SUNSET REGION: Ziems finds motivation to surprise field, help Panther boys to team title

Not many cross country fans expected Daniel Ziems to win the Division I Sunset Region meet Friday.

The Palo Verde junior couldn't really blame them. He wasn't expecting it, either.

"No," Ziems said with a laugh. "I expected to be up there, but I wasn't sure how (Centennial's Dominic) Roberts or my teammate Dax (Jacobsen) would run. Somewhere inside of me the motivation just kicked in, I guess."

A good finishing kick didn't hurt.

Ziems won the Sunset meet, finishing the 3.1-mile course at Veterans' Memorial Park in Boulder City in 17 minutes and 21 seconds and holding off a pack of runners who hung with Ziems for most of the race.

With less than a half mile to go in the race, Roberts moved ahead of Ziems. The Panther junior struck back quickly.

"He surged past me, and I found the motivation to finish him off," Ziems said.

Arbor View's Ian Jackson finished strong and took second in 17:27, followed by Roberts in 17:30. Bishop Gorman's Robert Daseler was fourth and Durango's Frankie Bisacky fifth, both in 17:33.

Jacobsen appeared headed for a top-five finish but fell repeatedly in the final 200 yards. He gamely crawled and stumbled and finally crossed the line in 11th place in 17:55, helping the Panthers to their second straight region title with 54 points.

Arbor View was second with 76, and Centennial took third with 94. The top three teams and top five individuals not on a qualifying team advance to the state meet next week in Reno.

Palo Verde had a pack of runners — Trevor Goldsmith, Evelio Vergara, Carlos Garcia and Kyle Thompson — finish 13th through 16th to ensure the win.

"It was pretty awesome," Ziems said. "I feel so much pride."

SUNSET GIRLS

Somewhere deep inside a team meeting place for Palo Verde's girls cross country team is a secret plan for winning.

Emma Wahlenmaier admitted a plan exists, but wouldn't offer up too many specifics.

Whatever it was worked perfectly for the Panther junior and came awfully close to netting the team a region title Friday.

Wahlenmaier surprised many by winning the Sunset girls meet in 20:01. Centennial's Kayla Roberts was second in 20:16.

"The plan really helped me to strategize throughout the race," Wahlenmaier said. "We were all part of the plan. We just threw in some surges and in parts of the race. We tell ourselves that when it hurts the most, you just have to push yourself harder. You just have to get it done. You have to push through."

Wahlenmaier took the lead just before the two-mile mark and struggled a little going uphill shortly after that, but no one came close to catching her.

Palo Verde's Molly Marias was third in 20:26.

Defending state champion Alexis Gourrier, a heavy favorite to run away with the race, started strong and grabbed the lead in the first quarter mile, but fell before the one-mile mark. By the time Gourrier got to the one-mile mark, she was 20th. She settled for 10th in 20:57.

It opened the door for Wahlenmaier and a host of other runners.

"I was really pushing and trying," Wahlenmaier said. "It was my goal today (to win the meet). I'm really happy."

Gourrier's game effort to recover helped the Bulldogs keep their team title streak alive. Centennial won its fifth straight region crown with 31 points, two fewer than Palo Verde. Shadow Ridge was a distant third with 102.