Among the local finishers in the Class 2A boys race were Dolores seniors Phillip Hufman and Brennan Hite, whose times of 17:37.90 and 18:10.10 placed the dynamic duo 12th and 18th, respectively.
Fellow San Juan Basin League competitor Edgar Hernandez, a freshman at Mancos, showed well in his first state meet and placed 57th overall in a field of 125 runners.
Heritage Christian Academy finished first in the boys team standings, and Heritage Christian Academy superstar Seth Bruxvoort placed first individually with a time of 16:09.30.
“Edgar ran a smart race,” wrote Mancos head coach Brady Archer, in an email to The Journal. “He was patient through the first mile and passed a number of runners over the second half. To see our young runners compete so well at the end of the season makes me excited to see where we will be next season with a year of experience under our belts.”
In the Class 2A girls race, Mancos was represented by six total runners and finished 18th overall in the team standings. Lyons High School finished first.
Bluejay sophomore Grace Manning led the way with a 56th-place finish (23:30.30), and Aspen Bumgarner made the most of her first state meet with an 87th-place finish overall (25:28.70).
Other finishers for the Lady Jays included Hakayla Snow, who placed 88th (25:30.30); Kaysi Thomas, who finished 90th (25:47.40); Zoey Steele, who crossed the line in 92nd (26:06.20); and Kylie Guiles, who placed 102nd (26:39.90) in the 114-runner field.
“We had some girls who were nursing injuries for most of the season, so for them to make it to (state) was a huge accomplishment,” Archer wrote. “I thought (our team) competed really well through the second half of the course.”
With the high school cross-country season now complete, several local cross-country athletes will turn their attention to winter sports before returning to the track for the track season next spring.