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Wild, Urbanski pace AZ runners at Team Southwest Regionals
A pair of Salpointe Catholic runners led the way at the Team Southwest Regional Championships held at Coyote Run Golf Course in Mesa, as seniors Kylie Wild and Michael Urbanski were the highest-placing athletes from Arizona out of all competitors from the day at the meet.
Wild, fresh off her third consecutive Division III state title in cross country last week and recently committed to Boston College, was 37th in the girls merged results. She covered the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:27.2.
Not far off Wild was Millennium junior Landen LeBlond, finishing in 40th in 18:30.7. It was a nice bounce back performance from LeBlond, who put together one of the top seasons from any runner across all divisions in the fall, but was unable to finish the Division II race at the state meet last week.
Flagstaff senior and NC State commit Mia Hall, who also won her third consecutive Division II state title in cross last week, ran 18:34.0 to come in 45th place. Hall said that her leg injury, which nearly prevented her from competing in the state meet, and a recent illness, ended up affecting her performance.
Basha freshman Taylor Drewry, best in her class and quickly becoming one of the top runners in the state, came in 48th place at 18:35.8.
Other top Arizona finishers on the girls side:
- Cloe Baugh, sophomore, Highland: 18:53.8, 69th
- Emma Baugh, senior, Highland: 18:55.5, 73rd
- Lindsay Schlink, senior, Highland: 19:10.1, 96th
- Brooklyn Hanania, junior, Desert Vista: 19:10.5, 97th
- Kayla Case, senior, Highland: 19:11.5, 98th
- Katherine McNulty, freshman, Catalina Foothills: 19:18.9, 113th
- Stella Hall, sophomore, Highland: 19:22.7, 127th
- Lucy Turley, senior, Greenway: 19:26.9, 136th
- Alex Montano, senior, Salpointe Catholic: 19:30.8, 149th
- Bailee Christofis, senior, Desert Vista: 19:33.6, 155th
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For the boys, Urbanski, who was just short of a Division II state as he finished in second place, ran a personal best of 15:38.5 to come in 28th at Team Southwest Regionals.
It was quite the redemption for Urbanski as he led the state final last week with 100 meters to go, but was passed by Ganado senior Micah Slivers in the final steps of the race -- Urbanski shaved off 13 seconds from his best 5k time. He now ends the season ranked as the 14th-fastest athlete in the state in the event.
The next highest-finishing Arizona athlete was Pusch Ridge Christian Academy senior Myles Floyd, who ran 15:55.6 to finish in 63rd place. Floyd was one of the top runners all season long in Division IV, but did not compete at the state meet last week.
Slivers -- the Division III champion -- was unable to recreate the magic from last week, but still ran a respectable 15:58.8 to come in 73rd place.
Highland junior Timothy Willford, the lead runner for the Division I team champions, was 81st at 16:03.7.
Other top Arizona finishers on the boys side:
- Ryan Denhof, junior, Liberty: 16:03.8, 84th
- Cesar Diaz, senior, Mingus Union: 16:09.7, 105th
- Brady McCaskill, senior, Desert Mountain: 16:14.1, 129th
- Max Irey, junior, Catalina Foothills: 16:19.7, 153rd
- Tyler Anderson, senior, Desert Vista: 16:19.8, 154th
- Caleb Weaver, senior, Campo Verde: 16:20.9, 159th
- Josh Howard, senior, Highland: 16:24.4, 168th
- Andrew Gibby, senior, Hamilton: 16:25.6, 176th
- Andrew Retzlaff, senior, Shadow Ridge: 16:25.7, 177th
- Jonathan Sweepe, senior, Liberty: 16:28.6, 191st