Coronado overcomes Aggies’ Halstead for sophomore girls win
Arbor View’s Amberly Halstead won the sophomore girls race at the Bud O’Dea Freshman-Sophomore cross country championships Tuesday at Desert Breeze Park, but the top time wasn’t enough as Coronado edged the Aggies for the race’s team title, 36-37.
Halstead won the 2.5-mile race in 16 minutes, 13 seconds — six seconds in front of Tech’s Taylor Coss, who finished second in 16:19.
Jessica Raymond of Basic was third (16:29) and Steffani Stokes of Foothill finished fourth (16:40).
Things weren’t as close in the freshman girls race, where Palo Verde’s Katie Gorczyca shattered the course record, in 15:08. The previous course record of 16:53 was set by Centennial’s Brittany Willams in 2008.
“I was trying to run six-minute pace. It was my goal for today,” Gorczyca said. “I felt good. I took it easy for the first mile. I’m happy with the way it went.”
Gorczyca was among the leaders early before breaking away shortly before the mile mark from fellow freshman and eventual runner-up Sydney Badger of Centennial.
The freshmen and sophomores ran together this year for the first time, although scores were tabulated separately.
In the girls race the first three finishers were freshman, as Badger (16:04) and Lindy Eskin of Green Valley (16:12) finished second and third overall, respectively. Sara Dort of Coronado and Stacy Hall of Green Valley finshed fourth and fifth among freshmen in an identical time of 16:14.
Coronado took the freshman girls team title with 28 points. Shadow Ridge was second with 56.
Meet director Mike O’Dea, son of Bud O’Dea — a longtime coach at Rancho for whom the meet is named — credited the fast girls times to the cooler weather.
“These were near-perfect running conditions, cooler temperatures and a little breeze,” O’Dea said. “We had a great turnout today, over 400 runners and around 30 schools represented.”
Coronado sophomore Ryan Gehring finished first overall in 13:58 in the boys race. His sophomore teammate Alan Ekanger was runner-up in 14:03. Brian Marshall of Foothill was third in 14:05, and Tyler Pisciotta of Shadow Ridge finished fourth in 14:06.
Coronado won the sophomore boys team title with 23 points. Foothill (56) was second.
The top freshman boys runner was Martin Ponce of Tech (14:16). George Espino (14:21) and Jackson Carter (14:32) of Centennial finished second and third, respectively, and Dyson Clement of Coronado (15:18) was the fourth freshman to cross the finish line.
Arbor View won the freshman boys team title with 54 points. Centennial was second with 67.
Freshmen/Sophomore Championships
At Desert Breeze (2.5 miles)
At Desert Breeze (2.5 miles)
Sophomore Boys team scores: Coronado 23, Foothill 56, Green Valley 70, Palo Verde 78, Centennial 124, Arbor View 165, Valley 192, Silverado 216
Top 10 individuals: 1, Ryan Gehring, Cor, 13:58; 2, Alan Ekanger, Cor, 14:03; 3, Brian Marshall, Foot, 14:05; 4, Tyler Pisciotta, SR, 14:06; 5, Mark Hickey, Cor, 14:15; 6, Alex Tarangul, Cor, 14:19; 7, Zach Zimdars, Tec, 14:22; 8, Eric Klein, Gor, 14:25; 9, Colin Schultz, Lib, 14:28; 10, Michael Patrino, GV, 14:36.
Freshmen Boys team scores: Arbor View 54, Centennial 67, Coronado 68, Shadow Ridge 70, Silverado 130, Palo Verde 134, Desert Oasis 173
Top 10 individuals: 1, Martin Ponce, Tec, 14:16; 2, George Espino, Cen, 14:21; 3, Jackson Carter, Cen, 14:32; 4, Dyson Clement, Cor, 15:18; 5, John Vigil, AV, 15:24; 6, Jesse Dalton, Foot, 15:34; 7, Alex Grant, Lib, 15:35; 8, Miguel Garcia, Tec, 15:35; 9, Will McInnis, Palo, 15:45; 10, Andrew Riffel, AV, 15:52.
Sophomore Girls team scores: Coronado 36, Arbor View 37, Basic 75, Clark 86, Durango 122
Top 5 individuals: 1, Amberly Halstead, AV, 16:13; 2, Taylor Coss, Tec, 16:19; 3, Jessica Raymond, Bas, 16:29; 4, Steffani Stokes, Foot, 16:40; 5, Jessica Tobler, BC, 16:52; 6, Ryanne Bailey, Foot, 16:56; 7, Katie Monaco, Cor, 16:56; 8, Alexandra Acosta, Bas, 16:57; 9, Randi Withoft, AV, 17:00; 10, Kelsie Harper, SR, 17:05.
Freshmen Girls team scores: Coronado 28, Shadow Ridge 56, Foothill 71, Basic 78, Valley 121
Top 10 individuals: 1, Katie Gorczyca, Palo, 15:08; 2, Sydney Badger, Cen, 16:04; 3, Lindy Eskin, GV, 16:12; 4, Sara Dort, Cor, 16:14; 5, Stacie Hall, GV, 16:14; 6, Kayla Anderson, 16:31; 7, Alyse Vanek, Foot, 16:32; 8, Emma Czenioinski, Cor, 16:36; 9, Marissa Suan, Palo, 16:38; 10, Logan Lucas, Cor, 16:39.
Top 10 individuals: 1, Ryan Gehring, Cor, 13:58; 2, Alan Ekanger, Cor, 14:03; 3, Brian Marshall, Foot, 14:05; 4, Tyler Pisciotta, SR, 14:06; 5, Mark Hickey, Cor, 14:15; 6, Alex Tarangul, Cor, 14:19; 7, Zach Zimdars, Tec, 14:22; 8, Eric Klein, Gor, 14:25; 9, Colin Schultz, Lib, 14:28; 10, Michael Patrino, GV, 14:36.
Freshmen Boys team scores: Arbor View 54, Centennial 67, Coronado 68, Shadow Ridge 70, Silverado 130, Palo Verde 134, Desert Oasis 173
Top 10 individuals: 1, Martin Ponce, Tec, 14:16; 2, George Espino, Cen, 14:21; 3, Jackson Carter, Cen, 14:32; 4, Dyson Clement, Cor, 15:18; 5, John Vigil, AV, 15:24; 6, Jesse Dalton, Foot, 15:34; 7, Alex Grant, Lib, 15:35; 8, Miguel Garcia, Tec, 15:35; 9, Will McInnis, Palo, 15:45; 10, Andrew Riffel, AV, 15:52.
Sophomore Girls team scores: Coronado 36, Arbor View 37, Basic 75, Clark 86, Durango 122
Top 5 individuals: 1, Amberly Halstead, AV, 16:13; 2, Taylor Coss, Tec, 16:19; 3, Jessica Raymond, Bas, 16:29; 4, Steffani Stokes, Foot, 16:40; 5, Jessica Tobler, BC, 16:52; 6, Ryanne Bailey, Foot, 16:56; 7, Katie Monaco, Cor, 16:56; 8, Alexandra Acosta, Bas, 16:57; 9, Randi Withoft, AV, 17:00; 10, Kelsie Harper, SR, 17:05.
Freshmen Girls team scores: Coronado 28, Shadow Ridge 56, Foothill 71, Basic 78, Valley 121
Top 10 individuals: 1, Katie Gorczyca, Palo, 15:08; 2, Sydney Badger, Cen, 16:04; 3, Lindy Eskin, GV, 16:12; 4, Sara Dort, Cor, 16:14; 5, Stacie Hall, GV, 16:14; 6, Kayla Anderson, 16:31; 7, Alyse Vanek, Foot, 16:32; 8, Emma Czenioinski, Cor, 16:36; 9, Marissa Suan, Palo, 16:38; 10, Logan Lucas, Cor, 16:39.