The Pahrump Valley High School cross country teams put together two productive meets in five days, recording a dozen personal bests at the Desert Twilight XC Festival in Arizona before returning home to lead both races at Lakeview Executive Golf Course.
The Trojans competed at Toka Sticks Golf Course on Friday, Sept. 25, with runners spread across four 5,000-meter races. Several athletes lowered their personal bests, including six of the seven runners in Pahrump’s boys’ varsity lineup.
Joaquin Flores led the Trojans in the Small Schools Varsity 2 boys’ race, placing 10th overall with a personal-best time of 17 minutes, 2.3 seconds. Logan Tilley followed in 16th place with a personal best of 17:18.0, while Josh Gent placed 29th with a season-best time of 17:40.4.
The rest of Pahrump’s varsity boys also recorded personal bests. Josh Flores finished in 18:16.6, followed by Daniel Thompson in 18:20.6, Azael Machuca in 18:30.0 and Zander Thompson in 18:36.4.
The girls’ Small Schools Varsity 2 race produced three personal bests at the front of the Trojan lineup. Sophie Romero placed 10th overall in 21:09.1, Addi Nelsen finished 18th in 21:51.5 and Ava Bowers took 22nd in 21:59.4.
Rosie Miller added a season-best time of 24:11.8. Alexis Clouser followed in 24:27.6, Anjolina Mercado finished in 24:59.6 and Ella Odegard completed the course in 25:34.2.
In the boys’ Small Schools Open 2 race, Juan Carlos Rodriguez and Manny Dupart finished less than two seconds apart, both setting personal bests. Rodriguez led the Trojans in 20:57.3, with Dupart close behind in 20:59.1. Kamden Moore finished in 21:49.8, followed by Isaiah Veloz in 26:08.0.
Kimberly Trejo paced Pahrump in the girls’ Small Schools Open race with a time of 24:48.7. Arianna Roberts followed with a personal best of 26:38.4.
Four days later, the Trojans returned to familiar surroundings for their home meet Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Lakeview Executive Golf Course.
The boys raced first, with Joaquin Flores leading the field to finish first overall in 17:33.0. Tilley took second in 17:59.4, followed by Gent in 18:24.1.
Zander Thompson placed fifth overall in 18:54.5, finishing just two-tenths of a second ahead of Josh Flores, who crossed in 18:54.7. Daniel Thompson followed in 19:20.3, while Machuca placed ninth overall in 19:32.9 to round out Pahrump’s top seven.
Jacob Seeback recorded a season best of 21:21.7. Rodriguez finished in 21:38.7, followed by Dupart in 21:54.3. Veloz lowered his personal best to 25:23.3, and Ace Blumer posted a season-best time of 29:10.8.
The Trojan girls swept the first three places in their race. Romero finished first in 21:35.0, followed by Nelsen in 22:17.8 and Bowers in 22:20.3.
Clouser placed sixth overall with a season-best time of 24:25.5, improving on her Arizona finish. Mercado also lowered her time from the previous meet, recording a personal best of 24:56.9.
Miller finished 10th overall in 25:46.9, and Trejo placed 11th in 25:57.0. Brandie Blumer followed in 27:11.2, Roberts finished in 27:57.7 and Odegard crossed in 28:11.9.
The two meets brought progress throughout Pahrump’s lineup, from the varsity runners who set personal bests in Arizona to the athletes who added personal and season bests at home. With Flores and Romero leading their respective fields and teammates filling several of the top positions, the Trojans gave their home crowd plenty to cheer.
