Reborn program takes 12th at regionals

Proudly representing Ignacio High one last time this fall, the Bobcat boys’ cross-country crew boasted one runner breaking the 20-minute barrier as the program’s 2020 rebirth season ended Friday afternoon, Oct. 9, in Delta.

Competing at the Class 2A-Region IV Championships, IHS’ adjusted score-4 total of 173 points earned the team a respectable 12th place out of 17 squads packing energetic Confluence Park.

With State-qualifying standards different from the upper classifications’ this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic predicament, four teams from each 2A regional were awarded spots in Colorado Springs: San Juan Basin Leaguers Ouray (a winning meet-low 57 points), Rangely (92), Grand Junction Caprock Academy (94), and Parachute Grand Valley (98).

For Ignacio, freshman Phillip Quintana’s first prep season ended with a 36th-place 19:54.05.  Senior Dylan Labarthe’s first – and, unfortunately, only – cross-country campaign concluded with a 41st-place 20:12.65, followed by sophomore Eppie Quintana in 46th (20:44.16) and junior Gabe Tucson in 53rd (21:33.53).

Freshman Trajan Garcia – like Labarthe, Tucson, inactive junior Jeremy Roderick and injured junior Tyler Barnes an Ignacio Football participant awaiting that season’s sudden restart – rounded out the Bobcat contingent taking 58th in 22:07.67, but was far from back-of-the-pack status; there were 81 finishers in the race.

Individually, Crested Butte Community School’s Connor Williams dominated end-to-end and clocked a first-place 16:36.08, with OHS’ Vincent Schierenberg (17:35.61) and Oak Creek-based Soroco’s Alex Colby (17:35.65) almost a full minute behind but separated by just a fraction of a second.  Paonia’s Alyster Birk was a close fourth in 17:37.49.