In El Paso, Texas, cross country season has begun, and this past weekend, we saw some great runs from a few teams and individuals at the Clint Invitational.
On the Varsity boys' side, Christopher Moreno, a senior from San Elizario High School, who during track season qualified for the state meet and placed 1st in the 800 Meter and 5th in the 1600 Meter Run, started this season with a time of 16:29.97, securing a win for his first meet of the season. Moreno's teammate, junior Julian Guerra, placed 3rd with a time of 16:45.80. Keep an eye out for the San Elizario team as the boys have placed in the top 3 at the 4A state meet every year since 2014 and can make it again this year.
Now on the Varsity girls' side, Kylene Elias, a senior at Tornillo High School, won the race with a time of 22:40.06. Last cross country season, Elias and her team qualified for the 3A state cross country meet in Round Rock. Similar to the boys, keep an eye out for Tornillo this year as they look to qualify for yet another state appearance.
We can't forget about the JV performances for this meet. Rafael Gomez, a junior at Fabens High School, won the JV Boys race with a time of 19:55.93. Gomez pushed on during the race, despite feeling tired from the terrain changes of concrete, grass, and sand. Katelyn Montoya, a junior for San Elizario, won the JV Girls race with a time of 23:03.23, and her teammate, Kylee Pardo, came in second with a time of 23:50.46.
Last but not least, a team that stood out was the Riverside Varsity Girls. All four runners placed in the top 10, being led by Kim Castro, a sophomore, with a time of 23:56.54 and securing 4th place overall. Keep your eyes out for the Riverside Team, as they look to shake up the competition.
This past weekend at the Clint Invitational has shown us some great runs and a fantastic start to the 2022 season here in El Paso, Tx. We look forward to seeing many more great races from teams and individuals.
Honorable Mention Performances:
Varsity Boys:
Daniel Romero, Junior, Tornillo, 16:36.91
Israel Quintana, Junior, Immanuel Christian School, 17:30.22
Leonardo Resendez, Junior, Bel Air, 18:09.16
Varsity Girls:
Elizabeth Aguirre, Sophomore, Hanks, 22:48.51
Marysol Vidal, Junior, Bel Air, 23:45.95
Itzel Dean, Junior, Horizon, 24:00.46
JV Boys:
Gustavo Salazar, Junior, San Elizario, 20:04.01
Juan Montoya, Sophomore, Fort Hancock, 20:09.65
JV Girls:
Ashlyn McMillan, Hanks, 24:32.80
Emerald Flores, Junior, Bel Air, 26:20.33