Laughlin Times: Local

LAUGHLIN - The Laughlin High School girls cross country team successfully defended its NIAA Class 2A South Region championship Friday at Mountain View Park-Bennett Elementary School, but the boys got nipped by two points; initially it was believed they lost a 29-29 tie from lack of a sixth runner.

The Silver and Blue units qualified for Saturday's Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association finals and Coach Lori Petrik believes the association's southern-most entrants will be in the thick of things - if each will run their best as a team.

She also notes the results will depend on how they adjust to the thinner air of the higher altitude and the normally cooler temperatures in Reno.

In the boys division, West Wendover, in its fourth year in the sport, bested LHS, 30-32, with only two southern teams allowed in the finals, along with the top three individuals from the other schools. Henderson International was third with 84 points. Las Vegas Adelson had 46 points, but will not be at Reno because Saturday is the Jewish religion's Sabbath.

What made the difference was that an Adelson runner finished eighth of the 23 harriers, increasing the scores of the fifth Wolverine (10th place) and fourth and fifth Cougars (12th and 17th).

Senior Jorgen Davidson finally beat junior Cody McGeshick for first place, 18:39 to 19:36, over the 3.1-mile (5,000 meters) spectator-friendly course. Freshman Brian Romero took fourth place, Aaron Banuelos 12th and senior Stephen Freedle, running with a bad hip, 17th - about 10 spots below his normal healthy finishing position.

Petrik looks forward to a healthy bunch of Cougars being in the thick of the battle for second through fourth place, as Sierra Lutheran is far too strong for LHS.

In the girls division Laughlin features a trio of talented freshman balanced by a trio of seniors.

The Lady Cougars beat Henderson International, 20-42. They were the only schools to enter at least three runners to earn a team score. LHS fielded seven runners.

Lanky frosh Malarie McDonald captured third place (23:23) - her first time to lead the Lady Cougars. McDonald cut about two minutes from her previous best.

Freshman Kemberly Mejia was fourth (23:59), rookie senior Brittany Chase sixth, freshman Christina Escarzaga seventh and senior Jennifer Brown eighth. Senior Kim Benavides was 10th and sophomore Nancy Martinez 12th of 17 runners.

Petrik said later the girls did as she wanted them to, run more aggressively.