Courtesy of Mark Shelton, Dodge City Globe
The Dodge City High School girls cross country team proved once again why they are among the area’s strongest programs, successfully defending their team title at the Hays Invitational on Thursday. Behind three top-seven individual finishes, the Lady Demons edged out Norton to claim first place in the five-school meet with 43 points.
Norton finished close behind with 46 points, followed by Garden City (58) and host Hays (69). Hutchinson did not have enough runners to record a team score.
Olivia Springer led the way for Dodge City, clocking 20 minutes, 41 seconds to place fourth overall. She was joined in the top 10 by freshman Anna Clevenger (sixth, 21:18) and sophomore Krishna Perez (seventh, 21:33). Freshman Cruz Ramos provided a strong boost with an 11th-place finish in 22:03, while sophomore Karime Rueda (17th, 22:29) and senior Adianez Ceron (18th, 22:31) packed close together to seal the team victory.
Also contributing to Dodge City’s depth were Dayana Arroyo (22nd, 22:58) and Lilian Arroyo (29th, 23:38), as 31 runners competed in the varsity race.
The Lady Demons also dominated the junior varsity division, sweeping the top two spots and placing five runners in the top 11. Freshman Sofia Gutierrez won the JV race in 23:48, edging teammate Sara Velasquez (second, 23:55). Deniz Karakash (ninth, 26:20), Meghan Casey (10th, 26:24), and Judith Alonso (11th, 26:25) packed together to give Dodge City a commanding showing.
Other strong JV performances included Allison Aguilar (16th, 28:03), Sophia Pineda (19th, 28:32), Giselle Rodriguez (21st, 29:38), Mia Ramos (23rd, 29:53), Jamie Simmons (24th, 30:19), and Karina Solis (25th, 31:13). Twenty-seven runners competed in the JV race.
Red Demons finish second at Hays
The Dodge City boys cross country team turned in a strong showing at the Hays Invitational on Thursday, finishing second overall in a competitive varsity field. The Red Demons placed five runners inside the top 20 to earn 45 points, trailing only Garden City (21). Norton Community (82) and Hays (88) rounded out the team standings.
Leading the way for Dodge City was Gerardo Gamez, who clocked 17 minutes, 3 seconds to take fifth place individually. Sophomore Rylan Johnson joined him in the top 10 with an eighth-place finish at 17:26. Rounding out the Red Demons’ scoring pack were Domingo Lorenzo (10th, 17:54), Alex Covarrubias (12th, 17:56), and Oscar Guerra (17th, 18:19). Gael Guerra (20th, 18:30) and Jonathan Pelton (25th, 18:44) also contributed to the team’s depth.
The junior varsity race was equally competitive, with Dodge City narrowly falling to Garden City in the team standings, 28-30. The Red Demons placed an impressive 10 runners in the top 20 and showed strong pack running throughout.
Junior Sammy Martinez set the pace, winning the JV race in 18:32. Teammates Ezequiel Castro (third, 19:02) and Carlos Garcia (fourth, 19:05) helped Dodge City stack the top five. Kaesyn Rodriguez (10th, 19:37) and Alejandro Guerrero (12th, 19:52) also turned in key finishes.
Other notable Red Demon performances included Alex Arreola (14th, 20:13), Roberto Casasola (15th, 20:14), Aaron Martinez (16th, 20:17), and Brandon White (17th, 20:30). In all, Dodge City placed 18 runners in the JV race, highlighting the program’s depth and future potential.
