The Hilltopper Cross Country teams celebrate their District Championship. Photo by Blake Wood

Mikey Bane leads the charge up the first steep hill on the difficult Pojoaque course. He finished as the 2nd ‘Topper in 4th place, overall. Photo by Blake Wood

By BLAKE WOOD
Assistant Coach
Hilltopper XC

The Los Alamos High School Hilltoppers Cross Country teams had a rather easy time of winning the 4A District 2 Championship at Pojoaque High School Friday afternoon, on a difficult 5k course featuring steep hills and sandy single-track trails.

Running in a pack, the Hilltopper Boys placed seven runners in the top-10 to win over runner-up Taos, 25-36.  Armando Inbody led the Toppers in 3rd place overall (behind two Taos runners) with a time of 18:18.  He was followed by Mikey Bane (4th, 18:26), Benjamin Sanchez (5th 18:30), Eddie Gartz (6th, 18:33), Gus Ovaska (7th, 18:49), Brayden Allen (8th, 18:50), Andy Enriquez (9th, 18:50), and Grafton Urbatsch (13th, 19:13).

The Girls race was even more lopsided, with the Hilltoppers taking the first four places plus 9th to win over runner-up Moriarty, 19-76. Anna Wetteland was individual District Champion in a time of 21:14, closely followed by Grace Montoya (2nd, 21;16), Ensley Jorgenson (3rd, 21:23), and Rebecca Beaux (4th, 21:29).  Amelia Hill (9th, 22:51), rounded out the scoring quintet. Lucy Kelley (11th, 23:03), Lena Ronning (15th, 24:15), and Audrey See (16th, 24:19) completed the Topper District team.

The Hilltoppers head to the State Championship at Albuquerque Academy Saturday, Nov. 11.

Grafton Urbatsch and Armando Inbody in a tight scrum early in the race. Inbody was the first Hilltopper Boy, in 3rd place overall. Photo by Blake Wood

Grace Montoya, Anna Wetteland and Ensley Jorgenson crest the big hill on their way to a 2-1-3 finish, respectively. Photo by Blake Wood

Rebecca Beaux powers down a steep single-track trail to a 4th place finish. Photo by Blake Wood