Pahrump Valley High School’s cross country teams brought home a pair of regional championships for the second consecutive year, with both the boys and girls finishing first at the NIAA 3A Southern Region Championship meet, held Friday, Oct. 30, at Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City.
The boys edged Moapa Valley by four points to secure their title, while the girls placed three runners among the top four overall to lead the team standings. Five Trojans also earned individual medals and podium spots for finishing in the top seven of their respective 5,000-meter races.
With regional and state meet lineups limited to seven runners per team and the first five contributing to the team total, the Trojans put together the finishes needed to keep both regional titles in Pahrump.
Joaquin Flores led the boys with a third-place finish overall in 17:35.9. Logan Tilley followed just six seconds later, placing fourth in 17:41.9. Both earned medals and spots on the podium, giving Pahrump two runners among the race’s top four.
The next group of Trojans crossed the finish line in close succession. Azael Machuca placed 10th in 18:36.6, with Josh Gent less than a second behind him in 11th at 18:37.4. Zander Thompson finished 12th in 18:47.2, completing Pahrump’s five scoring runners.
Those three consecutive finishes were a key part of the Trojans’ team result. Combined with Flores and Tilley’s places near the front, they gave Pahrump a winning total of 40 points.
Josh Flores followed in 13th place at 18:51.0, putting six Trojans among the top 13 overall. Daniel Thompson completed Pahrump’s seven-runner lineup with an 18th-place finish in 19:22.4.
Moapa Valley finished second with 44 points, followed by Virgin Valley with 91 and Boulder City with 94. Those four teams earned the advancing spots to the state meet. Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas placed fifth with 108 points, followed by SLAM Nevada with 167 and Equipo Academy with 195.
In the girls’ race, Sophie Romero, Addi Nelson and Ava Bowers finished second, third and fourth overall, respectively, giving the Trojans three medalists and a strong start toward another team championship.
Romero was Pahrump’s first runner across the line, finishing in 21:25.5. Nelson followed in 21:41.0, and Bowers ran a personal-best 21:49.8 to complete the trio. All three finished within 24.3 seconds of one another and earned podium spots for their top-seven performances.
Alexis Clouser was the fourth Trojan to finish, placing 12th overall in 24:17.8. Rosie Miller followed in 13th at 24:32.0, completing the team’s five scoring runners.
Anjolina Mercado finished 15th overall in 25:07.4, and Kimberly Trejo placed 16th in 26:12.8. All seven Pahrump runners finished among the top 16 overall.
The Trojans topped the girls’ team standings with 23 points. Moapa Valley finished second with 44, and Virgin Valley placed third with 65.
The repeat championships gave Pahrump another shared accomplishment for its boys and girls programs. With five individual medalists, a personal best from Bowers and both teams atop the regional standings, the Trojans added another successful chapter to their season.
The Trojans will return to Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City for the state championship meet on Saturday, Nov. 7. The 3A boys will race at 12:10 p.m., followed by the 3A girls at 12:45 p.m. Awards for all divisions are scheduled for 2:35 p.m.
