Once again, Rio Rico ran away with the accolades at the cross-country state-qualifying meets on Saturday, sweeping the boys and girls titles in Division III, Section III as junior Allie Schadler had the best girls time of the day.
Rio Rico won the boys title by 28 points, the girls championship by 56 points and Schadler, a two-time defending state champion, ran a 16:47.7, setting the course record at Marana High School.
“We were very pleased,” said Rio Rico coach Steve Schadler, Allie’s father. “It was a good day for us, we ran well.”
The Schadler sisters swept the top two spots in their race as freshman Samantha Schadler took second in 18:08.8. Rio Rico’s girls team had four finishers in the top seven and could win its second state title in three seasons next week in Phoenix.
For the Division III boys, Empire’s Caleb Dusek won Saturday morning but Rio Rico took three of the top 10 spots.
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“We knew on the boys side we were going to have our hands full and we knew that and we came in ready and I think the boys responded well,” Steve Schadler said.
The Pueblo boys had hopes of upsetting Rio Rico after going undefeated in dual meets for the second year in a row. But the Warriors settled for second with 92 points.
“We never take this meet lightly, we have a lot of tradition here,” Steve Schadler said. “We feel very proud about that and this particular set of boys said that they don’t want to be the team that doesn’t bring that home.”
The Desert View duo of Luis Torazon and Andrew Vargas finished second and third, respectively. The Desert View boys finished third, while the girls placed second.
In Division IV Section III, Thatcher’s Lily Richardson won the girls race, while Kai Morfin of The Gregory School took home the boys title. Pusch Ridge Christian won the boys team title, while Thatcher triumphed in the girls race.
Catalina Foothills won the Division II, Section II girls title, while Gilbert Campo Verde took the boys crown. Foothills won the state title last year and finished second in both 2013 and 2012.
Marana’s course changed this year because the state stopped allowing the meet to run through nearby state land, so the best times became the new course standards.
The teams that finished in the top half of the standing in each section (rounding up in the case of odd numbers of full teams) qualified for Saturday’s state meet at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix. The top 25 individuals in each race on Saturday also punched tickets to if their teams did not advance.
“The teams from up north are always very solid,” Steve Schadler said about the. “I think it’s going to be a popcorn machine, where we’re kind of mixing it up.”
CROSS-COUNTRY SECTIONAL RESULTS
BOYS DIVISION II, SECTION II MEET
At Marana (3.1 miles)
Team scores (top half qualify for state meet) – Gilbert Campo Verde 84, Salpointe Catholic 87, Catalina Foothills 124, Cienega 141, Cholla 144, Queen Creek 145, Casa Grande Vista Grande 179, Maricopa 212, Canyon Del Oro 258, Gilbert Higley 286, Mountain View 304.
Top 25 individuals (state qualifiers) – Olivarez, CG, 15:50.3; Mortelliti, CF, 16:15.1; Pershing, CF, 16:19.5; Tapia, VG, 16:19.8; Guevara, CDO, 16:26.3; Hardt, QC, 16:32.5; Crunkleton-Wilson, SAL, 16:36.3; Moore, CVER, 16:36.7; Salvicio, CHO, 16:38.4; McCloskey, SAL, 16:39.0; Prusse, CVER, 16:42.3; Madigan, CDO, 16:43.4; White, CIEN, 16:43.9; Morrow, QC, 16:52.3; Ramirez, MV, 16:53.3; Hernandez, SAL, 16:54.8; Chambal, CVER, 16:56.3; Blevins, CIEN, 16:58.4; Moreno, SAH, 16:58.8; Shaw, MARI, 17:04.2; Reidhead, CVER, 17:07.7; Hall, CIEN, 17:09.6; Fernandez, CHO, 17.12.2; Perez, SAL, 17:13.1; Stellmach, QC, 17:13.6.
GIRLS DIVISION II, SECTION II MEET
At Marana (3.1 miles)
Team scores (top half qualify for state meet) – Catalina Foothills 45, Gilbert Campo Verde 61, Cienega 98, Queen Creek 119, Salpointe Catholic 120, Canyon Del Oro 194, Gilbert Higley 219, Maricopa 243, Mountain View 258, San Tan Valley Poston Butte 267, Nogales 276, Sahuaro 305, Casa Grande Vista Grande 329, Gilbert Williams Field 353, Queen Creek Casteel 416, Casa Grande 419, Cholla 454.
Top 25 individuals (state qualifiers) – Kautz, CVER, 18:24.3; Navarro, QC, 18:26.8; Watson, CF, 18:34.7; Sandin, CF, 18:49.1; Bradshaw, QC, 19:16.9; James, CF, 19:44.5; Vaughn, MV, 19:52.7; Hernandez, CVER, 19:55.9; Jorgensen, CF, 20:03.9; Johnson, CIEN, 20:06.2; Farrow, CVER, 20:09.9; Dinauer, SAL, 20:12.8; Leitch, CDO, 20:13.4; Mendoza, SAL, 20:17.7; Dupras, CIEN, 20:18.1; Jasso, CIEN, 20:28.9; Valera, CVER, 20:30.0; Zak, CIEN, 20:34.4; Bruno, CDO, 20:35.4; Sivertson, SAH, 20:35.8; King, CDO, 20:36.3; Wright, MARI, 20:41.9; McDonnell, CF, 20:45.9; Chavez, CVER, 20:46.3; Corrales, NOG, 20:47.7.
BOYS DIVISION III, SECTION III MEET
At Marana (3.1 miles)
Team scores (top half qualify for state meet) – Rio Rico 64, Pueblo 92, Desert View 99, Flowing Wells 136, Florence 140, Douglas 142, Walden Grove 173, Safford 178, Empire 182, Amphitheater 217, San Tan Valley Combs 327, Sabino 332, Globe 377.
Top 25 individuals (state qualifiers) – Dusek, EMP, 16:13.4; Torazon, DV, 16:14.6; Vargas, DV, 16:25.4; Vega, RR, 16:26.4; Renteria, FLO, 16:26.7; Oviedo, RR, 16:28.9; Melendez, DOUG, 16:37.4; Ray, DOUG, 16:39.2; Ahumada, RR, 16:41.0; Lujan, PUE, 16:45.9; Bussey, FW, 16:49.6; Gomez, EMP, 16:51.4; Sias, SAF, 16:53.0; Miranda, FW, 16:53.2; Sodari, WG, 16:54.8; Veloz, PUE, 16:55.1; Gonzalez, PUE, 16:58.8; Bustamante, FW, 17:04.9; Ramos, DV, 17:05.4; Fuentes, RR, 17:06.1; Sengal, AMP, 17:06.4; Martinez, FLO, 17:06.9; Gonzales, PUE, 17:07.3; Koffi, AMP, 17:08.0; Hays, RR, 17:08.9.
GIRLS DIVISION III, SECTION III MEET
At Marana (3.1 miles)
Team scores (top half qualify for state meet) – Rio Rico 35, Desert View 91, Empire 102, Safford 108, Douglas 128, Flowing Wells 149, Florence 209, San Tan Valley Combs 263, Catalina 317, Globe 336.
Top 25 individuals (state qualifiers) – A. Schadler, RR, 16:47.7; S. Schadler, RR, 18:08.8; Chavez, FW, 19:04.1; Nerey, RR, 19:23.1; McDougal, SAF, 19:53.1; Garcia, FW, 20:05.9; Laborin, RR, 20:13.9; Gutierrez, SAF, 20:16.2; Melendez, DOUG, 20:16.6; Hall, FLO, 20:21.8; McGinnis, EMP, 20.23.6; Pierotti, EMP, 20:24.1; Imes, DV, 20:36.9; Pacheco, DV, 20:38.1; Hernandez, DOUG, 20:46.3; Virgen, DV, 20:57.6; Durazo, SAHT, 21:03.9; Lopez, SAF, 21:04.7; Crawford, EMP, 21;13.0; Brown, SAB, 21:15.9; Ahumada, RR, 21;16.3; Valenzuela, WG, 21:17.2; Solis, DV, 21:32.5; Rios, SAB, 21:28.3; Sanchez, DV, 21:32.5.
BOYS DIVISION IV, SECTION III MEET
At Marana (3.1 miles)
Team scores (top half qualify for state meet) – Pusch Ridge Christian 74, Bisbee 76, Thatcher 84, St. Augustine Catholic 122, Tombstone 146, Tanque Verde 161, The Gregory School 181, San Carlos 222, Morenci 239, San Manuel 255, Kearny Ray 256, Benson, Willcox 364.
Top 25 individuals (state qualifiers) – Morfin, GREG, 16:34.5; Evans, TV, 16:41.0; Joye, TOMB, 16:55.1; Bowers, PR, 16:56.8; McMaster, THAT, 17:05.2; Palmer, RAY, 17:05.8; Hunt, THAT, 17:10.7; Estrada, BIS, 17:15.7; Lopez, SMAN, 17:18.1; Gribble, BIS, 17:26.9; Ricks, TOMB, 17:27.8; Altizer, TV, 17:30.8; Lumpkin, BIS, 17:31.6; Boni, SCAR, 17:33.1; Macdonald, PR, 17:35.0; Turner, PR, 17:39.1; Smith, PR, 17:40.3; Meicke, SA, 17:43.2; Dodge, THAT, 17:49.8; Zavala, BIS, 17:50.6; Schlagel, SA, 17:54.8; Black, PR, 18:02.2; Stailey, THAT, 18:06.4; Bastian, TOMB, 18:12.8; Lopez, BIS, 18:16.8.
GIRLS DIVISION IV, SECTION III MEET
At Marana (3.1 miles)
Team scores (top half qualify for state meet) – Thatcher 65, St. Augustine Catholic 94, Tombstone 119, Morenci 127, Pusch Ridge Christian 129, Sells Baboquivari 156, Tanque Verde 176, Bisbee 180, San Manuel 252, Willcox 265.
Top 25 individuals (state qualifiers) – Richardson, THAT, 19:26.6; Morales, MOR, 19:51.9; Casteneda, SMAN, 20:22.9; Sherman, SA, 20:56.0; Gonzales, BABO, 20:59.2; Green, THAT, 21:04.1; Inocencio, SA, 21:13.3; Flores, TOMB, 21:16.9; Reed, TOMB, 21:42.1; Klump, WILL, 21:43.7; Breedlove, GREG, 21:48.5; Alderete, SA, 21:51.9; Valencia, TOMB, 22:00.7; Arthur, MIA, 22:03.5; Mendoza, MOR, 22:06.7; Hendricks, BABO, 22:09.7; Nicholas, THAT, 22:15.2; McBride, THAT, 22:29.6; Garnand, PR, 22:31.5; Krusmark, PR, 22:34.8; Zarazua-Resendiz, TV, 22:35.2; Nale, PR, 22:50.0; Griffin, THAT, 22:53.3; Hamilton, BEN, 22:53.7; Marks, 22:55.1.
