XC: Chandler girls, CDS boys repeat at Ojo Rojo

September 17, 2016 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Brophy Prep's Luke Mason won a tight race. Chandler's Morgan Foster prevailed in a runaway. And the team champions from last year --- Corona del Sol's boys and Chandler's girls -- repeated Saturday morning at the 28th annual Ojo Rojo Cross Country Invitational at Tumbleweed Park.

Mason, a senior, was competing in his first invitational of the season. He edged Corona del Sol senior Liam Kovatch. Mason completed the 5K course in 15 minutes, 58 seconds besting Kovatch (16:02). Mason place third at state in Division I last year behind two graduatet seniors. Kovatch was third at last year's Ojo Rojo and shaved 26 seconds off his 2015 time on the same course.

Corona del Sol took team honors for the fifth year in a row led by Kovatch and fellow senior Slade Sumners (fourth). The Aztecs finished with 54 points and were followed by Rincon University (77), Basha (162), Saguaro (175) and Brophy (199). Rounding out Corona's top five were Tyler Thompson, Josh Whitney and Joel Wadsworth in a pack (15-17).

The rest of the top-10 finishers for the boys: Rincon's Thomas Leitner (third); Vista Grande's Johnny DeSanti (fith); Seton's Quinn Burdick (sixth); Rincon's William Hewings (seventh); Canyon del Oro's Isaiah Guevara (eighth); Horizon's Jackson Evans (ninth) and Basha's Jacob Block (10th).

Foster, a sophomore, outdistanced teammate Becca Taylor by 47 seconds. Foster's time was 18:11 -- 20 seconds better than her time in the meet last year. and 34 seconds better than her winning time on the same course two weeks ago. Foster, Taylor and teammate Mihajla Miolvanovic were the only girls to post times under 19 minutes.

Chandler easily won the team title with 22 points. Also scoring for Chandler were Gabrielle Enns and Ava Hamilton. Chaparral was runner-up with 75 points, led by sophomore Rachel Turner's fourth-place finish (19:13). Corona del Sol (122) Basha (127) and Rincon University (131) were third through fifth, respectively

Other top-10 finishers in the girls competition: Rincon's Hannah Leitner (fifth) and Grace Driskill (seventh); Vista Grande's Summer Mattia (eighth), Canyon del Oro's Katherin Bruno (9th) and Horizon's Kate Evans (10th.