The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate cross-country teams hosted their home meet, the McGinn Memorial Cross Country Challenge, on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Though the race was originally scheduled to take place atop Reservoir Hill, the conditions caused by rain forced coach Josh Kurz to map out and set up a new course on the school district’s property the day before the race.
“Despite the last-minute change, the home meet was a great success,” wrote Kurz in an email to The SUN.
Five teams, including the Pirates, participated at the meet.
The Pirates took first place overall on the boys’ side and third place overall on the girls’ side.
Thirteen Pirate harriers finished with new personal records after the race.
Rylan Ash led the Pirates, finishing first overall at the meet with a time of 16 minutes, 35.00 seconds. Weston Sweet finished fourth with a time of 17:38.00, Miles Dempster placed sixth with a time of 18:06.00, Jacen Easling placed 14th with a time of 19:34.00 and Kieran Kurz placed 17th with a time of 20:04.00 to round out the top five scoring Pirates.
Ash’s time was a personal best.
Josh Kurz also emphasizes that if Sweet is able to drop his time under 18 minutes, it will be the first time in almost 10 years that three athletes on the team come in under 18 minutes in a race.
Wells Witting placed 21st with a time of 20:24.00, Stetson Osborn placed 22nd with a time of 20:37.00, Hawkin Kofke placed 28th with a time of 21:02.00, Cole Hancey finished right behind him in 29th with a time of 21:02.00, Isaac Hanto placed 31st with a time of 21:26.00, Jacob Freeman placed 34th with a time of 22:44.00, Matthew Mars placed 37th with a time of 24:18.00, Liam McKnight placed 38th with a time of 24:36.00, Davyn Leiker placed 39th with a time of 24:37.00, and Eli Hanto placed 41st with a time of 26:27.00.
Hancey and Kofke both competed in their first high school 5K on Saturday, Josh Kurz notes. Eli Hanto was the “monster of the week” on the boys side, dropping 2:54 from the previous week’s race.
Madi Stretton led the way for the Lady Pirates, placing eighth with a time of 22:30.00. Olivia Diffey placed 10th with a time of 22:39.00, Bella Jackson placed 12th with a time of 23:14.00, Elsy Wood placed 13th with a time of 23:46.00, and Lucy Rivera placed 18th with a time of 24:50.00 to round out the top five scoring Lady Pirates.
Isabelle Ratcliff placed 25th with a time of 26:40.00 and Skylar Leiker placed 30th with a time of 28:47.00.
“Madi had another consistent performance, and Olivia had a breakthrough race, dropping 1:45 from last week,” wrote Josh Kurz.
Ratcliff was the female “monster of the week” after dropping 2:56 from her time at last weekend’s Coronado Cougar Classic, according to the coach. Skylar Leiker also broke the 30-minute barrier for the first time in her high school career.
The Lady Pirate team now has five athletes that can run in the 22- to 23-minute range, which Josh Kurz emphasizes will put the Lady Pirates in a good position at the regional meet.
Up next, the team will race in Salida at the Salida High Mountain Desert Twilight on Saturday, Oct. 3, with the action kicking off at 6:30 p.m.
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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