squadron of middle school girls and boys from Lake City Community School, four San Luis Valley schools competed in Friday’s invitational in the midst of occasional gusty wind and overall threatening weather.
Despite the prospect of rainshowers which threatened throughout the afternoon, this year’s track event experienced significantly improved weather conditions over the last year’s 2016 invitational which was held in the midst of dense snowshowers.
Particularly fine, fleet-of-foot showings were evident on Friday among the local school’s middle school girls and boys’ teams, both of which finished
in first place.
With an outstanding time of eight minutes, Kate Cunninham finished first with a time of 8:58.46 on
the 1.5-mile lap from Lake City Park up Henson Creek to the staging area and back to the park. Cunninham competed with other runners from Lake City, Centauri, Monte Vista, and Center, Colorado.
Also finishing at the top of the middle school boys’ pack was Lake City 7th Grader Jaden McNeese who crossed the finish line with a time of 10 minutes, 9.72 seconds.
Lake City fielded a surprisingly large number of middle school runners in the invitational tournament, the docket on the girls’ team including Winter Painter, who finished 7th overall, Elissa Stephens, Shaye Stephens, and Caroline Thompson.
Among Lake City middle school boys, Johnny O’Hare finished the run in 7th place, closely followed by fellow teammates Thomas Nichols, Rhett Moore, Silas Hartman, and T.J. Wonnacott.
Lake City was represented by slightly lesser numbers at the high school level, with fine showing among high school girls by Lake City Senior Miranda Hall, who finished in 6th place overall, time, 24 minutes, 35.44 seconds on a 3.1-mile 5K track which extended from Lake City Park down Silver Street to Pete’s Lake and then back up to the Henson Creek staging area before returning to Lake City Park.
Lake City Community School did not field any runners in the high school boys’ competition, and Miranda Hall was the sole local contestant among Lake City high school girls.
Based on cumulative points from each school’s top three runners, Lake City Community School was first in the middle school boys’ category with 16 points, followed by Centauri, in second place with 17 total points, and third place Monte Vista, 20.
A fine showing by Lake City middle school girls’ runners resulted in second place overall for Lake City Community School with 18 points, just behind first place Centauri, 9 points, and ahead of third place Monte Vista, 31 points.
Overall top schools in the high school track competition were Del Norte in first place and Centauri, second.
Top first, second and third place finishers on Friday each received medallion awards, with ribbons going to fourth through tenth place finishers.
In addition to middle school and high school competitions at the invitational on Friday, the race slate began with a “Fun Run” for Lake City and visiting elementary students with a track course from Lake City Park down Silver Street and back up Bluff Street before cutting back on Second and Silver to Lake City Park.
Top finishers in the Fun Run were Lake City 5th Grader Priya Hartman, a repeat first place finisher from last year’s invitational, with a finish time of five minutes, 56.4 seconds, followed in close pursuit by two of her cousins and brother, Titus Humphreys, Micah Humphreys, and Levi Hartman, respectively 6 minutes, .5-second, 6:22.86 and 6:45.01; Lake City runner Dawson Brown finished the Fun Run in fourth place, time 6:33.86.

Following is the official finish time for each of the runners in the invitational:

Middle School Girls –
Kate Cunningham, Lake City, first place, 8:58.46; Abby Sowards, Centauri, 9:11.23; Kailya Polzin, Centauri, 9:39.97; Holly McDaniel, Centauri, 9:48.50; Addison McCarroll, Centauri, 10:24.54; Dyana Zamarripa, Mone Vista, 10:26.89; Winter Painter, Lake City, 10:38.65; Taylor Christensen, Centauri, 10:47.72; Anicia Valdez, Centauri, 10:48.03; Elissa Stephens, Lake City, 11:21.06; Shaye Stephens, Lake City, 11:59.01; Angelina Vargas, Monte Vista, 12:14.48; Annika Schaak, Monte Vista, 12:22.98; Caroline Thompson, Lake City, 12:42.24; Shalia Thompson, Center, 13:55.93; Anna Brock, Monte Vista, 19:58.52.

Middle School Boys –
Jaden McNeese, Lake City, first place, 10:09.72; Mason Sowards, Centauri, 10:14.11; Memphis Garcia, Monte Vista, 10:42.05; Logan Bagwell, Centauri, 10:55.96; Alexis Villagomez, Center, 11:12.65; Zach Hatton, Monte Vista, 11:17.30; Johnny O’Hare, Lake City, 11:42.22; Thomas Nichols, Lake City, 11:51.38; Rhett Moore, Lake City, 12:25.30; David Felix, Center, 12:57.96; Uriah Ulibarri, Monte Vista, 13:28.70; Silas Hartman, Lake City, 13:30.06; Aundre Chavez, Centauri, 13:56.76; TJ Wonnacott, Lake City, 14:40.51; Jose Castro, Monte Vista, 14:52.52; Brayden Terry, Lake City, 15:37.68.

High School Girls –
Lizzie Valentine, Centauri, first place, 22:27.38; Brenna McDaniel, Centauri, 23:17.39; Kelcee Coombs, Centauri, 23:46.94; Mariah Ruybal, Centauri, 24:22.74; Kendra Parra, Del Norte, 24:22.74; Miranda Hall, Lake City, 24:35.44; Dolores Estrada, Center, 25:32.31; Maria Flores, Centauri, 25:54.04; Anita Ulmala, Centauri, 26:06.26; Yesenia Rosales, Del Norte, 27:23.50.

High School Boys –
Carlos Parra, Del Norte, first place, 19:35.80; Samuel Lorenz, Del Norte, 20:01.02; Derek VanBerkum, Centauri, 20:25.82; Cimmaron Mestas, Centauri, 21:02.78; Logan Cestone, Del Norte, 21:29.41; Hunter Paiz, Center, 22:07.81; Bo Cormier, Centauri, 22:33.24; Jeremy Coombs, Centauri, 22:38.52; Zach Sandoval, Centauri, 23:35.33; Jayden Gomez, Centauri, 23:47.25; Fidel Villa, Center, 24:34.93; Eric Lorenz, Del Norte, 24:45.94; Hyrum Reed, Centauri, 27:39.25.

Elementary –
Priya Hartman, first place, 5:56.4; Titus Humphreys, 6:00.05; Micah Humphreys, 6:22.86; Dawson Brown, 6:33.86; Levi Hartman, 6:45.01; Josie Ogden, 6:50.33; Lucy Hays, 7:04.26; Daniel Hays, 7:06.49; Rowan McNeese, 7:12.65; Dean Brown, 7:26.10; Joseph Tubbs, 7:38.70; Jake Tutas, 7:55.25; Jay Sierra (Center Elementary School), 7:59.27; Mace Elkins, 8:10.98; Elle Baker, 8:13.44; Rhys Phillimore, 8:21.47; Cody Howell, 9:05.38; Dax Elkins, 9:06.47; Levi, 9:18.48; Amara Terry, 9:19.01; Thea Ralph, 9:21.38; Aven Humphreys, 9:21.66; Autumn Long, 9:23.02; Winston Beck, 9:24.39; Silas Fox, 9:24.77; Morgan Hardy. 9:25.06; Blake Tubbs, 9:30.28; Adley Terry, 9:31.12; Elijah Wuest, 9:32.14; Charlee Withrow, 9:48.34; Landon Rhodes, 9:51.63; Mackenzie Phillimore, 10:03.46; Brylee Elkins, 10:03.75; Shep Anderson, 11:55.48.