The Pahrump Valley High School cross country team continued its impressive fall season with two major showings in Arizona—competing first at the prestigious Desert Twilight meet in Mesa on Friday, September 26, and then at the Coronado Weekday race on Tuesday, September 30. Both events provided valuable experience, new personal records, and standout performances across the board.
At the Desert Twilight Invitational, one of the largest meets in the country featuring more than 6,000 athletes, the Trojans took advantage of the fast course and competitive field. “The Boys team finished 12th out of 75 teams in the Varsity race—the only race we had a full team for,” said Head Coach Erik Odegard. “The race was really fast and had 536 runners. Josh Gent and Logan Tilley ran excellent races and both set personal records.”
Gent led the Trojans in the Men’s Small Schools Varsity division, finishing 23rd overall with a time of 17:17.2 (PR). He was followed closely by Joaquin Flores (17:47.3), Tilley (17:56.3, PR), Timmy Stutzman (18:28.5), Aydon Veloz (18:38.0, SB), Ben De Santiago (18:50.6), and Josh Flores (19:04.6).
In the Women’s 5000 Meter Championship, freshman standout Rylan Bliss continued to impress, leading the Trojan girls with a time of 21:49.1. Addi Nelsen (22:17.4, PR) and Rosie Miller (23:06.1, PR) each set new personal records, while Alexis Clouser rounded out the team in 23:47.7. “Addi and Rosie started the race strong, running side by side for much of the first mile,” Odegard noted. “Both girls dropped nearly 30 seconds from their previous times. Rylan had a great start and is running really well as a freshman—we’re just helping her learn how to run a complete race. I’m excited to see what she’ll do as she gets more comfortable.”
The Women’s Small Schools Open race featured another highlight, as sophomore Sophie Romero earned a medal with her 10th-place finish in 22:45.0. She was followed by Keelee Gieni (26:47.0), Kimberly Trejo (26:57.8), and Ella Odegard (28:29.8). “Sophie was our lone medalist this weekend, and she continues to be a strong and consistent competitor,” Odegard said.
On the boys’ side, Daniel Thompson led the Men’s Small Schools Open team with a 12th-place finish in 19:07.3, followed by Jacob McLaughlin (21:08.1) and Akim Khan (22:53.2). In the Men’s Small Schools Freshmen division, Kris Trejo (20:55.1) and Evan Risk (22:18.3, PR) both put in solid efforts against a competitive field.
Reflecting on the weekend, Odegard said, “We’ve been going to these out-of-state races for this purpose—to see different competition and push ourselves to be faster. Last week in Flagstaff was about understanding elevation and how our bodies respond. This week was all about seeing really fast kids run and learning how to push ourselves harder. I think the kids had a lot of fun and were excited to see their times.”
The lessons learned in Mesa carried over to the Coronado Weekday race on Tuesday, September 30, at Sonata Park, where the Trojans raced a shorter two-mile course and posted more season bests. In the men’s race, Akim Khan led the way in 14:24.7 (SB), followed by Alexander Martinez (14:39.1, PR), Emmanuel Dupart (15:29.6, PR), Sam Grabbe (15:35.3), Ace Blumer (17:36.1, PR), and Isaiah Veloz (19:56.3, PR).
On the girls’ side, Romero again led the Trojans with a personal-best 14:57.9. She was followed by teammate Jules Ondrisko, who made her season debut after recovering from injury, finishing in 15:39.4 (PR), and Lynette Doty, who clocked 22:24.8 (PR).
Coach Odegard praised the team’s continued improvement and commitment to growth. “One thing we’re still working on is getting our kids to focus on negative splits,” he explained. “That’s a big part of these large meets—watching how top runners from around the country pace and attack a race. We aren’t quite there yet, but we’re getting closer every week.”
With two strong Arizona meets behind them, the Trojans continue to build momentum as they move deeper into the season—faster, more confident, and more united than ever.
*Photos at the beginning of the article are from previous week’s race in Flagstaff.
