One meet into the high school season, the Mancos High School boys and girls cross-country teams are looking strong.
Competing at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede in Colorado Springs on Aug. 21, the boys team finished first overall in a 15-team field that featured five of the state's top-eight teams.
Rocky Ford High School, which entered the meet ranked third in the state, finished second overall, and Heritage Christian finished third.
Leading the way for the Mancos boys was junior Ro Paschal, who, appearing in shape after a summer of tough training, finished fourth with a time of 18:38.
Second across the line for Mancos was freshman Simon Kearns, who placed sixth overall in his first high school meet with a time of 19:13.
Other varsity finishers included Nic Archuleta, who finished 13th (20:30); Asa Kearns, who finished 25th (21:31); and Zane Goodell, who crossed the line in 43rd (23:54).
Junior varsity finishers for Mancos included Caleb Yoder, who crossed the line in 59th place (23:49); Jake McKie, who finished in 68th place (24:16); Zane Wilson, who finished in 78th (25:49); Vincent Grego, who finished in 79th place (25:53); and Kole Romero-Keller, who finished in 109th place (32:48).
"I think for our boys team to come in here and win a big early season meet against a bunch of quality 2A programs is a testament to the hard work they put in over the summer and since the beginning of the season," wrote Mancos head coach Brady Archer in an email to the Mancos Times.
While the Bluejays girls team did not have enough runners to place as a team, Hannah Skinner and Emma Most produced solid results. Skinner finished in 24th place (28:34) and Most finished 33rd overall (30:52).
"Unfortunately for our girls, we were missing a runner due to illness and did not score as a team," wrote Archer. "(The girls) went out and ran a good early season race, however."
Next up for the Bluejays will be the Lloyd's Lake Classic, which will take place in Monticello, Utah, on Sept. 5 at 3:30 p.m.
