Crossing real "country" on foot, Bayfield High's cross-country harriers took on last Saturday's off-road 2015 Chicken Creek Challenge in national forest land just north of Mancos, returning with a pair of top-15 individual results.
Sophomore Sloan Mazur solidified his status as the boys' lead runner with a 15th-place 19:57.7, and senior Lexa Fleming, normally the girls' #2, took an excellent 12th in 24:03.9 for the squad's overall top finish on the hilly, forested route.
Junior Rachel Cooper (24:49.5) wasn't far behind Fleming and took 16th, and the rest of the Wolverine girls maintained a "pack" mentality despite finishing further back in it. Brittany Birk (29:46.6) was 38th, Sarah Ruybal (30:26.2) 39th and Jade Sanders (35:18.0) 41st, with Mylee Sanders (48:50.8) taking 44th.
Junior Bridget Goddard took a rare 'DNF' after a leg cramp stopped her not even halfway through, giving 5A Farmington's McKinzey Allee one less worry en route to a winning 21:34.9.
Elana Kresl of 5A Aztec, N.M., was second in 22:02.8, 3A Pagosa Springs teammates Olivia Reinhardt (22:20.7) and Delaney Khung (22:27.5) were third and fourth, and FHS' Anastasia Wilkinson (22:29.2) rounded out the girls' top five.
Ro Paschal of Mancos did the hosting Blue Jays well by winning the boys' varsity feature in 17:33.3, nearly 21 seconds ahead of 1A Monticello's Tyler Bird (17:54.1). Mancos' Simon Kearns crossed in a third-place 18:09.2, FHS' Danny Hickman (18:27.0) took fourth and PSHS' Ethan Brown (18:29.7) fifth.
After Mazur, the closest Bayfielder to the boys' front was Bryan Gram, whose 20:57.4 landed him in 28th place. Joey Sandrey (36th, 21:59.6) and Brandon Stuever (42nd, 22:12.9) were next to complete the course, with Justis Herrera (23:53.2) and Jackson Sibley (24:13.0) then taking 52nd and 53rd, respectively.
The team competes Saturday at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds for the Cortez Ancient Trails meet.
CCC BOYS' STANDINGS: 1.Mancos 26, 2.Farmington (N.M.) 44, 3.Pagosa Springs 51, 4.Blanding (UT) San Juan 79, 5.Montezuma Creek (UT) Whitehorse 83, 6.Montezuma-Cortez 84, 7.Monticello (UT) 95, 8.BAYFIELD 115. Incomplete teams: Dolores (3 finishers).
CCC GIRLS' STANDINGS: 1.Pagosa Springs 14, 2.Blanding (UT) San Juan 49, 3.Farmington (N.M.) 53, 4.Mancos 58, 5.BAYFIELD 89, 6.Montezuma-Cortez 94, 7.Monticello (UT) 118. Incomplete teams: Aztec (N.M.; 1 finisher), Dolores (1), Montezuma Creek (UT) Whitehorse (1).
