2016 Girls Cross-Country Capsules
ADELSON SCHOOL
League: Class 2A Southern League
Head coach: Bennett Adkinson, first season
Returning letter winners: Zero
Top athletes: Lemon Aizenberg (Jr.), Dina Slipock (Sr.), Jaclyn Rivera (Sr.)
Outlook: After years of trying, the Lions finally will have a girls team this season.
“Our goal is to build the program and raise interest in women’s running,” Adkinson said.
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ARBOR VIEW
League: Class 4A Northwest League
Head coach: Sheina Torres, second season
Returning letter winners: Two
Top athletes: Renata Rodriguez (Jr.), Adrianna Carlsen (So.), Rachel Jackson (So.), Danielle Walker (Jr.)
Outlook: The Aggies return only two letter winners.
The bulk of the top runners on the team are underclassmen, and the Aggies hope to improve throughout the season.
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BOULDER CITY
League: Class 3A Sunrise League
Head coach: Canaan Petersen, sixth season
Returning letter winners: Three
Top athletes: Sierra Selinger (Jr.)
Outlook: Selinger won the Division I-A Southern Region meet last year and is one of three returning letter winners for the Eagles.
“Behind Sierra, our returners, newest members and foreign exchange students should help put us in the mix to compete for the region championship,” Petersen said.
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CHAPARRAL
League: Class 3A Sunrise League
Head coach: Cynthia Ziegler, ninth season
Returning letter winners: Two
Top athletes: Cynthia Mejia, Debhaney Moreno
Outlook: Graduation took its toll on the Cowboys, who are hoping some reinforcements.
“We hope to pick up some more runners when school begins, but it is definitely a rebuilding year for us,” Ziegler said.
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CHEYENNE
League: Class 3A Sunset League
Head coach: Scott Thrasher, 14th season
Returning letter winners: Four
Top athletes: Starr Hawkins (Sr.), Araceli Gascon (Jr.), Kayla Miksel (Jr.)
Outlook: Hawkins and Gascon both finished in the top 25 of last year’s Division I-A Southern Region meet and lead a group of four returning letter winners.
“A good group of newcomers will help add depth with Kayla Miksel leading the way,” Thrasher said. “The ultimate goal is to work toward a berth in the state championships.”
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CORONADO
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Mark Tondryk, 11th season
Returning letter winners: Two
Top athletes: Allie Ryerson (Sr.), Sabrina Granger (Sr.), Haley Cromwell (So.)
Outlook: Hit hard by graduation, the Cougars hope to rebound behind Ryerson, who placed 20th in last year’s Sunrise Region meet and Cromwell (22nd in region meet).
“We lost our top five runners and are very young and inexperienced,” Tondryk said. “Hopefully we improve throughout the year and secure a spot in the state meet.”
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DEL SOL
League: Class 3A Sunrise League
Head coach: Jennifer Powell, fourth season
Returning lettermen: One
Outlook: The Dragons will battle some inexperience early in the season, but hope for rewards by season’s end, though they have only four runners on the roster to start the season.
“We have a lot of new faces this year, and we look forward to watching them develop throughout the season,” Powell said. “Our athletes’ goals are to improve each race and ultimately obtain a spot in the state meet.”
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DESERT OASIS
League: Class 4A Southwest League
Head coach: Jerome Streets, second season
Returning lettermen: Five
Top athletes: Annika Usgaard (Sr.), Jillian Kieffer (Jr.), Madelyn Doerr (So.)
Outlook: Doerr placed 11th in the Sunset Region meet last season and ran in the state meet. Usgaard finished 27th and Kieffer 42nd in the region meet. They’ll lead a team that returns five letter winners in all.
“With five returning cross country varsity letter winners and the addition of several girls from the track program, we look to continue to build the cross country program into a competitive program,” Streets said. “Our goal is to compete for a spot in the state meet.”
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DESERT PINES
League: Class 3A Sunset League
Head coach: Lizbeth Aguilar, first season
Returning letter winners: One
Top athletes: Nayeli Perea-Barco (So.), Yanin Perez (So.), Carmen Garcia (Jr.), Amber Ruchel (Sr.)
Outlook: Aguilar takes over a program that has only one returning letter winner and will strive for improvement as the season moves along.
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DURANGO
League: Class 4A Southwest League
Head coach: Rick Barry, second season
Returning letter winners: Zero
Top athletes: Andrea Santamaria (So.), Anny Acosta (So.), Isabelle Grazide (So.), Tatiana Baes (Fr.)
Outlook: The Trailblazers are young and lack varsity experience with no letter winners back.
“This year’s team is looking to build a bond and a strong foundation for the years ahead,” Barry said. “We look to stay healthy, train consistently and make a showing as a team in the regional (meet).”
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FOOTHILL
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Natalie Thomas, 17th season
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Myna Buckley (So.), Erica Williams (Sr.), Makenzie Flynn (Jr.)
Outlook: Buckley finished second in the Sunrise Region meet last year and is one of five returning letter winners for the Falcons.
Williams (18th) and Flynn (19th) also finished in the top 20 in the region meet.
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GREEN VALLEY
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Bud Beam, second season
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Mia Smith (So.), Amy Amezcua (Sr.), Leah Leehey (Jr.), Sierra Rivera (So.), Carson Lazarus (So.)
Outlook: Smith won the Sunrise Region meet last year and finished 11th in the state meet.
Amezcua was sixth in the region meet, helping the Gators win the team title they hope to defend this year.
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LAUGHLIN
League: Class 2A Southern League
Head coach: Mitchel Mulcahy, fourth season
Returning lettermen: Four
Top athletes: Carissa Wollerton (Jr.)
Outlook: Wollerton qualified for the Division III state meet last season and leads a group of four returning letter winners for the Cougars.
“We’re looking forward to this year,” Mulcahy said. “We’re hoping to qualify for the state meet.”
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THE MEADOWS
League: Class 2A Southern League
Head coach: Charles Bernick, 14th season
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Ellen Hirsberg (Jr.), Ashley Lee (Jr.), Emily Herndon (So.)
Outlook: Hirsberg won the Southern Region meet in a runaway last season and finished fifth at the state meet.
Lee (second) and Herndon (fourth) also finished in the top four as the Mustangs easily won the team title.
“The Meadows returns its top four runners from the regional championship team,” Bernick said. “The squad benefits from the experience of juniors Ellen Hirsberg and Ashley Lee, who will be leading the Mustangs.”
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PAHRUMP VALLEY
League: Class 3A Sunset League
Head coach: Matt Kolodzieczyk, fourth season
Returning letter winners: Two
Top athletes: Alicia Quiroz (Sr.), Ashley Floyd (Sr.)
Outlook: Quiroz was the team’s No. 2 runner last year. She and Floyd will be expected to lead an inexperienced squad.
“The girls are continuing to rebuild,” Kolodzieczyk said. “We have many new runners this year who have a lot of potential, but they need to gain experience first.”
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PALO VERDE
League: Class 4A Northwest League
Head coach: Robert Davis, 17th season
Returning letter winners: Three
Top athletes: Emma Wahlenmaier (Sr.), Tori Landers (Sr.), Grace Edwards (So.)
Outlook: Wahlenmaier won the Sunset Region meet and finished second at the Division I state meet last year.
She leads a trio of returnees for the Panthers, who will have to replace four seniors from their lineup. Edwards was 27th and Landers 34th at the state meet last year, so the Panthers definitely have a foundation on which to build.
“The loss of four seniors from last season will be difficult to replace, but it is a scenario we’ve faced before,” Davis said. “The addition of junior transfer Bailey Lebow and the development of juniors Caroline Piazza and Caitlyn Provenzano will help Palo Verde field another competitive team this season.”
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SHADOW RIDGE
League: Class 4A Northwest League
Head coach: Andy Flynn, fourth season
Returning letter winners: Eight
Top athletes: Serena Garcia (Jr.), Kaycee-Jay Castle (Sr.), Allyse Ballard (Sr.), Tiana Jones (Jr.)
Outlook: Eight letter winners return for the Mustangs, who are hoping for a successful season.
“The Shadow Ridge cross country team has been training all summer and preparing themselves for a great season,” Flynn said. “With a solid base of experienced runners, the team will be ready for whatever the season brings.”
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SIERRA VISTA
League: Class 4A Southwest League
Head coach: Carrie Faber, 17th season
Returning letter winners: Three
Top athletes: Sarriah Brown, Baileigh Sundin
Outlook: Brown finished 15th and Sundin 31st in last year’s Division I-A state meet. They are two of the three returning letter winners for the Mountain Lions.
“We are very excited to start the season with 13 girls on the team,” Faber said. “We’re looking for the leadership from Sarriah and Baileigh to help our team to an outstanding year.”
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SILVERADO
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Barry Whitaker, 21st season
Returning letter winners: Three
Top athletes: Alexis Reynolds (Sr.)
Outlook: Reynolds qualified for the state meet last year and is one of three returning letter winners for the Skyhawks.
“Silverado looks for Reynolds to continue her success from last year and provide leadership to a young and inexperienced team,” Whitaker said.
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SOMERSET-LOSEE
League: Independent
Head coach: Anthony Brown, first season
Returning letter winners: Zero
Top athletes: Maranda McGuigan (Fr.), Rhealyn Manning (Fr.), Princess Norva (So.)
Outlook: McGuigan could be an impact runner for the Lions after running at a 6-minute, 13-second mile clip in eighth grade in her first season of competing.
“Our women’s team is small, but growing every day with more girls who are getting interested in the sport,” Brown said. “We have one very talented girl … the other girls have no experience in this sport, so it will be a very new transition, but I am hoping to see vast improvement in every girl on this team throughout the season.
“I expect Maranda McGuigan to be able to stick with most girls in this league, especially later on in the season. Being a first-year team in a small charter school, there are not huge expectations, but in the next few years, I am hoping this sport for this school really takes off into something great.”
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SPRING VALLEY
League: Class 4A Southwest League
Head coach: Jean Rees, fourth season
Returning letter winners: Nineteen
Top athletes: Natalie Urfalyan (So.), Morgan Bobbera (So.), Jiamin Chen (So.), Isabella Iacob (So.), MacKenzie O’Mara (So.)
Outlook: In her fourth season as coach, Rees has helped to increase participation and put together a foundation for the Grizzlies, who bring back 19 letter winners and have a couple of promising first-time cross country runners in Iacob and O’Mara.
“Our girls team is going to do well this year,” Rees said. “We are looking forward to taking on the challenge of the new division.”
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TECH
League: Class 3A Sunrise League
Head coach: Cathy Meyer, third season
Returning letter winners: Six
Top athletes: Edan Tesfay (So.), Evelyn Corona (Sr.), Jaquelinne Canas-Rodriguez (Jr.)
Outlook: The Roadrunners bring back six letter winners from a squad that made its second straight trip to the Division I-A state meet last year.
“With the leadership and experience returning from running at the state championships the last two seasons, the team is expected to be the top team in the region and return to the state (meet) for the third year in a row,” Meyer said.
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VALLEY
League: Class 4A Northeast League
Head coach: Leslie Samson, fifth season
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Emily Baker (Jr.), Angelique Laizure (Jr.), Frida Reyes (So.), Isabella Davis (So.), Katheryn Mitchell (Jr.)
Outlook: The Vikings are hoping a strong group of returning runners helps them have success this season.