Competing at Ridgway State Park Friday, Sept. 17, junior Eppie Quintana and sophomore Lauren deKay recorded Ignacio Cross-Country’s top times at the Ouray/Ridgway-hosted 2021 Ramble at the Reservoir. 

Quintana’s 22nd-place 23:21.2 paced the boys to a fifth-place finish, while deKay’s 29th-place 28:50.3 led the Lady ’Cats to an eighth-place result as 13 total high schools were represented at the week-ending meet. 

Sophomores Camron Cooper (24:08.5) and Phillip Quintana (24:10.1) finished 29th and 30th in the boys’ feature, while junior Dylan McCaw (26:15.9) was 40th and sophomore Corey Gomez (26:28.7) 42nd – helping IHS tally an adjusted score-5 total of 135 [19-24-25-33-34] points. Powered by senior Daniel Duffy’s runner-up 20:32.1, Grand Junction accumulated a winning low of 30, while individual champ Vincent Schierenberg (20:06.6) and OHS/RHS came in second with 47. 

New Castle Coal Ridge and Olathe ranked third and fourth – totaling 76 and 114 points, respectively. 

In the girls’ race, Aspen (36 points) prevailed, followed by CRHS (80), GJHS (86), Carbondale-based Colorado Rocky Mountain School (112) and Grand Junction Caprock Academy (123). Senior Avaleena Nanaeto ended up 33rd in 28:56 flat and sophomore Moriah Ashley 36th in 28:59.2, helping Ignacio record an adjusted 170 [24-28-31-41-46] points. 

Sophomore Maci Barnes placed 47th in 30:20.6, while senior Alannah Gomez took 53rd in 30:38.8, sophomore Darlyn Lechuga 66th in 33:32.6 and sophomore Zoey Ashley 67th in 33:44.7. Freshman Audrianna Diaz ended up 75th in 37:01.8 as 79 individuals – led by AHS junior Elsie Weiss (23:25.5) and CRMS senior Lola Villafranco (23:43.1) – completed the course, compared to 73 in the boys’ race. 

Up next, IHS will venture to Pagosa Springs for the Pirate Cross-Country Challenge Sat., Sept. 25, then Oct. 1 to Hillcrest Golf Course in Durango for the Four Corners XC Classic.