SPORTS — Young runners shine at Del Rio XC Invitational

By Joel Langton
The 830 Times

Parents, grandparents, cousins, uncles and many more turned out to watch the middle school competition Saturday as teams from across the region came to Del Rio to give their runners a taste of a major competition.

Seventh- and eighth-grade runners competed in four separate two-mile races at the Del Rio XC Invitational.

The field included runners from Del Rio Middle School, Garfield Middle School, Eagle Pass Junior High, Eagle Pass Memorial Middle School, San Felipe Memorial Middle School, Brackettville and Comstock.

Garfield won three of the four team championships, capturing the seventh- and eighth-grade boys’ titles along with the seventh-grade girls’ championship. Eagle Pass Memorial won the eighth-grade girls’ title.

Garfield’s Nicolas Rodriguez won the seventh-grade boys’ race in 13 minutes, 13.32 seconds. Teammate Walker Bradford finished second in 13:20.57, followed by San Felipe Memorial’s Ethan Torres in third at 13:28.31.

Del Rio’s Mark Perez placed fourth in 13:30.75. Teammates Jackson Forbes and David Flores finished sixth and 10th, respectively.

Jayden Elkins placed 15th for Del Rio, followed by Denzel Beltran in 25th, Alexander Stell in 29th and Christian White in 31st.

Garfield won the seventh-grade boys’ team championship with 34 points. Eagle Pass Junior High placed second with 51, Del Rio was third with 55 and San Felipe Memorial finished fourth with 72.

Carlos Rivera of Garfield won the eighth-grade boys’ race in 12:23.46, the fastest middle school time of the day.

Del Rio’s Josiah Costilla placed second in 12:51.55, followed by Comstock’s Noey Huerta in third at 12:56.31.

Del Rio also received top-10 finishes from Elijah Vargas, who placed seventh in 13:09.57, and Eddie Amezcua, who finished 10th in 13:20.23.

Garfield won the eighth-grade boys’ team title with 35 points. Del Rio finished second with 53, Eagle Pass Junior High was third with 60 and Eagle Pass Memorial placed fourth with 78.

Eagle Pass Junior High’s Nimsaii Cantu won the seventh-grade girls’ race in 14:37.01. Garfield’s Audrey De Los Santos placed second in 15:17.32.

Del Rio’s Alexia Gonzalez finished third in 15:23.09. Teammate Zoey Ortiz placed eighth in 17:32.25, while Katy Palacios finished 21st and Lyella Buenrostro placed 26th.

Garfield won the seventh-grade girls’ team championship with 39 points. Eagle Pass Memorial placed second with 52, Eagle Pass Junior High was third with 60 and San Felipe Memorial finished fourth with 65.

Eagle Pass Memorial swept the first four positions in the eighth-grade girls’ race.

Ximena Martinez won in 14:52.15, followed by Mariana Limon in 15:11.10, Aleina Jimenez in 15:44.65 and Laryssa Perez in 15:45.01.

San Felipe Memorial’s Victoria Perez placed fifth in 15:48.09.

Del Rio’s Adelina Moreno-Chavez finished sixth in 15:59.54. Irinea Perez placed seventh in 16:22.52, Christa Scott finished 10th in 16:34.66 and Audrey Trevino placed 11th in 16:37.78.

Seventh-grade boys’ top 10

1. Nicolas Rodriguez, Garfield, 13:13.32
2. Walker Bradford, Garfield, 13:20.57
3. Ethan Torres, San Felipe Memorial, 13:28.31
4. Mark Perez, Del Rio, 13:30.75
5. Bentlee Romo, Eagle Pass Junior High, 13:42.83
6. Jackson Forbes, Del Rio, 14:12.94
7. Gael Ramirez, Eagle Pass Junior High, 14:14.55
8. Brandon Gloria, Garfield, 14:26.31
9. James Gaytan, Eagle Pass Junior High, 14:26.72
10. David Flores, Del Rio, 14:31.20

Eighth-grade boys’ top 10

1. Carlos Rivera, Garfield, 12:23.46
2. Josiah Costilla, Del Rio, 12:51.55
3. Noey Huerta, Comstock, 12:56.31
4. Linkon Alfaro, Eagle Pass Junior High, 12:57.96
5. Adriel Flores, Garfield, 12:59.74
6. Damian Longoria, Garfield, 13:08.48
7. Elijah Vargas, Del Rio, 13:09.57
8. Jonathan Torres, Eagle Pass Memorial, 13:14.76
9. Jayden Sandoval, Eagle Pass Junior High, 13:18.50
10. Eddie Amezcua, Del Rio, 13:20.23

Seventh-grade girls’ top 10

1. Nimsaii Cantu, Eagle Pass Junior High, 14:37.01
2. Audrey De Los Santos, Garfield, 15:17.32
3. Alexia Gonzalez, Del Rio, 15:23.09
4. Jamiee Gutierrez, San Felipe Memorial, 15:28.24
5. Lesly Balderas, Eagle Pass Memorial, 15:31.17
6. Nevey Talamantez, San Felipe Memorial, 16:09.11
7. Aleyna Gonzalez, Eagle Pass Memorial, 17:19.99
8. Zoey Ortiz, Del Rio, 17:32.25
9. Annabel Leyva, Garfield, 17:35.28
10. Anici Briones, Garfield, 17:36.10

Eighth-grade girls’ top 10

1. Ximena Martinez, Eagle Pass Memorial, 14:52.15
2. Mariana Limon, Eagle Pass Memorial, 15:11.10
3. Aleina Jimenez, Eagle Pass Memorial, 15:44.65
4. Laryssa Perez, Eagle Pass Memorial, 15:45.01
5. Victoria Perez, San Felipe Memorial, 15:48.09
6. Adelina Moreno-Chavez, Del Rio, 15:59.54
7. Irinea Perez, Del Rio, 16:22.52
8. Abriana Acosta, Garfield, 16:24.13
9. Andrea Sanchez, Garfield, 16:26.28
10. Christa Scott, Del Rio, 16:34.66