Ty Koenig was recognized as the top male cross country runner from the San Luis Valley for 2011. Photo by Alan Versaw.
Special to Colorado Track XC by:
ERIC R. FLORES
Valley Courier Sports Editor
SAN LUIS VALLEY— The 2011 All-Valley Cross Country Teams have been selected and announced by the All-Valley Committee. Unlike previous years, an All-Valley Cross Country Banquet will not take place this year; however, the athletes still earn the honor of being All-Valley.
To be named to the All-Valley team, a runner’s best time is submitted to the committee and the athletes with the best times earn the honor. This year the committee decided to increase the number of athletes who are selected to be All-Valley from ten from each gender to 12, with a maximum of six from each school in the San Luis Valley in each gender.
The Eric Wolff Team Spirit Award and Coach of the Year awards were also awarded.
Even though there was no awards banquet as in previous years, the award winners will be awarded certificates and t-shirts.
This year, the top girl in the San Luis Valley was Centauri senior Diana Miller-ter Kuile, who posted a time of 20:01.1 at the 18th Annual Joe I. Vigil at Cattail’s Golf Course in early September. She led six Falcons who were selected while Alamosa had four runners who were selected.
Alamosa junior Karlee Smith had the second fastest time as she posted a 20:54, also at the Joe I. Vigil Meet. Sophomore teammate, Nicole Broyles posted her best time of 21:00.54 at the Class 3A Region 2 Meet.
Centauri sophomore Marissa Sorensen and senior Jennifer Sisneros were the fourth and sixth on the list as they each got their season personal records at the Class 3A Region 1 Meet. They had times of 21:25.2 and 22:06, respectively.
Sargent senior Amber Reynolds, who is a student at Sangre de Cristo High School, was in between the two with the fifth best time of 21:40.09 at the Fountain Valley Meet in the middle of the season.
Centauri sophomore Marissa Quinlin and senior Kaitlyn Witten were the next two with times from the regional meet of 22:13.9 and 22:15.20.
Alamosa sophomores Jordan Hicks and Zena Manzanares, who ran cross country for the first time this past season, were the ninth and tenth to make the team as they had times of 22:34.3 and 22:41.97, also earned at their regional meet.
Del Norte’s Jordan Neely posted a season best time of 22:42.3 while Centauri freshman Valentina Valdez rounded out the selections with a time of 22:43.9.
Alamosa junior Ty Koenig, who is a student at Sanford High School, posted the best time on the boys side as he clocked his best time at the Joe I. Vigil Meet, a 17:01.
His teammates, sophomores Gavin Palmer and Nick Molina had the second and third best times in the Valley, with times of 17:38.31 and 17:42. Palmer’s time was earned at regionals while Molina’s came at the Vigil meet.
The Alamosa streak continued as sophomore Gavin Palmer was the fourth best time in the Valley with his mark at the regional meet of 17:49.23.
Antonito freshman Jericho Ulibarri was the next best time with a time of 18:04.4 while Alamosa seniors Zack Lopez and Chris Reveles helped reach the maximum amount allowed by each team to be named All-Valley as they were the sixth and seventh fastest times. Lopez’ and Reveles each had their fastest times at the Joe I. Vigil Meet.
Centauri’s Dylan Soward’s best time was his regional meet time of 18:24 while Del Norte’s Kaleb Stephen’s Joe I. Vigil time of 18:38 nabbed him the tenth fastest time.
Creede’s Cord Tiley and Del Norte’s John Haefeli rounded out the selections with times of 18:46 and 18:51, respectively.
This year the All-Valley Coach of the Year Award was awarded to Centennial head coach David Jackson for his efforts. The first-year head coach of the Rams led his team to qualifying the boys as a team and their only girl qualified as well.
The Eric Wolff Memorial Spirit Award, given in memory of the beloved Sargent coach who inspired runners throughout the Valley, was awarded to the Antonito Cross Country team and head coach Alfred Sanchez for their dedication and overall success throughout the season.
With only three seniors on the girl’s side and five on the boy’s side of the All-Valley squads, the next couple of years show promise of strong showings for the Valley and it’s running teams.