Mayoral, Troutner make final regional runs memorable

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

There were redemption runs Saturday for Amanda Mayoral and Aidan Troutner at the Nike Southwest Regional.

And there was a Colorado crush when it came to the team battles at Grande Sports World in Casa Grande, Ariz.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS | VIDEOS | PHOTOS

Mountain Vista CO had Shayan Zarrin, Carter Dillon and Parker Mackay in the top 14 and all five scorers in the top 45 to produce an 80-149 victory over Springville UT to capture the boys title. Both teams secured their second trips to compete at Nike Cross Nationals on Dec. 2 in Portland, Ore.

Battle Mountain CO relied on Elizabeth Constien, Lizzy Harding and Naomi Harding placing in the top 21 and five scorers in the top 60 to earn its first NXN girls berth with a 96-125 victory over Mountain Vista, which had three finishers in the top 15 to assure its second appearance at the national finals.

Mayoral, a senior at Cleveland NM, ended a six-year streak of victories by Colorado runners in the girls championship race by covering the 5-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 14 seconds.

Mayoral, an Oklahoma State signee, advanced to NXN as a sophomore, placing third in the regional behind national champion Katie Rainsberger of Air Academy CO and Lauren Gregory of Fort Collins CO.

But Mayoral struggled last year, finishing 33rd in 18:49, before rebounding to become the first New Mexico female athlete to win the regional since Albuquerque Academy’s Julia Foster in 2010.

Mayoral, the New Mexico 6A champion, held off a group of strong challengers in the final 400 meters, with the top six finishers all separated by six seconds.

Northland Prep senior Maya Smith, a four-time Arizona Division IV state champion, took second in 17:18. Smith improved from 21st last year in 18:22.

Rio Rico junior Samantha Schadler, the Arizona Division III champion, was among three athletes finishing in 17:19, along with Peak to Peak CO junior Anna Shults and North Summit UT senior Sadie Sargent.

Schadler improved from 12th last year in 18:13, Shults – the Colorado 3A runner-up – elevated from 45th last season in 19:04 and Sargent, a two-time Utah 2A winner, ascended from 17th in 18:20 at last year’s regional.

Troutner, who missed the final individual berth to NXN last year by one spot, followed two-time NXN champion Casey Clinger of American Fork to become the third straight Utah standout to win the boys title, clocking 14:50. Troutner, a BYU signee and future teammate of Clinger, improved from a ninth-place finish in 15:34 last year.

Valor Christian sophomore Cole Sprout, the Colorado 4A champion, was second in 14:52. The Faith Lutheran transfer placed 54th last season in 16:11.

Rock Canyon sophomore Easton Allred regrouped after finishing eighth at the Colorado 5A final to take third in 14:53. Allred stepped up with a significant performance after winning the large school open regional race last year in 16:07.

Brandon Garnica, third in the Utah 5A state final, led Springville’s runner-up team finish, placing fourth in 14:55. Garnica improved from 18th last season in 15:49.

Lehi UT senior Ryan Raff – the Utah 4A champion – took fifth in 14:56, improving from a 25th-place finish in 2015 in 15:23.

Monarch senior Charlie Perry, the Colorado 5A winner, was sixth in 15:01, securing the final NXN individual berth after finishing 46th last year in 16:06.

Broomfield CO finished third in the girls race with 134 points and Timpanogos UT took third in the boys race with 203 points. Both will have to wait until Nov. 25 to learn if they secured one of four at-large berths in each gender to compete at NXN.

American Fork UT, which had made eight consecutive appearances in the NXN boys final, finished fifth with 247 points.