Bobcats chew up relocated Chicken Creek Challenge
Probably somewhat embarrassed by how their previous showing north of Dolores shook out, Ignacio Cross-Country’s boys may have – whether they knew it or not – subconsciously been eager to return to the same Boggy Draw Bear Chase course three weeks later.
And this time all bathroom visits were completed on – or ahead of – schedule before the Bobcats officially stepped to the starting line and waited for the starter’s gun beginning the final race of Mancos’ 2024 Chicken Creek Challenge. Relocated due to the bizarre land-dispute drama developing too close for comfort near the Challenge’s regular route, the event went off in DHS’ proverbial backyard with hardly a hitch and the high-school boys’ first wave headed out under sunny skies and a temperature already rising through the upper 70s.
Having run well at the Chase, though ultimately disqualified along with his teammates after a hurried entry onto the course following a late exit from the loo, junior Trace Crane was a man on a mission at the Challenge. Clocking a second-place time of 19 minutes, 11.30 seconds, he ended up finishing behind only Justin Yazzie (19:07.89) of Many Farms, Ariz.
Helping IHS to a second-place result amongst teams vying for the 2A/3A San Juan Basin League boys’ championship, Crane had to out-kick Telluride senior Sean McKillop across the finish line – McKillop ended up a mere 0.49 seconds slower – en route to earning SJBL Boys’ Runner-of-the-Year.
IHS junior James Martin was also in contention for the honor, but ended up placing fifth overall in 19:30.81. Sophomore Thunder Windy Boy posted a 21:18.01 and came in 18th overall, and classmate Judah Ashley completed the Bobcats’ scoring quartet with his 25th-place 22:03.48.
Senior newcomer Li Zhenghui finished in 26:17.00 and placed 57th overall.
In the final ten-team standings, MFHS – an Arizona Interscholastic Association Class 2A school, competing in its Division IV – prevailed with a low count of 25 points accumulated in an unusual score-4 system. In it, title-eligible teams could have as many as seven runners earning points, though any additional runners would be factored out along with all those of non-contending crews. Paced by sixth-place Aaron Nielson (19:43.72), SJBL champ Dolores (40) emerged as the runner-up ahead of Ignacio (48; in a strict score-4, where the No. 5 runners, etc., are excluded from earning points, IHS would have tallied 44).
Ridgway, meanwhile, rose to the top in both the Challenge’s overall and SJBL-only girls’ standings; with individual champion Natasha Hessler (21:35.45) earning SJBL Girls’ Runner-of-the-Year – by more than 37 seconds over race runner-up Austin Cook of now-3A THS – the Lady Demons totaled a low of 23 points.
Telluride (37) settled for second place, while DHS (52) out-hustled Monticello (66), Utah, into third.
Junior Alyssa Atencio was yet again Ignacio’s lone entry and finished 44th in 33:25.32.
With the 2024 season entering its final weeks. IHS will next see action on Friday, Oct. 18, at the Sargent-hosted Eric Wolff Invitational. Held at the Monte Vista Golf Course, the meet’s first middle-school race is slated to start at 9 a.m., with the first high-school feature at 10.
The postseason 2A-Region IV Championships – hosted this year by Del Norte – then await Ignacio on Friday, Oct. 25, in South Fork. Start time at the Rio Grande Club & Resort (elevation approx. 8,200 feet) is also presently set for 9 a.m.