The Chandler girls dominated the competition by placing 5 runners in the top 11 by scoring an impressive 26 points. Sophomore Morgan Foster (Chandler) handled the competition by finishing first with a winning time of 19:03. Freshman Caroline Mcleskey (Highland) came in 10 seconds after Foster (19:13) trying to break up the Wolves. Desert Vista did not run some of their top varsity runners, however easily qualified with Senior Madi Bucci (Desert Vista) leading the team with her 12th place finish. Look for Highland, Desert Visa, and Chandler girls to battle for a team trophy next Saturday at the AIA State Meet.
Abi Archer (Soph.) led the Chaparral girls to a 40 point victory with a time of 19:00 minutes for the 5k course. Archer finished ahead of Danyella Miranda (20:11) from Tempe High School by over a minute. The Buffaloes (Tempe High) will be going to the state meet along with Miranda with a 7th place team finish. The Chaparral girls are setting the bar high and want to put everything out on the course next Saturday. Expect Abi Archer (Chaparral) to perhaps win her first individual state title.
Saguaro edged out Fountain Hills High School by 8 points to take home the sectional title. Sophomore Gabrielle Sepulveda (Saguaro) finished in 1st place with a time of 21:04. Sepulveda's teammates all finished in the top 20. Alexandra Coons of Fountain Hills finished 2nd with a time of 21:38. Both teams look strong and confident just in time for the state meet.
Rachel Field (Gilbert Christian) won her first individual sectional title with an impressive time of 20:52. She did not lead the race the first two miles race, but decided to pull away the last mile and won by 26 seconds. Alysa Aurigemma (Scottsdale Prep) led her team to the sectional title with a second place finish. Chandler Prep girls finished 4th qualifying for the first time in school history.
(Congratulations to all the teams and individuals who qualified for the AIA State Meet. Look for twitter updates during the races and post interviews of individuals and team winners. Good luck!)
~Anna Rodriguez