More than halfway through Thursday’s AIA Division 2 boys cross country sectionals at Glendale Heroes Park, Flagstaff High School’s Alex Bland had the same view ahead of him for an extended period — the back of Sunrise Mountain runner Andrew Fastrup’s white and yellow singlet.
Could it be that Bland, the defending D2 cross country champion, was vulnerable for once? Fastrup led early and was looking strong, opening up a 10-meter lead over Bland at one point.
Ah, but here is where you knew that Bland was just biding his time before making a decisive move. Coming out of the tunnel for the second time and up a slight hill, Fastrup was breathing hard and pumping his arms. Bland? Well, he casually checked his watch, as if out on a training run.
Sure enough, a half-mile later, as Fastrup and Bland were making their last loop around the lake on a 91-degree day, Bland surged right about where the water fountain signaled the upcoming final stretch. Fastrup had no chance. Bland blew by and won by four seconds, covering the 5K course in 16:13.
Bland’s effort was echoed by the rest of Flagstaff High’s runners, boys and girls both, on Thursday. The boys won with 35 points, as Coconino’s boys edged Canyon View to finish second with 107 points. Both teams advance to next Saturday’s state meet at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix.
It was pretty much the same story for the girls, as Flagstaff senior Olivia Baker cruised to victory in 18:36 and her teammates dominated as well, winning with 27 points over runner-up Canyon View. Coconino’s girls put together an impressive effort to place third and qualify for the state meet.
Bland, afterward, said he just wanted to run well enough to win and get ready for next week’s state meet.
“I wanted to go out more relaxed, not for for a PR,” Bland said about his race tactics. “The plan was to really crush that last 1K really hard. I feel it went according to plan. I feel he had me a little longer than I would have hoped, but it all worked out in the end.”
Looking ahead to the individual race at the state meet, Bland said Fastrup is his primary rival, though he was quick to add that his Eagle teammates Elijah Talkalai and Cole Troxler cannot be discounted.
“But (Fastrup) is the main person standing in the way individually,” Bland added.
Teamwise, the Flagstaff boys seem to be rounding into form at just the right time. Talkalai, also a junior, was a strong third in 16:51, with senior Troxler placing fourth (17:02) and freshman Uuts Masayumptewa fifth (17:13). Flagstaff held out its usual fifth runner, Kenny Lee, but coach Trina Painter said she expects Lee to be ready for the state meet. Thursday, Flagstaff’s fifth and final scoring runner. Cedric Johnson placed 22nd.
Coconino received another strong race from senior Laine Davis, who finished seventh overall in 17:28. Teammate Robert Moore ran exceptionally, placing ninth in 17:42, and senior Clayton Rhoton was 17th in 18:20.
In the girls race, Flagstaff may have dominated, but the Eagles had to work for it. The race’s first mile played out like usual, with Baker and teammate Taylor Biggambler going 1-2 after the first loop of the lake and going into the tunnel. A mile later, though, Baker had built a comfortable lead, and Canyon View’s Taelyn Janssen overtook Biggambler for second.
On the last loop of the lake, Canyon View’s Isabella Velazquez also overtook Biggambler, who held on to finish fourth in 19:46. Flagstaff freshman Kylyn Taylor ran consistently to place fifth, five seconds behind Biggambler, with Coconino High senior Mary McGinlay grabbing sixth in 20:15.
The Eagles girls placed all five scoring runners in the top 9, with seniors Audrey Ketter and Miley McQuivey rounding out the scoring.
Coconino’s girls stepped up big in the sectionals with their third-place finish, with sophomore Savanna McKerracher placing 12th in 21:53 and senior Shaylynn Billy 15th in 22:32. The Panthers’ fourth and fifth runners, Alexis Ortiz and and Scarlett Hargan, placed 26th and 28th.
Baker said she came into the race without a specific plan.
“It was more or less to figure out what to do in the first part of the race,” Baker said. “To save something (for late). I haven’t been very good this year running the first part of races, but I think I’m getting better at it. I worry about going out too slow.”
Painter said her girls and boys teams are in good position entering the state meet, but she won’t go as far as calling them the favorites. She pointed out that Ironwood Ridge, Cactus Shadows and Catalina highs will give the girls considerable competition next week, and that Arizona College Prep and Desert Mountain will test her boys team.
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