The Pahrump Valley High School Cross Country team traveled to Gilbert, Arizona, on October 11 to compete in the prestigious Epic Tourneys XC Invite. Competing against small schools from across the region, PVHS athletes delivered standout performances across both the Varsity and Open divisions, earning medals and posting impressive times.
In the girls’ Small Schools Varsity race, senior Aurora Whitney secured 18th place with a time of 23:04.8, earning a medal for her top-20 finish. Savannah Thompson followed closely in 22nd place, finishing in 23:39.1. Sophomore Alexis Clouser and senior Sasha Strain placed 35th and 40th, respectively, with times of 24:22.8 and 24:56.2. Freshman KeeLee Gieni (25:48.5) and senior Alejandra Abarca-Franco (27:11.7) also contributed to the team’s strong showing.
In the boys’ Small Schools Varsity race, senior Antonio Veloz earned a medal for his 15th-place finish, clocking in at 18:27.7. Sophomore Joaquin Flores crossed the line in 23rd with a time of 18:48.9, followed by freshman Joshua Flores in 54th at 19:55.6 and junior Timothy Stutzman in 55th at 19:59.0. Freshmen Joshua Gent and Daniel Thompson finished 64th and 72nd with times of 20:18.8 and 20:31.3, and sophomore Logan Tilley followed close behind in 77th at 20:37.3. The team finished fourth overall at out of 24 teams.
The boys also had a strong showing in the Open division, where junior Jacob McLaughlin narrowly missed a medal with a 14th-place finish in 20:55.6. Sophomore Jacob Seeback followed in 20th at 21:25.3, while Nathan Miller, senior Isaac Norton, and freshman Tanner Gott placed 32nd, 33rd, and 34th with times of 22:17.6, 22:33.0, and 22:34.0, respectively. Other competitors included Noah Flores (46th, 23:42.5), Ethan Johnson (58th, 24:35.8), Samuel Grabbe (65th, 25:41.0), Keldan Frederiksen (66th, 25:46.6), and Kamden Moore (87th, 28:32.5).
In the girls’ Open division, sophomore Sophie Romero stood out with an impressive 4th-place finish, crossing the line at 26:46.4. Freshman Kimberly Trejo finished 6th with a time of 29:51.0, and Ella Odegard rounded out the team’s success with an 8th-place finish at 30:26.6. All three earned medals.
The Epic Tourneys XC Invite provided the PVHS athletes with valuable experience and a chance to bond as a team while competing outside of Nevada. With strong individual and team performances, the Trojans are well-prepared to take on the rest of their season and build momentum heading into future competitions.
