AURORA | Grandview’s growing cross country tradition got a boost Thursday, as the Wolves won the combined crown at the Aurora City Cross Country Championships for the second straight season.
Bolstered by the individual performance of senior Erin Norton — who won her first individual city championship — Grandview comfortably took first place in the girls standings, while the program’s boys held off Smoky Hill to win for the first time.
Nathan Graham and Craig Kinney finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, behind winner Blake Yount of Smoky Hill, who prevailed in the sprint to the finish to win in 16 minutes, 10 seconds. Graham and Kinney helped the Wolves to a score of 50 points to the 54 of the Buffaloes, who got a fourth-place finish from Ryan Parker as well.
The boys All-City team — the first seven placers — also includes the Cherokee Trail trio of Kyle Jones, Duncan Barnhill and Cody Jones took 5th, 6th and 7th.
The girls group was more diverse, as five different schools had at least one placer in the top seven.
Behind Norton, who posted a winning time of 18 minutes, 43 seconds, Nicole Mundy came in 5th and Melanie Jenkins 7th as Grandview finished with 39 points, 26 more than runner-up Cherokee Trail, which saw sophomore Amy McConnell cross the finish line fourth behind Smoky Hill’s Chloe Andrie.
Eaglecrest senior Alicia Taurchini posted her best finish in four career city meets, as she closed strong to finish second, 15 seconds behind Norton.
Regis Jesuit freshman Julie Vitella completes the All-City team with her sixth-place result.
AURORA CITY CHAMPIONSHIP CROSS COUNTRY MEET
Sept. 5 at Aurora Sports Park
BOYS
Team scores: 1. Grandview 50 (Nathan Graham, Craig Kinney, Mick Norton, Pravan Kalaga, Grayson Abele, Sam Ehrhard); 2. Smoky Hill 54 (Blake Yount, Ryan Parker, Philipp Coen, Michael Andress, Cody Miller, Scott Schubert, Michael Anthony); 3. Cherokee Trail 73 (Kyle Jones, Duncan Barnhill, Cody Jones, Nate Thomas, Jackson Cowley, Brandon Bullock, Eli Pales); 4. Eaglecrest 90 (Luke Meachem, Steven Tibbitts, Conner Shonka, Dameon Squyers, Cameron Dwyer, Evan Keely, Andrew Mills); 5. Regis Jesuit 113 (John O’Hagan, Matt Hearley, Robert Iriye, Parker Churchill, Donovan Brucker, Owen Brown, Connor Clapp); 6. Rangeview 169 (Cameron Kimpson, Ramadan Muhammad, Dave Nuttall, Colton Lee, Karl Marquez, Jacob Kipfinger, Jaxon Setser); 7. Hinkley 197 (Oscar Briones-Ruiz, Francisco Aguilar, Damian Lopez, Roverto Santamaria, Josue Barrancas, Justice Appiah, Sean Carey); 8. Gateway 197 (Devundrick Walker, Marc Smith, Jordon Roberts, Kolby Spring, Ontario Duley, Deyaun Trueblood, Alazone Smith)
Top 14 individuals (top seven first team All-City): 1. Blake Yount (Smoky Hill), 16 minutes, 10 seconds; 2. Nathan Graham (Grandview), 16:14; 3. Craig Kinney (Grandview), 16:24; 4. Ryan Parker (Smoky Hill), 16:24; 5. Kyle Jones (Cherokee Trail), 16:31; 6. Duncan Barnhill (Cherokee Trail), 16:32; 7. Cody Jones (Cherokee Trail), 16:39; (8-14 second team All-City) 8. Devundrick Walker (Gateway), 16:40; 9. Luke Meachem (Eaglecrest), 16:42; 10. Phillipp Coen (Smoky Hill), 16:57; 11. John O’Hagan (Regis Jesuit), 17:03; 12. Steven Tibbitts (Eaglecrest), 17:08; 13. Mick Norton (Grandview), 17:13; 14. Pravan Kalaga (Grandview), 17:21
GIRLS
Team scores: 1. Grandview 39 (Erin Norton, Nicole Mundy, Melanie Jenkins, Brittany Bender, Rachel Shaw, Sylvana Ross, Lindsay Robinson); 2. Cherokee Trail 65 (Amy McConnell, Lynsie Roper, Savanah Nesvold, Breanna Wheeler, Samantha Steele, Maria Redman, Tori Rodriguez); 3. Regis Jesuit 69 (Julia Vitella, Madalyn Somer, Hannah Feehan, Lindsey Koch, Brooke Barlock, Katherine Kelso, Catie Beirne); 4. Smoky Hill 77 (Chloe Andrie, Brynell Yount, Jamie Jezier, Svetlana Yeager, Lesley Fatica, Madison Munns, Rhonda Patrom); 5. Eaglecrest 136 (Alicia Taurchini, Janine Taurchini, Jordanne Stobbs-Vergara, Paricia Albentosa, Tara Vigil, Jamie Stoner, Cassidy Henderson); 6. Rangeview 166 (Victoria Fanning, Miriah Hendrix, Megan Shanahan, Morgan Bloyer, Rachel Nuttall, Arielle Maes); 7. Hinkley 175 (Merhawet Taeme, Nathalie Gomez, Victoria Ramirez-Solis, Dania Veleta Varela, Estephania Aceves, Monica Caretta, Lesly Martin Del Campo)
Top 14 individuals (top seven first team All-City): 1. Erin Norton (Grandview), 18 minutes, 43 seconds; 2. Alicia Taurchini (Eaglecrest), 18:58; 3. Chloe Andrie (Smoky Hill), 19:02; 4. Amy McConnell (Cherokee Trail), 19:05; 5. Nicole Mundy (Grandview), 19:17; 6. Julia Vitella (Regis Jesuit), 19:20; 7. Melanie Jenkins (Grandview), 19:30; (8-14 second team All-City) 8. Brynell Yount (Smoky Hill), 19:38; 9. Madalyn Somer (Regis Jesuit), 19:42; 10. Hannah Feehan (Regis Jesuit), 19:59; 11. Brittany Bender (Grandview), 20:15; 12. Janine Taurchini (Eaglecrest), 20:15; 13. Lynsie Roper (Cherokee Trail), 20:22; 14. Savanah Nesvold (Cherokee Trail), 20:25
