Anthony Mori Nov 1, 2024
Elko Daily Free Press
RENO — Unfortunately, no Elko County cross country programs earned team qualifications to the 2A state meet.
However, four boys — one from Jackpot and three for Wells — booked individual qualifications to state during the 2A North regional race on Oct. 25, at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, in Reno.
On the girls side, two Wells athletes will represent the Lady Leopards in the most prestigious race of the season.
Boys
In the team standings, Wells ranked fourth and one spot outside of a state berth with 70 points — trailing third-place Coral Academy of Science-Reno’s total of 60 by 10 points — and Jackpot took eighth place with 134 points.
Individually, Jackpot senior Jorge Avila Fragoza ran fifth overall and earned the second individual qualification to state — awarded to the top-seven runners from non-qualifying teams — with a time of 18:34.
Wells earned consecutive individual qualifications in order at eighth and ninth — the fourth and fifth-best individual times — sophomore Isaac Gale leading the way in 18:46 and junior Cameron Livingstone following in 18:58.
The Leopards laid down their third individual qualification — the sixth-fastest time for an individual qualifier — with a 16th-place 19:17 for sophomore Mason Noorda.
For the Jaguars, senior Alfredo Aguilar ran a 20:03 for 24th place.
Wells’ top-four team scoring was capped with a 37th-place 21:22 by senior Christopher Burcham, and junior Carson Ballard followed closely in 38th with a time of 21:25.
Freshman Jayden Kiser rounded out the Leopards’ roster in 22:12 at 45th.
For Jackpot, junior Angel Martinez crossed in 24:13 for 51st — freshman Kevin Jack rounding off the team’s top-four scoring with a time of 25:25 in 56th place.
In 57th, senior Giovanny Rios finished with a time of 25:28.
The Jaguars’ roster was capped with a 61st-place 34:34 for sophomore Nicholas Webber.
Girls
In the girls division, Wells finished fifth out of five programs with 61 points.
Individually, the Lady Leopards booked a pair of qualifications to the state meet.
Freshman Millie Cromley ran the second-fastest race among girls from non-qualifying teams and seventh overall with a time of 23:33, and sophomore teammate April Bochman earned the seventh and final state nod from individuals in 28-flat and 18th place.
Junior Laurel Stevenson finished 22nd in 29:32, and the 24th-place 30:40 for sophomore Norah Stevenson capped the Lady Leopards’ team scoring and roster.
Up Next
Avila Fragoza, Gale, Livingstone, Noorda, Cromley and Bochman will run in the Division 2A Nevada State Cross Country Championships at 1:20 p.m. Saturday, at Veterans’ Memorial Park, in Boulder City.