MVHS Runners Compete At Faith Lutheran 5K Race

By GABRIELLE SHIOZAWA

Moapa Valley Progress

Members of the Moapa Valley High School Cross Country teams performed well in a meet at Faith Lutheran High School last Wednesday.
The 5k course on which the athletes competed sent them around a track, through a parking lot, and over concrete and grass paths across the sprawling Faith Lutheran campus.

Placing first in the boys’ race with a 17:59 finish was Faith Lutheran’s Koby Ghadery. Nathaniel Thompson and Jerrick Stastny took fifth and sixth places for the Pirates with respective finishes at 18:11 and 18:22. Finishing in eighth place at 18:41 was Preston Humes. Placing 11th at 19:08 and 12th at 19:14, respectively, were Bryton Dorsey and Samuel Jolley. Zachary Anderson placed 17th with his time of 19:48. Anderson was tailed by Nathan Waite, who took 18th place at 19:50 and beat Faith Lutheran’s Jack Marshall by a mere two seconds. Gavin Henrie placed 20th with his time of 19:54, while Garrett German’s time of 20:22 put him in 21st place. Taking 24th place at 20:41 was Max Shambaugh. Taylor Landini placed 39th at 21:58. After a close race to the finish with Faith Lutheran’s David Ruggeroli, Gabriel Leavitt pulled ahead to take 43rd place at 22:34, beating his competitor by five seconds.

In the girls’ race, Faith Lutheran’s Sadie Oakley took first place at 21:10. Andrea Mogren placed tenth for Moapa Valley when she crossed the finish line at 23:16. Taking 15th place at 25:36 and 16th place at 25:47, respectively, were Hannah Watson and Emma Thompson. Samantha Thompson placed 21st with her time of 26:23. After a close race with Virgin Valley’s Marisa Behrle, McKinley Bledsoe pulled ahead for a 27:12 finish taking 24th place. Alexa Canfield finished next, taking 26th place at 27:16, after which Gabrielle Shiozawa took 30th place with her time of 27:48. Laura Adams placed 31st at 27:55. After Annabel Lounsbury placed 33rd with her time of 28:01, Miranda Robison finished in 37th place at 28:20. Haley Bush pushed ahead for a 30:17 finish, taking 40th place, after which Isabella Bustillos took 42nd place at 30:34. Taking 45th place at 31:49 was Kayli Thompson.

The boys’ and girls’ Pirate teams both placed second overall to Faith Lutheran.
“I feel that, as a team, we have improved greatly from the beginning of the season,” remarked freshman runner Annabel Lounsbury.

Lounsbury, who beat her previous record by 51 seconds during Wednesday’s race, added that she was driven by her teammates’ encouragement from the sidelines.
“[Their words] really motivated me,” she said. “That helped me do well in this race and beat my previous record.”

MVHS Cross Country will compete at the Falcon Invitational at Foothill High School this Saturday.