ARIZONA STATE MEET

Xander Black leads Brophy Prep to first boys title since 2003, with Lauren Ping and propelling Desert Vista to back-to-back Division 1 girls crowns; Flagstaff girls win sixth straight in Division 2, with boys having five-year streak ended by Gilbert, as Casteel’s Dayton Carlson runs fastest time; Rio Rico’s Roshan Tinoco-Miranda repeats, with Salpointe Catholic sweeping Division 3 championships

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

GILBERT – Xander Black was barely a year old the last time Brophy Prep won a boys individual or team state title, but his coach Oscar Borboa recalls the 2003 Arizona Interscholastic Association Class 5A final like it was yesterday.

Borboa was the No. 7 runner on Brophy’s last championship team, which prevailed against Mountain View by a three-point margin at Anthem Community Center.

With Black leading a veteran lineup Thursday that placed five scorers in the top 25, Brophy Prep secured the second state team title in program history, prevailing by a 56-66 margin over Desert Vista in the Division 1 final at Crossroads Park.

INTERVIEWS

Black covered the 5-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 34.53 seconds to become the Broncos’ first individual champion since Charles Hampton won back-to-back 5A crowns in 2002-03. He received an encouraging message Wednesday from Hampton on social media providing additional inspiration in his title pursuit after finishing second last season behind Highland star and two-time state winner Leo Daschbach, now a freshman at Washington.

Desert Vista trailed Brophy Prep by a projected 45 points with less than a mile remaining, but mounted an impressive comeback, led by runner-up Noah Jodon, who ran 15:37.8. It marked the second year in a row that Desert Vista finished second after capturing five consecutive Division 1 championships from 2014-18.

But since the title streak has been halted for the Thunder boys program, the Desert Vista girls team has added to its legacy with back-to-back championships.

One year after a runaway 50-point victory against Highland in the Division 1 final, Desert Vista dodged a late rally by the Hawks to hold on for a 41-44 triumph, securing a third team crown in the past five years and the seventh overall.

Sophomore Lauren Ping became the first Desert Vista athlete since Dani Jones in 2013-14 to repeat as champion, clocking 17:13.38 to lead the Thunder sweeping the top two spots for the second year in a row, along with junior Katie Sigerud running 17:38.6. Grace Ping, an Oklahoma State-bound senior who finished sixth Thursday in 18:18.9, placed second behind her younger sister last year.

Lauren Ping also became the first female athlete in the state’s highest classification to win individual championships as both a freshman and a sophomore since Amber Clark of Mesa Dobson prevailed in 5A from 1988-90.

Sigerud captured a team title in her second state in three years, after helping St. Michael-Albertville win the Class AA championship in 2018 in Minnesota.

Sophomore Kayla Case took third in 18:01.9 for Highland, which endured a 49-99 setback last season to Desert Vista. The Hawks trailed by 22 points with less than a mile remaining Thursday, before rallying behind a lineup featuring four sophomores to place five scorers in the top 16 and nearly earn their first girls team title.

Casteel senior Dayton Carlson delivered the most impressive individual performance of the two-day event, running the fastest time ever on the current 5-kilometer Crossroads Park layout, clocking 15:06.01 to capture the Division 2 title after finishing seventh at the state meet last season.

And the most shocking outcome of the state championship also came in the Division 2 boys race, with Gilbert winning its first team championship by ending the five-year reign of Flagstaff with a 77-92 victory.

Gilbert, which finished 13th last year, led by only one point through three runners. But the Tigers had their fourth and fifth scorers finish 27th and 36th, with Flagstaff’s next two athletes placing 37th and 45th, resulting in the Eagles missing out on becoming the first boys program in Division 2 or Class 4A since Tuba City (1978-84) to win at least six straight titles.

Flagstaff senior Max Davis clocked 15:24.79 to place second behind Carlson and run the second-fastest time among all male competitors. Gilbert junior Terrence Keyes took third in 15:43.1 and Ironwood Ridge junior Logan Marek was fourth in 15:47.4.

Flagstaff did extend the longest girls championship streak in the state to six in a row, with sophomore Mia Hall winning her first individual crown in 17:54.55 to lead five scorers in the top 16 in a 41-79 triumph over Catalina Foothills. It marked the third straight individual title not only for Flagstaff, but for the Hall family, with current Grand Canyon University freshman Hana Hall securing the past two Division 2 girls championships.

The top four athletes were all underclassmen, with Casteel freshman Kyah Zurek placing second in 18:07, Campo Verde freshman Clara Jones taking third in 18:09.1 and Catalina Foothills sophomore Taylor McCue finishing fourth in 18:23.

Flagstaff had won five in a row in Class 4A from 2000-04, but surpassed that run Friday to capture the 17th girls title in program history. Only Hopi, which secured seven in a row in Class 1A/2A and Division 4, has a longer girls championship run in state history. 

Salpointe Catholic rallied in both the Division 3 boys and girls finals Thursday to achieve the first sweep of the team titles since Page in 2015.

The Lancers erased a 14-point deficit against Coconino in the last mile of the girls race to secure a 68-71 victory, capturing their third championship in the past five years and fourth overall.

Sophomore Kylie Wild pulled off the most impressive comeback for Salpointe Catholic, overcoming an eight-second gap in the final mile behind American Leadership Academy of Queen Creek sophomore Evelynne Carr to prevail by an 18:37.27 to 18:37.47 margin in the most thrilling finish in a state final in several years.

Wild, who took fifth last season, followed recent Salpointe Catholic graduate and current University of San Diego freshman Zoey Delgado in winning the individual crown for the Lancers after trailing for all but the final three strides of the race.

Gilbert Christian freshman Ryley Nelson was third in 19:19.3, followed by Coconino sophomores Cathron Donaldson (19:39) and Wheaten Smith in 19:50.7.

Salpointe Catholic trailed six-time champion Page following the first mile of the boys final, but relied on a pack that spread 30 seconds among its five scorers, all placing in the top 20, to produce a 57-68 victory over Snowflake. Page, racing for only the second time all season as a result of restrictions related to the Coronavirus pandemic, took third with 80 points.

Rio Rico senior Roshan Tinoco-Miranda ran 15:32.32 to repeat as Division 3 boys champion, becoming the Hawks’ first male athlete since Eric Chavez in Class 3A in 2001-02 to secure back-to-back titles. Tinoco-Miranda is scheduled to race again Sunday at the XC Town USA Meet of Champions in Terre Haute, Ind.

Cactus senior Gilbert Olivas, who finished seventh last year, was second Thursday in 15:47.2 and Page senior Trent Holiday took third for the third year in a row by clocking 15:53.4.

Sophomores Diego Veliz and Michael Urbanski were both timed in 16:30.4 to finish 10th and 11th for Salpointe Catholic, which secured its first boys team championship in program history under coach Mike Urbanski, who also features Diego Martin-Valdez, Diego Logan-Behshad and Diego Delgado in his lineup.

Northland Prep placed five scorers in the top 22 to win its fourth Division 4 girls championship in seven years with a 54-76 victory Friday over Northwest Christian. Freshman Indi Jones was the top performer for the Spartans, securing sixth in 20:53.7.

Morenci senior Kayla O’Connell became the first state champion in program history, rallying past Round Valley junior Jessica Madrid in the final 50 meters to prevail by a 19:57.8 to 19:58.2 margin. O’Connell only began running cross country two years ago, finishing 19th in her state meet debut in 2018, before placing seventh last year.

After Jordan Black secured a Division 4 individual title last year for North Phoenix Prep, senior Richie Johnston relied on a strong surge in the final mile to give the Gladiators another championship in 16:03.8.

Sammy Johnston, a junior, took third for the second year in a row for North Phoenix Prep in 16:23.1.

Junior Jon Barney was second in 16:15.7 and senior Nicholas Logan took fourth in 16:31.5 for Veritas Prep, which captured its first team title in program history by edging Glendale Prep by a 67-75 margin.  

Team champions

Division 1: Brophy Prep boys 56 points, Desert Vista girls 41 points - RESULTS

Division 2: Gilbert boys 77 points; Flagstaff girls 41 points - RESULTS

Division 3: Salpointe Catholic boys 57 points, Salpointe Catholic girls 68 points - RESULTS

Division 4: Veritas Prep boys 67 points; Northland Prep girls 54 points - RESULTS