Buckaroos race to a first place finish at Loyds Lake Classic

SPORTS SHORTS
by Scott Boyle
The Monticello boys showed their stuff in the 2012 Monticello Loyds Lake Classic cross country race on September 7. On a perfect afternoon for running, they used their classic pack running technique to capture first place over Piedra Vista High School from Farmington NM, 26-46. 
The MHS girls, despite a few injuries to key runners, ran their way to a second place finish behind Piedra Vista, 29-52.
Collin Hatch, Easton Nielson, and Justin Wright finished second, third, and fourth to pace the sturdy Buckaroo effort, Hatch in 17:57, Nielson in 17:59 and Wright in 18:12. 
Just two places and 16 seconds behind Wright is Jens Brewer, to give the Buckaroos four of the first six places.  Sheldon Black, Tanner Eardley, and Nash Freestone finished in another group at 11th, 12th and 14th. 
The Bronco boys finished a strong third, with Cole Chamberlain and Christian Sherrow leading the way, coming in fifth and seventh.  Dallin Jacobsen, Chase Chamberlain, Braden Meyer, Brandon Deschene and Matt Lewis were 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 20th in the scenic three-mile run around Loyds Lake.
Monticello senior runner Brittany Keith was the top Buckaroo finisher in the girls race, placing third in the team competition (places are adjusted for runners competing without a full team). Keith’s time was 23:05.  Cambria Welch (sixth), Ashley Hoggard (13th), Elena Mitchell (14th), and Kaitlyn Clark (15th) round out the superb Monticello effort.
The SJ girls finished fourth with junior Kira Simpson leading the Bronco charge in 11th place.  Brittany Bleak (16th), Carey Stash (19th), and Heidi Hiatt (20th) completed the Bronco effort. 
San Juan dominated both the boys and girls JV races, winning first in both.  MHS boys were second.  Jennifer Webb was second in the girls JV for San Juan, with Lynalla Benn fourth, Sierra Monson sixth and Ann Pugh and Tallie Chamberlain eighth and ninth. 
Monticello’s Brittany Redd was third and Hannah Getter 11th. 
For the boys JV, Monticello’s Tyler Bird came in first, with teammates Everett Hatch and Kyler Rose in fifth. The Broncos placed nine of the next 12 places to grab the team win.  Isaac Morley, Spencer Beck, and Patten Black placed 7th, 8th, and 9th, while Adam Ward, Teancum Chamberlain, Sammy Pugh, Johnny Pugh, and Mykai Redd were 10th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th.  MHS’s Trent Duke and Brandin Clark were 21st and 23rd.
One would think all 300 ARL students were running in the junior high race. Well, not quite 300, but 41 of the 67 girl runners and 38 of 69 boy runners were ARL-lians. Shadin Sherrow from ARL was second and Grange Simpson fourth in the boys race. 
MHS harriers Jamikal Shakespeare and Ryan Bird were fifth and sixth.  ARLers Seth Pugh, Spencer Squires and Derek Francom were 8th, 10th, and 11th, followed by Adam Bunker and Lucas Hatch of Monticello.
Two ARL runners, Jessica Walker and Skye Jeppson, finished one-two in the girls jr. high.  Monticello’s Kendall Harris was the top Buckaroo finisher in fifth place.  ARL’s Alexsis James (eighth) and MHS’s Cheyehanna Aitken (11th) also finished high in the 1.7 mile race.
Football
The Broncos ran their record to 4-0 and solidified their number one ranking with a convincing 38-6 region win over the Grand County Red Devils on Friday night in Moab. The Broncos rushed to a 25-0 halftime lead and cruised home. 
Ammon Mitchell (12 yards), Justin Nielson (six yards) Logan Meyer (78 yards), and Jens Grover (three yards) all scored on the ground after which Barkley Christensen tossed two more TD passes to Meyer of six yards, and Dylan Blake of 16 yards, all before Grand scored a touchdown late in the game.
Bronco QB Christensen is first in 2A in touchdown passes with eight in four games and second in 2A in passing, averaging 130 yards per game.  Logan Meyer has caught five of those TD passes from Christensen to lead 2A in that category.
Monticello ran their record to 3-1 with a complete team victory over Monument Valley, 60-0.  Every Buckaroo played and many scored in the region victory.
Next up is an important non-region tussle against long time rival Rich, in Monticello on Friday.  San Juan is at home against Parowan.
End with golf?
Another hole-in-one happened at the Hideout recently.  Doug Wright, playing with son Justin, who is 17, on the seventh of September, aced the par three seventh hole with a seven iron. 
At the time, Wright was seven over for his round and promptly took a seven on the next hole.  All those sevens might not be totally accurate, except for perhaps the seventh hole and the seven iron. Be that as it may, hole number seven is a tee shot to an elevated green that can’t be seen from the tee, so you can’t see the ball roll in the hole if it happens to. 
After hitting the shot, Justin commented, “That might be close”.  No ball was in sight when they got to the green, but after checking the cup, Doug found his ball safely nestled in the hole for his first ace. 
“I never thought I’d get a hole-in-one”, Wright marveled. 
“Me neither,” I deadpan.