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Ignacio seniors Corey Gomez (114) and Phillip Quintana (116) pace a small pack through a second-mile bend during the 2023 CHSAA State Cross-Country Championships' Class 2A boys' race Saturday, Oct. 28, in Colorado Springs.
Ignacio senior Moriah Ashley descends the final hill and approaches the finish line during the girls' race at the Class 2A-Region IV Championships held Friday, Oct. 20, north of Dolores. Unfortunately, her IHS Cross-Country career – and that of classmate Lauren deKay – came to an end; neither was unable to qualify for the CHSAA State Championships.
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
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‘Cats bring back 17th from State meet

Friday - November 3, 2023 by Joel Priest | Special to the Drum

For an underclassman-led squad, the Bobcats performed like they’d ‘been there before.’ 

With all six entered boys breaking the 20-minute mark, Ignacio carded a collective result which normally would have had the crew contending for a team title. But against 19 other top-flight Class 2A teams congregated Saturday morning, Oct. 28, at the 2023 CHSAA State Cross-Country Championships in Colorado Springs, IHS found that their best still had to be better. 

All told, the ’Cats amassed an adjusted 290 points in the race’s score-4 system and placed 17th, ahead of Buena Vista (310), Carbondale Colorado Rocky Mountain School (316) and Olathe (326). Golden View Classical Academy, on the other hand, ranked first with a race-low 42 points – less than half of Springs-based runner-up Banning Lewis Preparatory Academy’s 85 – after conquering the 5,000-meter Norris-Penrose Event Center course. 

Wiggins (88), Lyons (109) and Peyton (113) rounded out the standings’ top five. 

Finishing between GVCA freshman Huckleberry Hale (18:06.20) and RFHS senior Alex Marchand (18:08.80), freshman Cayson Burcham led Ignacio – which had qualified as a team by placing fourth (one point behind Olathe) at the previous Friday’s Region IV Championships held north of Dolores – with his 52nd-place time of 18 minutes, 8.40 seconds. 

Sophomore James Martin (19:13.10) became IHS’ No. 2 finisher when he crossed in 95th, and seniors Corey Gomez (100th, 19:18.80) and Phillip Quintana (107th, 19:35.10) completed the Bobcats’ scoring quartet. Sophomore Trace Crane placed 110th in 19:44.60, and freshman Judah Ashley concluded his prep-level rookie season taking 112th in 19:45.90. 

By comparison, Colorado Springs Christian School junior Andrew Bel captured the Class 2A boys’ individual crown in 16:16.60. Lyons senior Sage Wynja was second – out of 136 finishers – in 16:23.80, and GVCA junior Bobby Kiesewetter third in 16:24.10. GVCA senior Yosef Heldt (16:38.50) and Strasburg sophomore Dawit James (16:39.30) filled out the top five. 

 

LADY ’CATS WRAP UP AT REGIONAL 

Down to just two in number, Ignacio’s girls were unable to qualify for State. Closing out the 2023 season at the Region IV meet, ran upon the same course as the season-opening Boggy Draw Bear Chase, senior Lauren deKay finished 67th in 28:50.28 and classmate Moriah Ashley 69th in 29:08.73. 

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