Bernie Montoya was as gracious in victory as one could be Saturday at the state cross country championships at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix.

Xavier's Sarah Fakler fashioned the best girls' time of the day and seemed hardly worse for the wear compared to most of the competitiors that followed her across the finish line.

Montoya and Fakler were comfortable as always in the winner's circle as each captured a third straight individual title (both in Division I). Montoya and Fakler enjoyed threepeats while Saguaro's Jake Wynn (D-III boys) and Flagstaff's Tatiana Gillick (D-II girls) basked in repeats to highlight the individual champions. Joining the multple-title winners with their first state titles were Salpointe's Andy Trouard (D-II boys), Tempe's Diana Garcia (D-III girls), Pusch Ridge's Kyle Cajero (D-IV boys) and Scottsdale Christian's Anna Long (D-IV girls).

The repeat-team winners were Hopi (D-IV boys and girls), Xavier (D-I girls) and Flagstaff (D-II girls).

Here's a brief look at each race:

D-I BOYS

Montoya, who turned in the best time of the day by covering the 3.1 miles course in 15 minutes, 14 seconds, met nearly each and every other runner as they exited the fenced finish area and offered congratuations to them.

'They're doing the same thing I'm doing," Montoya said. "I know what they go through. .

Montoya, who bypassed cross country his freshman year to play football, was proud to notch a third title.

"I don't know how many others have done that," Montoya said. "But it's nice to be in that category."

Montoya was pressed hard for about two miles by runner-up Ryan Silva (Rincon) and third-place finisher Nate Rodriguez (Corona del Sol). Montoya finished 36 seconds ahead of Silva. 

In the team competition, Desert Vista (101 points) unseated Highland (135) as the champ and Corona del So finished third (147). Desert Vista, without its top runner Carter Macey who was injured, packed in Jacob Walimaa (10th), Ryan Dykstra (16th), Alec Hoyt (22nd), Tyler Bonebright (26th) and Ryan Smith (27th) to win.

D-I GIRLS

Fakler broke out fast as is her style and she left the pack way behind. Fakler's' time of 18:02 was easily the best of the day at any level for the girls, besting Highand's Kristi Rush, Cibola's Monica Houston, Xavier's Sam Mattice, Mesa Mountain View's Huston Jones and Desert Vista's Dani Jones. Fakler and her Xavier teammates who competed on Saturday, took last week off and were fresher than most if not all the competition. Xavier's 8-14 runners raced and  took second last week at sectionals.

"It helped us, it's a good idea," Fakler, who committed to Virgina this week, said. "I felt strong, and  I think a bunch of our team PR'd."

Xavier, the deepest team male or female team in the state, finished with 55 points. Jane Miller (14th), Sierra Brown (17th) and McKenna Gaffney (19th) rounded out the scoring runners for Xavier. Mesa Mountain View had a great showing with 75, a worthy total against the likes of the Gators.

D-II BOYS

Last year Trouard was competing in the D-II state swim meet. He produced a decisive win, with the second-best time of the day behind Montoya at 16:01. A decorated track standout in the distance races, this season was Trouard's first in cross country.

'I went out hard," Trouard said. "That was my plan. There was no one trying to stick with me. ... I've found I love running. Nothing I like better.'

Cactus Shadows, led by senior Ethan Homan (fourth overall), dethroned Canyon del Oro as the team champ. Cactus Shadows totated 78 points with CDO a distant second at 142. Following Homan were Keith Durkin (7th), Eric Oswald (14th), Kamal Nadesan (19th) and Kishan Patel (34th).

D-II GIRLS

Gillick's repeat didn't look as if it would come as easy as last year's. Pressed at the two-mile mark by Canyon del Oro's Bridgette Doucet, Gillick pulled away to a 27-second triumph. Gillick's winning time was 18:55. Notre Dame Prep's Julie Vanderhout was third. Gillick won by 20 seconds last year.

Flagstaff's repeat as team champion was impressive, especially since one of its top runners from last year moved to California. Coach Trina Painter's team didn't let it effect them. Flagstaff had three other runners in the top 10 -- Alix Manci (3rd), Rae Johnson (5th) and Fiona Nicholson (10th).

D-III BOYS

Wynn's second straight title was as hard earned as last year's. Wynn staved off Sabino'sTyler Stamp last year for a 5-second win. This time Rio Rico's Robert Contreras and Chinle's Searle Tracy nippped at his heals and even passed him for brief moments. What put him over the top?

"They were ahead on the last hill and I heard my dad yell, 'College'," Wynn said. "I was able to move ahead, but it was hard. The course is fun, but the hardest I've run this year."

Wynn's time was 15:58. four seconds better than Contreras and seven seconds faster than Tracy. Rio Rico, which won the Doug Conley Invitational three weeks ago,viewed that triumph as a stepping stone to state. Rio Rico had the low team score of any boys team on the day (29)  and it's total time of top five runners was two minutes better than D-I champ Desert Vista -- the next best boys team. Rio Rico runners took were all in the top 10 --  Contreras (2nd), Ben Noriega (4th), Lee Jones (6th), Oscar Amaya (7th) and Braulio Lopez (10th). here wereonly 34 seconds between Contreras' time and Lopez's time.

D-III GIRLS

The last time this division had a champion other than Chinle's Rolonda Jumbo was 2007.  That changed with Tempe senior Diana Garcia capping a highly successful season with her first state title. Garcia was the only girls' runner other than Fakler to finish under 19 minutes. Garcia's winning time was 18:39.

'I worked hard in June and July, didn't miss a practice," Garcia said. "I didn't think it would be this hard. There were others that pushed me to go fast in the race. They stayed with me for a long time. Garcia was pressed by Fountain Hills freshman Sierra Jarriel and Mingus' Skyler Storie.

Page and Mingus waged a spirited battle for first in the team standings with Page winning by the narrowest margin of the day  -- 51-58. That unseated defending champ Chinle. Page's scoring runners were Jade Secody (5th), Nicolette Coleman (6th), Nicole Douglas (7th), Tomeka Church (15th) and Jordan Roskelley (18th).

D-IV BOYS

Pusch Ridge junior Kyle Cajero had a pair of high finishes in his first two state meets in 2010 (9th) and 2011 (12th). He had to outsprint Northland Prep's Cullen Hamblin the final 300 yards to make it to the top spot and record a 4-second victory. Cajero's time was 16:25; Hamblin 16:29.

Also in the hunt much of the way was Valley Sanders Corey Quigley. Quigley and Cajero were two of last week's three D-IV section champs. The other was Arizona Lutheran's Josh Hoskinson, the runner-up at last year's state meet. Hoskinson finished 11th.

Winning for the mind-boggling 23rd year in a row as a state champ was Hopi. Hopi's string of titles have come under designations D-IV (3), 3A (6) and 1A-2A (14) in that span. Hopi's scoring runners were Howard Anfernee (3rd), Ryan Sinquah (9th), Terry Honventewa (12th), Aaron Swimmer (15th) and Kelan Poleahla (17th).

D-IV GIRLS

Pusch Ridge gained a champ with Cajero, but its defending girls champ Sarah MacDonald was overtaken by a runner who did not compete last year -- Scottsdale Christian senior Anna Long. Long was home-schooled part of last year before re-enrolling at SCA. She attended SCA second semester and competed in basketball and track. Her winning time Saturday of 18:54 was third best of the day regardless of division. It was 29 seconds faster than Ganado freshman and runner-up Nakasha Eagleman and 49 seconds ahead of  MacDonald. Long finished 18th in the D-IV meet in 2010 as a sophomore. 

All three were close the first 1 1/2 to 2 miles. Long had the staying power.

"At the start she (MacDonald) wouldn't let us pass her," Long said. "I think I finally got out about 1 1/2 miles out. .... I have a little book at home that I wrote down my goals in. One was to be Arizona cross country champ on November 3." 

And just as the boys team did, Hopi's girls kept their more modest streak of titles alive at six. Hopi got a scare from Pusch Ridge, but prevailed with 47 points. Pusch Ridge finished with 62. Scoring for Hopi were Kaitlyn Billy (4th), Christen Ben (5th), Claryn Josytewa (7th), Natasha Richards (10th) and Randi Lomayestewa (21st).

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