2019 STATE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS

D-I: Leo Daschbach, Highland (Graduated)

D-I: Lauren Ping, Desert Vista (Sophomore)

D-II: Kenny Edward, Campo Verde (Graduated)

D-II: Hana Hall, Flagstaff (Graduated)

D-III: Roshan Tinoco-Miranda, Rio Rico (Senior)

D-III: Zoey Delgado, Salpointe (Graduated)

D-IV: Jordan Black, North Phoenix Prep (Graduated)

D-IV: Ali Upshaw, St. Michael Indian (Graduated)

 

DIVISION I

 

Brophy senior Xander Black took second place last year in the Division I ranks and he was one of two juniors in a field dominated by seniors including state champion Leo Daschbach of Highland. Daschbach won the championship by over ten seconds and he became only the 11th high school boy to break four minutes in a mile run (3:59.54) in May. Daschbach is headed to Washington.

Daschbach was one of eight seniors to finish in the top ten last year so the D-I individual title is wide open with Black returning as the favorite.

As a team, Highland ended Desert Vista’s streak of championships at five in a row and six out of the last seven but the Hawks graduated five of their top runners including four from the top ten finishers from last fall. Desert Vista lost Demetris Love and Sammy Van Alstine to graduation but the team is dominated by a new set of runners including four juniors. Expect the Thunder to return to the top.

Unlike the boys, the competition from the girls was dominated by younger athletes with only four seniors finishing in the top 22 last fall. Desert Vista sophomore Lauren Ping won the individual state title as a freshman and her sister, Grace Ping, took second and she will be a senior. Lauren Ping was named Gatorade Cross Country Runner fo the Year.

The Thunder ran away with the team title last year and there’s nothing stopping the team from winning it all again this fall with six runners returning including five in the top 21.

 

DIVISION II

 

Kenny Edwards of Campo Verde won the individual championship as a senior which leaves the field wide open with six of the top runners returning this fall including Deer Valley senior Randy Espinoza.

The Flagstaff boys put together their fifth straight title last year and the Eagles look to challenge again with four runners returning including senior Max Davis who took third place last year.

Hana Hall won the state title last year but the Flagstaff standout graduated as did second place finisher Grace Driskill of Rincon/University. Flagstaff sophomore Mia Hall took third place.

As a team, the Flagstaff girls have won the last five championships and eight of the last nine dating back to 2011. Catalina Foothills broke that streak in 2014 and the Falcons took second last year. Expect these two programs to battle it out once again.

 

DIVISION III

 

Zoey Delgado won the state title last year but the Salpointe standout is now running for the University of San Diego. Delgado was one of three seniors to finish in the top eight but there were three freshmen in that mix including ALA-Queen Creek standout Evelynne Carr. Carr took third place.

Ganado, Chinle and Page will not be competing this fall which ends the hopes of Temyra Bia. Bia took sixth as a freshman for Chinle last year but Salpointe standout Kylie Wild will return as a sophomore after finishing in fifth place.

Since 2010, Ganado, Chinle and Page have combined for six state titles, two runner-up finishes and six third place spots. So, almost half of the 30 teams to finish that high came from those three programs.

Prescott won the team title last year but four of the programs top runners graduated including runner-up Emily McMahon.

Rio Rico senior Roshan Tinoco-Miranda won the individual title last year and he was one of four top finishers who were juniors last fall. Johnathan Lane took second for Walden Grove, Trent Holiday took third for Page and Abraham Valenzuela took fourth from Palo Verde. Holiday will not return this year.

The Page boys won six championships in a row but that streaks ends with the cancellation of fall sports by the program hit hard by COVID-19. Monument Valley took third but that school has also cancelled fall activities.

 

DIVISION IV

 

The St. Michael Indian School girls won back-to-back state championships in 2018 and 2019 but the Cardinals will not be in the field this year due to COVID-19 concerns and the program cancelled all fall sports:

“We know that our student athletes and their parents will be disappointed in this decision to cancel fall sports, but our primary focus must be to get our students back safely to learning, which we will do, God willing, on September 1,” explained Dot Teso, president of St. Michael Indian School in a release. “We are now taking prudent steps to achieve our goal of reopening in the early fall. Though—as we see throughout the Navajo Nation and beyond—this pandemic evolves rapidly and could further impact our plans.”

Individual state champion Ali Upshaw graduated and committed to run for New Mexico but the Cardinals had five runners returning this fall including sophomore Amber Woody who took fourth as a freshman last fall. North Phoenix Prep senior Grace Tipton took second last year and she’s the favorite to take it all this fall but the team is completely up for grabs especially with Hopi, Baboquivari, Rock Point and Window Rock cancelling their fall sport seasons.

Four of the top five finishers on the boy’s side graduated including state champion Jordan Black of North Phoenix Prep. Arete Prep junior Sammy Johnston took third and Canon Weaver of ALA-Gilbert took sixth as a sophomore.

As a team, Hopi took second but the team will not be available this year even with six of the program’s top runners returning including sophomore Wayland Namingha. The Hopi boys had a state record state championship streak of 27 straight titles end in 2017 but the program went on to take second in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

North Phoenix Prep won the team title last year and the Gladiators will be battling Northland Prep this fall.