LITTLETON | In the midst of a decisive win in a deluge at deKoevend Park Oct. 9, Blake Yount still didn’t know what’s in store for the final two weeks of the season.
The Smoky Hill senior won his second consecutive Centennial League boys championship on a soggy, treacherous course where caution prevailed over time goals.
Still, Yount crossed the finish line in 15 minutes, 55 seconds, and said he felt good from start to finish, which seems to bode well for upcoming championship meets.
“I was looking more for place than time; I want to go into regionals fresh and state as best as I can,” Yount said. “I don’t know where I’m at yet this year. We’ll see how I do at regionals and then state.”
Yount and fourth-place finisher Cody Miller helped the Buffaloes to a second-place result as a team ahead of their upcoming test in the Region 1 meet Oct. 16 at the Margaret Carpenter Rec Center in Thornton.
The top four teams from each of the five regionals automatically qualify for the Oct. 25 state cross country meet and Miller
“Hopefully we’ll win regionals and we’ll have somebody take it individually,” Miller said.
Grandview senior Nathan Graham finished second behind Yount at the Aurora City Championships earlier in the season and has been chasing the Buffs’ standout all season. He tried to stay with Yount again at the league meet, but fell back eventually.
“I’m a little sore, but I’ll ready when it counts at regionals and state,” Graham said.
Mick Norton finished in ninth to support Graham for fourth-place Grandview, while Duncan Barnhill and Kyle Jones placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in a strong showing from Cherokee Trail in fifth.
On the girls side, Grandview’s Peyton Dailey continued an outstanding freshman season by breaking up powerhouse Cherry Creek’s top-heavy parade to the finish line by finishing third.
Dailey managed to catch Bruins’ standout Jordyn Colter — a former state champion — along the way and hold her place.
“Jordyn Coulter’s been my idol since fifth grade; that was a crazy moment when I realized I was running with her,” said Dailey, who finished 14 seconds ahead of Colter. “It was an honor to run with her.”
Emmah Johannes (7th) and Brynell Yount (10th) posted top-10 finishes to help Smoky Hill to second on the girls side, while Cherokee Trail’s Jordan Herrera finished ninth individually.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2014 CENTENNIAL LEAGUE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Oct. 9 at deKoevend Park
Boys team scores: 1. Cherry Creek 55 points; 2. SMOKY HILL 61; 3. Arapahoe 67; 4. GRANDVIEW 70; 5. CHEROKEE TRAIL 109; 6. EAGLECREST 157; 7. Mullen 174; 8. OVERLAND 222
Top 10 boys individuals: 1. BLAKE YOUNT (SMOKY HILL), 15 minutes, 54 seconds; 2. NATHAN GRAHAM (GRANDVIEW), 16:13; 3. Mason Brevig (Arapahoe), 16:26; 4. CODY MILLER (SMOKY HILL), 16:27; 5. DUNCAN BARNHILL (CHEROKEE TRAIL), 16:32; 6. KYLE JONES (CHEROKEE TRAIL), 16:34; 7. Daniel Book (Cherry Creek), 16:39; 8. Steven Goldy (Arapahoe), 16:47; 9. MICK NORTON (GRANDVIEW), 16:50; 10. Lars Hultgren (Cherry Creek), 16:51
Aurora team-by-team results (in order of finish)
Smoky Hill (61): 1. Blake Yount, 15:54; 4. Cody Miller, 16:27; 12. Spencer Bradshaw, 17:07; 16. Amir Kassahun, 17:20; 28. Ricardo Quijada, 17:42; 31. Simon Geday, 17:46; 34. Michael Andress, 17:48; Grandview (70): 2. Nathan Graham, 16:13; 9. Mick Norton, 16:50; 15. Pravan Kalaga, 17:18; 21. Cory Smith, 17:26; 23. Ben Ehrhard, 17:27; 37. Mitchell Horton, 17:58; 43. Caleb Randolph, 18:16; Cherokee Trail (109): 5. Duncan Barnhill, 16:32; 6. Kyle Jones, 16:34; 29. Nate Thomas, 17:44; 30. Michael Lynch, 17:44; 39. Jackson Cowley, 18:07; 41. Brandon Bullock, 18:15; 48. Mason Wilie, 18:50; Eaglecrest (157): 18. George Rykovich, 17:22; 26. Mason Brown, 17:35; 32. Andrew Mills, 17:47; 36. Evan Keely, 17:56; 45. Conner Shonka, 18:28; 52. Nick Johnson, 19:31; 55. Liam Ladd, 19:46; Overland (222): 38. Yosef Robele, 17:59; 42. Abanezer Bayou, 18:16; 46. Julian Lang, 18:40; 47. Michael Reno, 18:47; 49. Alex Martin, 18:51; 51. Bright Asamoah, 19:30; 56. Tom Saunders, 19:55
Girls team scores: 1. Cherry Creek 20 points; 2. SMOKY HILL 60; 3. CHEROKEE TRAIL 80; 4. Arapahoe 111; 5. GRANDVIEW 123; 6. EAGLECREST 162; 7. Mullen 209; 8. OVERLAND 242
Top 10 girls results: 1. Devon Peterson (Cherry Creek), 18:59; 2. Lillian Markusch (Cherry Creek), 18:59; 3. PEYTON DAILEY (GRANDVIEW), 19:14; 4. Jordyn Colter (Cherry Creek), 19:28; 5. Katie Plomondon (Cherry Creek), 19:30; 6. Mandee Middleton (Arapahoe), 19:31; 7. EMMAH JOHANNES (SMOKY HILL), 19:33; 8. Emily Cutter (Cherry Creek), 19:47; 9. JORDAN HERRERA (CHEROKEE TRAIL), 19:49; 10. BRYNELL YOUNT (SMOKY HILL), 19:53
Aurora team-by-team results (in order of finish)
Smoky Hill (60): 7. Emmah Johannes, 19:33; 10. Brynell Yount, 19:53; 12. Jamie Jezier, 19:57; 15. Lesley Fatica, 20:15; 16. Julie Eoff, 20:21; 28. Carlie Andrie, 21:10; 31. Kaycie Schubert, 21:18; Cherokee Trail (80): 9. Jordan Herrera, 19:49; 11. Jessica Brookie, 19:53; 19. Kennedey McCurdy, 20:28; 20. Hannah Laurie, 20:31; 21. Elyse Bartelmey, 20:32; 22. Maria Redman, 20:33; 23. Lynsie Roper, 20:39; Grandview (123): 3. Peyton Dailey, 19:14; 18. Kayla Vallin, 20:24; 33. Sylvana Ross, 21:23; 34. Marisa Welsh, 21:25; 35. Nicole Mundy, 21:48; 45. Mylee Abeyta, 23:20; Eaglecrest (162): 17. Janine Taurchini, 20:22; 26. Jess McQuaid, 20:58; 38. Tara Vigil, 22:46; 40. Mae Acuna, 22:49; 41. Emily Hunter, 22:50; 42. Cassidy Henderson, 22:54; 48. Jordanne Stobbs-Vergara, 23:45; Overland (242): 50. Rinesty Rusli, 24:58; 51. Asma Giomazi, 29:00; 52. Tanzilla Purnota, 29:53; 53. Touraya Dehry, 30:30; 54. Mikee Martin, 32:02
