Week In Review - September 15 - September 21

Bridgette Doucet (Sr., Canyon del Oro) took an early lead in the girls Ojo Rojo varsity race.

"I was in the zone so I wasn't looking at the arrows," said Doucet after the race. "I wasn't looking at the cones - my brain said 'just run' and then all of a sudden people started shouting at me."

Doucet took a wrong turn and everyone was trying to get her back on track including 2nd place runner Kelly Naumann (Sr., Corona del Sol).  "She took a little bit of a wrong turn and I yelled at her." 

Doucet went off course a few times.  "I have no sense of direction, " she laughed.   Her mom says it in the genes.

As Naumann took the lead Doucet followed, "Now I get to go with the orange and not get lost because she actually knows where she's going," said Doucet afte the race.

Naumann ran a very strong race and had an even stronger finish for the win.  With 800 meters to go, cheers along the way gave her the motivation she needed for her strong finish in the shoot.

"She (Doucet) definitely pushed me," said Naumann after the race.  "I've never actually gone out that fast the first mile and the second mile she was in front of me the while time." 

Naumann won the race in 18:10 with Doucet finshing 2nd in 18:15.  Naumann's time was more than a minute faster than her time 2 weeks ago on the same course.

Tyler Day (Sr., Mesquite) thought he had the finish line figured out but he underestimated it.

"When I was walking the course I saw the first cones and thought 'there's only one cone.'" 

But when Day stopped at what he thought was the finish line he was surprised.  "I stopped short because I thought it was the end but people were screaming to keep going," said Day.  "I didn't know how close he (Marcus Wheeler, Sr., Corona del Sol) was behind me but I was glad I managed to hold."

"He ran a good race," said Wheeler about Day.  "Kudo's to him."

Both boys ran together the entire race.  "I knew if I ever lost contact with him it would be 'game over' so I tried to stay as close as I could to him," said Day.

But with 600 meters to go, Day decided it was time to move.  "I know he (Wheeler) has good leg turnover - I wish I had his turnover - and I knew it was going to be a battle to the finish."  

Day crossed the real finish line in 15:41 followed by Wheeler in 15:42.

Ojo Rojo Lions Invitational

On-Site Coverage

Virtual Meet - Ojo Rojo

Girls Virtual Meet

Photos: Ojo Rojo Lions Invitational by Margot Kelly

Videos

Ojo Rojo Freshman Boys and Girls 5K Race	Ojo Rojo Varsity Girls 5K Race	Ojo Rojo Varsity Boys 5K Race	Ojo Rojo Open Boys and Girls
Bridgette Doucet Interview	Kelly Naumann Interview	Marcus Wheeler Interview	Tyler Day Interview

Meet Results

Girls Highlights

Boys Highlights

Adobe Invitational

Four Corners Invitational

Mt. Carmel/Movin Shoes XC Invitational

Eleven teams went to the Mt. Carmel Invitational in San Diego California.  The course is a shorter version (2.95 for boys and 2.75 for girls) of the Foot Locker National course with one trip up the killer hill instead of two. 

Cade Burkes (Jr., Perry - photo above with headband) won the Division 1 junior boys race with a time of 15:47 - 11 seconds faster than 2nd place finisher Mark Werley (Martin Luther King).  The last Arizona runner to win a Division 1 boys race at Mt. Carmel Invite was Sherod Hardt in 2008 - who won the junior race in 15:39.

Emily Crall (Chaparral) won the girls Division 2 sophomore race in 16:18.  Teammate Ali Kallner won the senior race in 16:10 with teammate Rachel Thomas taking 5th in 17:12.   Also in the top 10 was Kaeli Otto from Ironwood Ridge finishing 7th in the Division 2 junior race in 17:32.

Tony Torres (Ironwood Ridge) finished 7th in the boys Division 2 freshmam race in 18:06.  In the boys Division 2 sophomore race, Fernando Bustamante took 6th in 17:09 with Kyle Moore from Camp Verde taking 7th.  In the junior race for Division 2 boys Brett Willman (Ironwood Ridge) finished 2nd in 16:19 teammate David Fernandez placed 5th in the senior race in 16:14.

Old Pueblo Invitational

Red Mountain King of the Mountain Invite (NEW MEET)

Woodbridge Cross Country Classic