The Cave Creek Golf Course is 3.1 miles of rolling hills and the course is more difficult than it looks. Combine the hills with the high heat of the afternoon and the course becomes even tougher!
The Start (check out the first set of rolling hills)
Before the mile (another uphill climb)
By the time the 4A I race stated at 9 AM (wouldn't 8 AM be a better time to start races in Arizona?) the cloud cover was starting to move and by the start of the next race the temperatures were rising quickly.
Some say the heat doesn't matter but the number of athletes dropping from heat exhaustion or dehydrating would say otherwise. After polling the web masters from other milesplit states, Arizona has more races than any other state in the country.
California has 10 races starting at 8:30 with the last race at 1:25. In Florida (another hot state) no one is allowed to run races between 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM. Cooler states like Pennsylvania have 4 races finishing at noon and Ohio has 6 races starting at 11:05 and running every 45 minutes. Colorado has 8 races stating at 9:30 and running every half hour until 1 PM.
Elite runners like Kailey Rumbo (Sandra Day O'Connor), Brianna Decker (Mesa Mountain View) and Andrew Hagler (Chandler) should have been able to finish their races. For Rumbo and Hagler it was their final cross country race of their senior year but all three of them ended up on the ground just short of the finish line.
There is no telling how many runners did not finish. Their names do not show up on the final results.
Hopefully a change can me made to put our athletes first and help them get to the finish line safely.
State Meet Wrapup - Morning Session!
5A I Boys
JORGE MARTINEZ (JR, ALHAMBRA)
5A I State Champion
Jorge had a slight lead at the 1.25 mile mark with Jeffrey Segovia (Sr, Trevor G. Browne) and Andrew Hagler (Sr, Chandler) only a step behind. Jorge went on to win the race in 15:43.67.
JEFFREY SEGOVIA (SR, TREVOR G. BROWNE)
2nd Place
Jeffrey Segovia stayed close to Jorge Martinez throughout the entire race finishing 4 seconds behind in 15:47.79.
Photo: Segovia at the 1.25 mile mark on the should of Jorge Martinez with Andrew Hagler (Sr., Chandler) close behind. Hagler was headed to a 3rd place finish before collapsing on the course.
GARRETT BAKER-SLAMA (SR, CORONA DEL SOL)
Garrett has had an incredible Cross Country season, running fast and smart. At the 1.25 mile Garrett was in the second group, about 7 seconds behind the leaders. Garrett made his move around 400 meters from the finish ending up in 3rd place with a time of 16:09.
TEAM TITLES
The season had its up and downs for the Alhambra team. After loosing one of their coaches, the team decided to forfeit the rest of their season but after much contemplation and through the encouragement of those close to them they decided to run..........and run they did........right to a team title.
Alhmabra placed runners in 1 (Jorge Martinez, Jr.), 11 (Max Talamantes, So.), 22 (George Ramirez, Jr.), 24 (Jesus Bustillos, Jr.) and 26 (Ignacia Villalba, Jr.).
Alhambra excepting the 1st place trophy!
THE CINDERELLA TEAM
They were up against all odds. One of Corona del Sol's top runners, Matt Whitlatch, strained his IT Band in late June and spent the next 3 months in therapy, 3 to 5 times a week. He swam to stay in shape and didn't return to running until a week before the City Meet. At the City Meet he placed 9th then went on to Regionals and finished 5th. With only three weeks of solid running he was able to finish in 4th place at the State Meet, just behind his teammate Garrett Baker-Slama. Jared Hurschl, only a freshman, finished in 9th with Jake Whitney (also a freshman) in 35th and junior Daniel Wrapp in 51st.
Matt Whitlatch summed up his State Meet race:
"In the State Meet I ran as controlled as I could for the first mile. I had only one run with a hill in it and wasn't sure how my legs would feel doing it, so I relaxed until I went through the revene, and started to pick it up from there. During the second mile I picked up alot of guys who had gone out too fast. Coming up the last 800m I didn't feel so great, but Jared and I started working together gaining ground on the others. He is a STUD! Once I crested the hill I just started to pump my arms and drive to the finish. I don't remember passing all those guys, I know it happened but it went by to fast. I only remember Cory (Cory Breinholt (Jr., Highland) and I battling it out, he responded to my kick very well and it took every ounce of speed in me to get him."
2nd Place Team - Corona del Sol
5A I Girls
JESSICA TONN (SR, XAVIER COLLEGE PREP)
5A I State Champion
SARAH FAKLER (FR, XAVIER COLLEGE PREP)
2nd Place
KYLEE KIESER (JR, CASA GRANDE)
3rd Place
Kylee had an incredible run at the State Meet finishing with a time of 18:39.40 almost a minute faster than her 4th place time of 19:34.60 at the 2008 State Meet.
Xavier College Prep won the State Title (see article on Xavier)
2nd Place went to Desert Vista
Desert Vista placed runners in 6 (Megan Kupres, So.), 8 (Jenna Maack, Fr.), 15 (Brittany Tretbar, Fr.), 16 (Megan Dudzinski, Sr.) and 29 (Jessica Economou, Sr.).
4A I Boys
SHEROD HARDT (SR, QUEEN CREEK)
4A I State Champion
Sherod was in a pack with Rex Woodbury (Jr) and Dylan Sousa (Jr) from Catalina Foothills, Jesus Escalea (Sr) from Bradshaw Mountain, Daniel Wong (Jr) Canyon Del Oro, Carlos Roa (Sr) from McClintock and Humberto Bravo (Sr) from flowing wells.
"The front pack of runners reached the mile in 5:03," said Hardt. "My goal was to reach it in 5:00 so I started to make my move." Hardt took the lead from the mile and finished the race in 15:32.40"
"It feels awesome to have a state title," said Hardt after the race. "Obviously I have been chasing it for a few years!"
JESUS ESCALERA (SR, BRADSHAW MOUNTAIN)
2nd Place
Jesus finished 2nd behind Sherod Hardt in 16:00.17
REX WOODBURY (JR, CATALINA FOOTHILLS)
3rd Place in 16:08.73 (see article)
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DANIEL WONG (JR, CANYON DEL ORO)4th Place
Daniel qualified for the State Meet as an individual. He stayed with the lead group and finished in 4th place in 16:17.16
TEAM TITLES
Catalina Foothills took the team title with 43 points, placing runners in 3, 5, 9, 12, and 14. (see article on Catalina Foothills)
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Bradshaw Mountain, led by Jesus Escalera, took 2nd with 110 points and placing runners in 2 (Jesus Escalera), 18 (Jose Valdez, Sr.), 24 (Jose Aceves, Sr.), 32 (Austin Turner, Fr.) and 43 (Estabon Morales, So.). If anyone has a photo of Bradshaw Mountain, please send it in so we can show everyone who they are!!!
4A I Girls
ZAHIRA JIMENEZ (JR, NOGALES)
4A I State Champion
Zahira took an early lead and stayed in the front for the entire race finishing in 18:59.10
CHRISTINA PRICE (SR, SABINO)
2nd Place
Defending State Champion Christina Price was unable to hold of Zahira Jimenez. Christina finished the race in second place with a time of 19:12.68
KONNIE ZUNIGA (JR, NOGALES)
3rd Place
Konnie stayed behind Christina Price during the race and finished in 3rd place in 19:17.88
TEAM TITLES
The team title went to Nogales (pictured below) with 47 points placing runners in 1 (Zahira Jimenez, Jr.), 3 (Konnie C. Zuniga, Jr.), 11 (Lilia Moncada, So.), 15 (Dianna Padilla, Jr.) and 17 (Esther Estrada (Jr.) Cactus Shadows (no photo available but please send one in) took 2nd with 88 points by placing runners in 4 (Terri Baker, Fr.), 6 (Dani Zalewski, Fr.), 7 (Jesse Hass, Sr.), 21 (Melissa Nelson, Fr.) and 50 (Adelyn Schafer, So.)
1A/2A Boys
CODY ROSENGARTEN (SR, TOMBSTONE)
1A/2A State Champion
Defending champion Cody Rosengarten won his second straight cross country title. It has been approximately nine years since someone from the 1A/2A division has had back to back championship.
"I came here with the same strategy and the same mindset as last year. I would have liked to have run faster but about a mile and a half into the race I was cramping pretty bad and it slowed me down."
As the boys from Hopi were starting to close in on Rosengarten, pain or no pain, he needed to push himself and he did. "I love runner against them (Hopi), they are such great competitors," said Rosengarten after the race.
KYLE SILAS (SO, HOPI)
2nd Place
The top three boys come from a strong region and finished in the same order they finished at regionals. Kyle moved into second place by the time he reached the mile mark and finished in second in 16:18.527.
RONALD LABAN (SR, HOPI)
3rd Place
Ronald finished in 3rd place, behind teammate Kyle Silas, with a time of 16:26
TEAM TITLES
Hopi (pictured below) won their 20th consecutive team title with a total score of 27 points. All five of their scoring runners were in the top ten and all seven were in the top 20.
Hopi placed runners in 2 (Kyle Silas, So.), 3 (Ronald Laban, Sr.), 5 (Justin Secakuki, Jr.), 8 (Brennon Sidney, Sr.) and 9 (McCray Huma, So.)
Second place went to Many Farms (pictured below) with 62 points. The top five runners were all in the top 20 and finished in 4 (Garriot James, Sr.), 12 (Brian Keesie, Sr.), 13 (Deion Begay, So.), 16 (Deon Leonadrd, Sr.) and 17 (Robert Lowe, Sr.)
1A/2A Girls
CHELENA BETONEY (FR, VALLEY SANDERS)
Chelena jumped out in front at the start and stayed in the lead until the finish. Her first place time was 19:36.27
ANDREA KLIMOWSKI (SR, NORTHLAND PREP)
Defending State Champion Andread Klimowski was in 3rd going down the big hill but finished second in the 1A/2A race in 20:50.93
MONIKA KAWSKI (JR, HORIZON HONORS)Monika was in 5th place at the mile and a quarter just before the big hill but quickly moved ahead and finished 3rd in 21:12.9
TEAM TITLES
The Hopi girls (pictured below) took the team title with 52 points, just 2 points ahead of Northland Prep (54 points.)
Hopi placed runners in 3 (Terissa Josytewa, Sr.), 8 (Shaelanna Antone, So.), 10 (Alvina Gilmore, Sr.), 12 (Jasmine Humetewa, So.) and 19 (Clinessia Lucas, So.)
2nd place team Northland Prep
Northand Prep had runners in 2 (Andrea Klimowski, Sr.), 5 (Amy Bain, Sr.), 14 (Danielca Laplante, Fr.), 16 (Jessica McMillin, Sr.) and 17 (Cassie Pinaire, Jr).
