Desert Pines’ Jazmin Felix, Centennial’s Alex Miller win UNLV Invitational races

Jazmin Felix may have started out the season as a secret weapon for the Desert Pines girls cross country team.

She is no secret now.

The sophomore, running just her second race of the season for the Jaguars, pulled away to win the UNLV Invitational at Craig Ranch Park on Saturday. Felix completed the 3.1-mile course in 19 minutes, besting a field of 129 runners.

Bishop Gorman’s Emilia Puskas took second in 19:13. Basic’s Raquel Chavez-Velazquez was the only other girl to break the 20-minute mark, finishing third in 19:44.

Felix took second in the small-school race at the Larry Burgess Invitational on Sept. 9.

Centennial’s Kloe Littleman placed fourth Saturday in 20:00. Desert Pines’ Nayeli Perea-Barco was fifth in 20:08.

Centennial placed five runners in the top 15 overall, including three in the top eight, and easily won the team competition with 43 points. Green Valley was second with 115. Gorman took third with 124, and Desert Pines was fourth with 156.

In the boys race, Centennial junior Alex Miller collected his first win of the season, beating Green Valley’s Milton Amezcua to the finish line by just three seconds.

Miller finished in 16:20, topping a field of 159 runners. Amezcua was second in 16:23.

Pahrump Valley’s Bryce Odegard finished third in 16:33, two seconds ahead of Clark’s Liam Jones. Lake Mead’s Shay Rutledge was fifth in 16:41.

Green Valley placed three runners in the top 11 and won the team competition with 61 points. Centennial was second with 85. Clark (103), Pahrump (123) and Tech (168) rounded out the top five.